This is a brief look here at the National League for Nursing, the NLN which is actively involved in the academic accreditation and setting standards for the training of our new nurses and increasing academic standing for nurses that are moving forward in their degrees and I just wanted to point out to you and include a link in the shownotes to a recent release form the National League for Nursing, the NLN coming out with a living document that—basically this living document will be updated and changed and adjusted but it is focusing on the academic progression options for all nurses.

This has been a hot button topic whereas of course the entry level for basic nursing care and we can certainly talk about that as something that could be considered at many different levels. There currently is in the United States the associate’s degree nurse, the ADN, that is the basic standard—minimum standard for registered nurse but there is a push to bring all nurses up to the bachelor’s degree level. Should that be the minimum starting standard or at least a standard to which all nurses aspire within a short tie of becoming nurses even at the ADN level? This is something that is being discussed but this particular document focuses on exactly how nurses are going to move forward in their careers and in their education and so this focuses on advancing to BSN to master’s degree and studies in a master’s level graduate studies of various kinds, advanced practice nursing and beyond so certainly we need to be considering these things.

If you’re considering advancing your academic standing as a nurse, you might want to take a look at this document, understand some of the things that its pushing out to the academic community and understand some of the ways that it might help increase your focus on exactly what it is you’re trying to do, by understanding what the leaders of our academic side of nursing are trying to do to bring forward a way to support and improve the nursing career path and profession for all of us. I always try to put these links out there because I want to make sure that each of you understands what our leaders are ding for us at the National level. The American Nurses Association, the NLN and other organizations do a lot behind the scenes and we don’t often understand how they are representing each and every one of us. We may not always agree with the stands they take but in this situation, this is really focusing on each nurse reaching a level of academic standing that helps them be the best that they can possibly be whether that’s bachelor’s degree, even if it’s an ADN nurse that’s aspiring to receive some advanced certification as a clinical specialist of some kind. These are things that are standing out there for everyone to pay attention to and I urge you to check this link out in the shownotes. You’ll find that link of course in the shownotes over at nursingshow.com.

————-

This article has been featured in the news segment of the Nursing Show episode CNS Stimulants and Episode 169