Passage of New York State Legislation Mandating Academic Progression Toward the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

New York State's (NYS) Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the historic “BSN in 10” nursing education legislation on December 18, 2017, after 15 years of committed effort by the bill's proponents. The NYS Board for Nursing (BFN) based BSN in 10 on a model from NYS teacher preparation, in which teachers are required to hold a baccalaureate degree to teach in public schools, followed by the conferral of a master's degree 5 years later. This article describes the legislative process for BSN in 10, including efforts to gain support from relevant organizations, as well as reflects on lessons learned throughout the 15-year process.