Magnet® Facility Nurses: Pursuing a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing

• Encouragement from other nurses including peers, managers, and educators was the most highly ranked factor (70%) facilitating pursuit of baccalaureate education.
• The most highly ranked factors impeding return to school were time (60%) and financial constraints (34%).
• The goal of Magnet-designated organizations to have 80% of RNs with a BSN by 2020 was chosen by 24% of respondents as an important consideration in their decision to return to school.
• A perceived lack of value added by a baccalaureate degree was a theme identified for those choosing not to pursue further education.
• Organizational incentives were mentioned by many as factors in choosing to return to school.

AimThe aim is to explore factors that motivate and obstacles that impede nurses from pursuing baccalaureate education when employed by a Magnet® organization.BackgroundIn the Future of Nursing (2011), the Institute of Medicine concluded that the baccalaureate should be the minimum education for nurses. Magnet organizations are encouraged to meet the Institute of Medicine goal of 80% of nurses with a baccalaureate by 2020.MethodIn February 2014, a 15-item on-line survey was sent to nurses at a western Magnet-designated hospital to assess factors that motivate registered nurses to achieve a baccalaureate. Descriptive statistics and a general thematic analysis were completed.ResultsA 20% response rate (N = 191) was achieved. Most respondents (78%) entered nursing as associate degree/diploma graduates, and most (84%) either had a baccalaureate or master's degree or were currently enrolled in school. Encouragement from other nurses was the factor most frequently selected as facilitating return to school. Impeding factors included age and family responsibilities. A minority of nurses reported that they did not believe that a baccalaureate would make them a better nurse.ImplicationsFindings suggest that peer and leadership support play a larger role in facilitating baccalaureate completion more than previously reported. Additional research is needed to explore the role of registered nurse to registered nurse encouragement in facilitating educational advancement.