Technology plays an increasingly important role in nurses’ lives. Not only does technology affect how nurses care for their patients; it also has changed the delivery method of nursing education. Many registered nurses who finished an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree now obtain their RN-BSN Degree online. The convenience and flexibility of this format is unmatched by the traditional classroom environment. Online RN-BSN degree programs with an evidence-based focus can transform healthcare by directly influencing the practice of current nurses.
Why Does the RN-BSN Curriculum Focus on Research?
Research shows that evidence-based healthcare works in improving patient outcomes and that it is imperative for nurses to utilize it. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), utilizes evidence based research when “setting” the standard of care and establishing the price of healthcare in the United States. In fact, when CMS implemented their Pay for Performance Model, it prompted employers to increase their focus on ensuring that nurses use evidence-based nursing care and that they are appropriately documenting it.
Nurses that do not embrace their employer’s laser focus on evidence-based healthcare face an uphill losing battle. There is a continually growing body of evidence that correlates improved patient outcomes with using evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP). Employers expect nurses to use EBNP in their job role and often encourage them to pursue advanced education. A few nurses still believe that educational level does not matter despite research that suggests that Baccalaureate Nursing Education is linked to improved patient outcomes (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).
Nursing education adapts their curriculum and delivery methods in response to research findings, technological advancements, and the complex needs of the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry needs nurses with up-to date knowledge of EBNP and research. Online RN-BSN programs enable nurses with ADN degrees to pursue education that is focused on these topics while working at the bedside.
Why Choose Online RN-BSN Education?
To be practical, even nurses that understand the need for a EBNP focused education still expect school to be easily integrated into their lifestyle. The fact that nurses can obtain their RN-BSN online can be a huge determining factor when deciding to purse advanced education. Online education allows nurses to work any shift and still go to class. This is simply not the case in the traditional classroom setting.
Nurses love online education because of its flexibility. They can work, go to school, and spend time with their family because the classroom is accessible to them 24 hours a day.
Employers support online education because their nurses get the education they need while the delivery format does not interfere in the work setting.
Online RN-BSN programs have the potential to positively influence the way nurses practice, thereby directly affecting the delivery of healthcare. The convenience of an online RN-BSN degree has directly influenced many nurse’s decisions to further their education. By providing nurses with the education, tools, and resources that they need to effectively use EBNP on the job, patient’s lives are improved while reducing healthcare costs.