Tri-Council on Nursing: Great work on education by four U.S. nursing organizations (AACN, NLN, ANA, AONE)

I received this in an e-mail this week and then did a search for it on the web and could not find it easily as a press release or policy statement, but the policy is found on the AACN website homepage. This topic was important enough I thought I would share the e-mail press release. Besides the fact that it is called a tri-council with four organizations, it is an excellent read. I hope it is a push forward for standardized nursing education and entry to practice. GO NURSING!

In light of the recent passage of healthcare reform legislation, the Tri-Council for Nursing, has issued a consensus statement calling for all registered nurses to advance their education in the interest of enhancing quality and safety across healthcare settings. (see attached for complete statement).

The Tri-Council for nursing includes the following organizations:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN),
• American Nurses Association (ANA),
• American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), and
• National League for Nursing (NLN)

In the policy statement, the Tri-Council organizations state:

Current healthcare reform initiatives call for a nursing workforce that integrates evidence-based clinical knowledge and research with effective communication and leadership skills. These competencies require increased education at all levels. At this tipping point for the nursing profession, action is needed now to put in place strategies to build a stronger nursing workforce. Without a more educated nursing workforce, the nation’s health will be further at risk.

Nurses with advanced education are needed in large numbers to serve as teachers, scientists, primary care providers, specialists, and leaders throughout the healthcare delivery system. The Tri-Council encourages all nurses, regardless of entry-point into the profession, to continue their education in programs that grant baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. A wide variety of education options exist to further the preparation of today’s nursing workforce, including degree-completion, online, accelerated, and part-time degree programs.

The Tri-Council was compelled to issue this statement following an assessment of how best to prepare nurses for contemporary practice. Participating organizations, which represent nurses in practice, research, and academic settings, deliberated on many issues, including the need to meet workforce demands and prepare nurses for new models of practice; the complexity of the healthcare environment and patient care needs, and the imperative to address the nurse faculty shortage, which is limiting enrollment capacity in schools of nursing.

The policy statement ends with a call to action which advocates for system changes in nursing practice and education; for nurses to understand the importance of academic progression and embrace lifelong learning; and for policymakers at the state and federal levels to fund programs and launch collaborative initiatives that facilitate nurses seeking to advance their education.