New York lawmakers are debating a bill that would require new registered nurses (RNs) to add a bachelor's degree to their resume within 10 years in order keep working in the state. The new initiative, called the "BSN in 10," has gained the support of a number of nursing associations and health policy organizations that said that there are too few nurses trained to care for an aging population. RNs in New York are only required to have a 2-year associate's degree. Current nurses would be exempt from the new education requirement. One of the bill's sponsors, Republican Senator James Alesi, told The Associated Press that the bill would improve the landscape of nurses in the state by increasing the pool of professionals who will go on to obtain advanced degrees and teach. "This bill shouldn't discourage anyone at this point because it doesn't involve anyone even applying for licensure right now, and 10 years is a long time to get a degree that will give you better pay," Alesi told the news agency. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job opportunities for registered nurses are expected to be excellent, growing by 22% through 2018. |