NUR 4590 – Deliverable 6 – SWOT Analysis for Nurse Leaders
NUR 4590 – Deliverable 6 – SWOT Analysis for Nurse Leaders
As a leader in this organization, I would like to show the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to increasing the number of BSN RNs. In 2011, The Future of Nursing recommended increasing the number of nurses with degrees at a bachelor’s level or higher to 80% (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. pg. 200). This goal was not met; however, the percentage did increase. Let’s discuss how this proposal could affect the organization.
Strengths
Strengths that can be contributed to increasing our amount of BSN-educated nurses include:
- Decreased readmission rates
- Reduced adverse events
- Lower mortality rates
- Improved client outcomes
According to an article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, a study was completed that documented the benefit of increasing the number of BSN-educated nurses at the staff level. This study documented shorter hospital stays in relation to BSN-educated nursing care. Horter hospital stays as well as all strengths noted above from this study could benefit the hospital financially a well as improving client outcomes and care (Wieczorek-Wójcik, B.et al. 2022. Pg. 2).
Weakness
A weakness of this proposed change is the ability of associate-educated nurses to be able to obtain their BSN degree. There are many barriers that can contribute to further education in the nursing field. This is one of the reasons that the recommended education increase goal was not met. Some of these barriers for these nurses include time, money, and childcare availability (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. pg. 200). Many RN to BSN programs can be completed online but will often require some additional clinical hours. These clinical hours can often be difficult to obtain due to a busy schedule without the addition of schooling. Also, nursing school, whether it is a 2-year or 4-year degree program, is very costly. Once finished with a 2-year program, many individuals do not want to incur any more financial debt and forgo the opportunity to further their education in place of working full-time to repay debt.