For the past 5 years, the nursing profession has focused on elevating education standards for direct care nurses. The Future of Nursing report calls for 80% of the nursing workforce to be BSN prepared by 2020. One reason is because baccalaureate programs teach leadership skills and competencies. Changing a care delivery system to more effectively engage patients in their healthcare journey requires leadership skills at the macrosystem and microsystem levels. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice provides a framework for nurses to develop the leadership skills needed to lead the care transformation toward patient engagement. Of the 9 defined essentials for BSN programs, 4 relate to knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for NMs to move the healthcare system to one where patients are true partners in care. They include basic organizational and systems leadership for quality care and patient safety, interprofessional communication and collaboration for improving patient health outcomes, clinical prevention and population health, and professionalism and professional values. These essentials help BSN-prepared nurses to see healthcare from both a broad population health perspective and an individual patient level. Patient engagement requires clinicians to understand these macro and micro intricacies in order to serve as champions for direct care nurses, leaders, and patients themselves.
Despite progress in nursing education, a recent study examining the NM's role in quality improvement initiatives found that a BSN was the highest level of education for NMs, and half of the respondents held only an associate's degree. Another study that used the AONE Nursing Manager Skill Inventory to collect input on continued professional development in NMs found that 67% of participants held a BSN, and only 3% had a master's degree in a non-nursing area. Nurse executives can support NMs' pursuit of higher education through many avenues, including, but not limited to, flexible work schedules, on-site education programs, and scholarship funds. Establishing a pipeline of BSN-prepared nurses creates the opportunity for NMs to pursue MSN degrees, which will further prepare them for the increasingly complex healthcare environment.