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Nursing education—progress?
Nursing educationprogress? As a nurse have you ever stopped to ask yourself why there is an increasing move to reestablish hospital training schools for nursing? As reported in the December 1971 iuue of Hospital Topics, the powerful American Hospital Association is being asked to give more support to such a move. Congress is being asked to appropriate funds for such education. Do you not find that interesting? Is the potential for successful academic education for professional nursing so threatening?
I believe nurses should have the same educational and subsequent economic opportunities afforded all other professions. Certainly progress toward establishing an acceptable monolithic educational system for professional nursing has been devastatingly slow. The transition period has been fraught with well meaning but ineffective interim measures, which have served to divide us. Besides outside interference, there have been attempts from within to categorize and label US according to our educational preparation. As we struggle
April 1972
for professionalism we are mocked by the old cliche "A house divided cannot stand.''
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How tragic that those fortunate enough to have been educated in the university setting and those prepared to educate could not have recognized the value and accepted the contribution of nurses, educated in the more traditional hospital school setting. Equally tragic is the defensive and subjective attitude of the non degree nurse. Is it possible those nurses would sanction perpetuation of vocational type educational programs in exchange for future equality for their chosen profession? Can we not accept the fact that nuning, like other professions, must be estoblished upon the same broad base educational foundation if i t i s to ably comp&e? Is i t possible any professional nurse would risk the future of her profession for a personal ego satisfaction of the present? Supporters of hospital schools of nursing programs are counting on support at that
9
level as they move to push nursing back toward diploma training schools, a move which will help to perpetuate the multiplicity of educational programs. Perhaps you rationalize that diploma programs produce better beginning practitioners. At this stage of our transition that fact may be almost undisputed. But can you in truth accept the pessimism inherent in such rationalization? Can you in honesty lend your support to a program which refutes all our recent efforts in nursing education and our struggle toward professionalism? Nursing leaders in some states such as New York and Pennsylvania are moving to establish external degree programs. These baccalaureate programs recognize and give credit for knowledge and cornpetency in nursing practice without regard to the type of program in which basic nursing education was received. How much more progressive is such action? Nurses in other states must initiate and support such systems. To turn back to an inadequate system in today's competitive world would be sacrificial.
ucation? There was a time when teachers could obtain a teaching certificate without benefit of university preparation. Many of these people did an adequate and sometimes excellent job. Some people say their success was due to their dedication. Is such a criteria acceptable to you for the person responsible for your child's education? As a nurse please evaluate carefully all the ramifications and subtle implications inherent in all educational proposals for your profession before you lend them your support? Ayn Rand in her book, The Virtue of Selfishness discusses "rational selfishness as the values required for human survivaf - not the values produced by desires, the feelings, the whims or the needs of irrational brutes, who have never outgrown the primordial practice of human sacrifices."
...
Isn't it about time we consider the virtue of such selfishness in regard to our own profession for the survival of nursing?
If you are a parent could you tolerate a similar regressive proposal for teacher ed-
17
-Betty Thomus, RN Editor
Floor ma+s no+ recommended The use of mats in front of the doors into the surgical suite of a hospital is of questionable value and therefore not recommended according t o the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. There mats, still being used by some hospitals, were i n i t k l l y designed t o c l w n and disinfect wheels of surgical carts as they entered the surgical suite. Microbiological monitoring has shown fhert these mafs can confaminate wheefs more oftea Man fhey disinfect Hem. For hospitals continuing t o use there mats it is recommended thaf the following procedures be implemented: 1. Change mafs frequently during the heaviest traffic hours of the day. 2. If the mafs are made of foam rubber they should be thoroughly cleaned and dried at the end of the day. 3. Clean the soiled mats with a disinfectant that will kill the organisms. Do not use bacteriostafic agents. 4. If cloth mats are used they should be replaced with freshly laundered ones several times a day. 5. I f "tacky" mafs are used, fhey should be changed frequently and a heavy weekly scrubbing w i l l be needed t o remove the "tacky" material tracked into the surgical suites. This i s necessary t o retoin conductivity of the floors.
I believe nurses should have the same educational and subsequent economic opportunities afforded all other professions. Certainly progress toward establishing an acceptable monolithic educational system for professional nursing has been devastatingly slow. The transition period has been fraught with well meaning but ineffective interim measures, which have served to divide us. Besides outside interference, there have been attempts from within to categorize and label US according to our educational preparation. As we struggle
April 1972
for professionalism we are mocked by the old cliche "A house divided cannot stand.''
-
How tragic that those fortunate enough to have been educated in the university setting and those prepared to educate could not have recognized the value and accepted the contribution of nurses, educated in the more traditional hospital school setting. Equally tragic is the defensive and subjective attitude of the non degree nurse. Is it possible those nurses would sanction perpetuation of vocational type educational programs in exchange for future equality for their chosen profession? Can we not accept the fact that nuning, like other professions, must be estoblished upon the same broad base educational foundation if i t i s to ably comp&e? Is i t possible any professional nurse would risk the future of her profession for a personal ego satisfaction of the present? Supporters of hospital schools of nursing programs are counting on support at that
9
level as they move to push nursing back toward diploma training schools, a move which will help to perpetuate the multiplicity of educational programs. Perhaps you rationalize that diploma programs produce better beginning practitioners. At this stage of our transition that fact may be almost undisputed. But can you in truth accept the pessimism inherent in such rationalization? Can you in honesty lend your support to a program which refutes all our recent efforts in nursing education and our struggle toward professionalism? Nursing leaders in some states such as New York and Pennsylvania are moving to establish external degree programs. These baccalaureate programs recognize and give credit for knowledge and cornpetency in nursing practice without regard to the type of program in which basic nursing education was received. How much more progressive is such action? Nurses in other states must initiate and support such systems. To turn back to an inadequate system in today's competitive world would be sacrificial.
ucation? There was a time when teachers could obtain a teaching certificate without benefit of university preparation. Many of these people did an adequate and sometimes excellent job. Some people say their success was due to their dedication. Is such a criteria acceptable to you for the person responsible for your child's education? As a nurse please evaluate carefully all the ramifications and subtle implications inherent in all educational proposals for your profession before you lend them your support? Ayn Rand in her book, The Virtue of Selfishness discusses "rational selfishness as the values required for human survivaf - not the values produced by desires, the feelings, the whims or the needs of irrational brutes, who have never outgrown the primordial practice of human sacrifices."
...
Isn't it about time we consider the virtue of such selfishness in regard to our own profession for the survival of nursing?
If you are a parent could you tolerate a similar regressive proposal for teacher ed-
17
-Betty Thomus, RN Editor
Floor ma+s no+ recommended The use of mats in front of the doors into the surgical suite of a hospital is of questionable value and therefore not recommended according t o the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. There mats, still being used by some hospitals, were i n i t k l l y designed t o c l w n and disinfect wheels of surgical carts as they entered the surgical suite. Microbiological monitoring has shown fhert these mafs can confaminate wheefs more oftea Man fhey disinfect Hem. For hospitals continuing t o use there mats it is recommended thaf the following procedures be implemented: 1. Change mafs frequently during the heaviest traffic hours of the day. 2. If the mafs are made of foam rubber they should be thoroughly cleaned and dried at the end of the day. 3. Clean the soiled mats with a disinfectant that will kill the organisms. Do not use bacteriostafic agents. 4. If cloth mats are used they should be replaced with freshly laundered ones several times a day. 5. I f "tacky" mafs are used, fhey should be changed frequently and a heavy weekly scrubbing w i l l be needed t o remove the "tacky" material tracked into the surgical suites. This i s necessary t o retoin conductivity of the floors.