Illinois is currently facing a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) coupled with a growing demand from employers that entry-level RNs hold four-year bachelor’s degrees. In response to these issues, Illinois community colleges are pushing for the ability to award Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.
This movement has largely been met by opposition from Illinois universities who say they are willing to work collaboratively with community colleges to increase the number of nurses in the state who hold four-year degrees, but they don’t believe community colleges should be in the business of awarding bachelor’s degrees on their own. Other states have created partnerships between community colleges and universities to address similar shortage and education level issues.
The Illinois Senate committee held a hearing in early November to encourage conversation between community colleges and universities about a proposal to allow communities colleges to hand out bachelor’s degrees in the future. They don’t plan to move forward with the bill until the General Assembly is seated in January, but there are discussions about revising the bill before it’s passed, possibly to limit the proposal to community colleges in high-need areas only.
Senator Andy Manar, sponsor for the community college bill, says his support of the proposal isn’t about going after universities or causing conflict and controversy in the nursing community; he simply wants to make sure that underserved communities in Illinois receive healthcare. Manar also makes it clear that nursing shortages aren’t just an issue for hospitals. In his own district, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and other health care facilities are all struggling to find enough qualified nurses to fill their positions.
A 2015 report from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation estimates that one-third of registered nurses aged 55 and older plan to retire within the next five years, which could lead to a worsened shortage in the near future. Illinois law requires that registered nurses in the state hold either an associate or bachelor’s degree; however, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a bachelor’s degree is now the national entry-level education requirement for registered nurses. Today’s policies in Illinois leave a large number of communities behind.
There are many benefits to allowing community colleges to award bachelor’s degrees in nursing. For one, it would allow students and working nurses to stay close to home, saving time and money while working toward their bachelor’s degree. There is also a capacity issue for universities. An estimated 44 percent of qualified applicants were turned down from Illinois BSN programs in 2013 due to lack of capacity. The proposal is largely meant to fix an access issue and employer-driven effort to meet workforce needs. However, if the bill is passed it will be up to individual schools to decide if they are interested in creating BSN programs. The state expects about a half dozen to a dozen to pursue new programs if allowed.
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