NY Governor Signs Legislation Requiring New RNs to Obtain Bachelor’s Degree

In December 2017, New York State became the first in the nation to require that new registered nurses earn a baccalaureate degree or higher within 10 years of licensure. The new educational requirement does not affect nurses who are already in practice.

The legislation was prompted by recommendations from The National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Education and the “Future of Nursing Report” from the Institute of Medicine. The recommendations were based on their analysis of the evolving needs of patient care. The law states in part, “Shorter lengths of stays, higher patient acuity and more sophisticated technologies and procedures are increasing the complexity of patient care – which in turn places great demands on nursing competencies.”

To read the New York State Legislature memo discussing the law, click here.

To read an article from HLM Nursing Leaders, click here.