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Study: Nurses with bachelor’s degrees start career earlier

Quality Improvement Monitor, June 23, 2005

Nurses who hold a bachelor's degree were more likely to start their careers earlier and be employed longer than colleagues with associate's degrees, according to a study published in the June 22 Journal of Nursing Scholarship.

The study found that nurses with associate's degrees entered the nursing field later and had been employed fewer years than those with bachelor's degrees. Nurses with bachelor's degrees in the age groups of 40-54 and 55 and older worked 3.1 years and 4.2 years longer than colleagues with associate's degrees, respectively.

That longevity may help retain more mature nurses, which could help stabilize the workforce in the face of the current nursing shortage, the study's authors said.

Out of 1,574 respondents, 37.9% had a bachelor's degree and 34.2% had an associate's. Other respondents had diplomas, master's, or doctorate degrees.

Authors also found that a greater percentage of nurses with associate's degrees-68% v. 62%-worked in direct patient care than those with bachelor's degrees.

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