The Communication Skills of Practising Diploma and Baccalaureate Staff Nurses

Abstract

The Canadian Nurses' Association has passed a resolution that a baccalaureate degree in nursing will be required for entry to the nursing profession beginning in the year 2000. Although strong philosophical support exists to raise the educational level of new entrants to the profession, there exist no conclusive research findings to support the belief that baccalaureate nurses provide higher quality nursing care than do diploma nurses, or indeed, are different from diploma nurses. In Canada there are three types of educational programs that prepare university nurses: the university generic baccalaureate nursing programs, the community college diploma programs, and hospital diploma programs. The baccalaureate nurse's preparation includes a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, along with a theoretical approach to the practice and discipline of nursing. This education prepares the baccalaureate nurse to practise nursing in a wide variety of settings and to be responsible for planning care for individuals, families, and groups at all levels of health or illness. Diploma nursing, on the other hand, focuses on the technical aspects of care to the institutionalized ill individual. It is possible for diploma registered nurses to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing through programs that vary in length from two to four years.