Education for professional nursing practice: looking backward into the future

The publication of the 1965 ANA position paper calling for the baccalaureate degree as the minimum requirement for entry into professional nursing practice initiated an impassioned debate which continues to frustrate and divide nursing. An examination of the entry into practice debate from an educational perspective reveals some interesting similarities in the social and political pressures felt by nursing in 1965 and the challenges that exist today. In looking back at the course of nursing education during the past thirty-seven years, some useful insights emerge which can help to set direction for the future. The author argues that it is time to leave the old debate behind and agree on the importance of developing a better educated profession.