Beyond the rhetoric: benefits of a baccalaureate education for nursing

This article examines the benefits and value of expanding the educational base for nursing. It argues that if nursing is to accept a broader mandate for the promotion of health, the educational preparation of the nurse must focus as much on the development of the nurse as a person, as on the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are specific to the profession. It suggests that to effect the changes required in the health care system nurses require increased levels of autonomy. A professional liberal education will contribute to a strong sense of professional autonomy and self-actualization; both are essential qualities for today's contemporary nurse.