Bassett Nursing Class Travels To Albany To Meet With Legislators

Cooperstown, N.Y. – Bassett and Hartwick College’s “Trends and Issues in Professional Nursing” class, led by instructor Maureen Murray, M.S., R.N., Director of Professional Nursing Practice at Bassett Medical Center, traveled to Albany on April 12, also known as Lobby Day, to meet with local legislators on a bill introduced in the New York Legislature in 2009. The bill, often referred to as the ‘BSN in 10’ proposal, would require registered professional nurses to attain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree within ten years of their initial licensure.

“In today’s challenging health care environment, a BSN degree increases a nurse’s ability to manage the increasingly complex care of patients,” said Rachel Gural, a registered nurse and Hartwick College senior, who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree through Bassett’s Partnership for Nursing Opportunities program. Gural and five other students from the Trends and Issues in Professional Nursing class took part in the trip to Albany. “When looking at the ever evolving complexities, and considering the critical need for high level nurses, the ‘BSN in 10’ legislation not only furthers a nurse’s capabilities, but also provides a pathway for many more nurses to become nurse educators and to pass on their knowledge,” Gural said.

The legislation has been referred to the higher education committee in both the Senate and Assembly. The travel to Albany on Lobby Day to speak with local legislators and encourage their support for the proposal was viewed as an educational opportunity for the nursing students.