
I am interested in my research question, because I am a nursing major striving to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Before coming to college, I considered going to school for my associate degree, but I decided against it. Technically, there is nothing wrong with an associate degree in nursing as long as the individual passes the NCLEX Exam to become a registered nurse. I discovered many companies today are starting to make a bachelors degree a requirement for new nurses after performing research on my own. Also, I want to further my education and become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. A BSN degree is a requirement one must have before applying to a nurse anesthesia program. This research touches upon my values, because my mom, who is also a nurse, only has her associate's degree. Some people believe that nurses with associate's degrees are not as qualified, but this is not true. Hospitals obviously want to hire the best nurses possible, and one they are doing this is by making a BSN a requirement.

The first article titled, "Hiring the Complete Nurse," discusses how the "complete nurse" is defined as someone who has good clinical skills and knowledge, but also sensitivity, teamwork, good critical thinking and communication skills, and more. The author argues the different steps employers can take to effectively select a good, well-rounded candidate. The major values at stake are if more personal aspects like communication and sensitivity take precedence over GPA and other "school-based" aspects. Some may argue that a good nurse is 

smart and effective, while others argue that a good nurse is more compassionate. I propose that the best nurse is a combination of both sides of the spectrum. This article, found via the University of South Carolina article and database search, came from the website Nurse Leader. This is a peer-reviewed source, validating the article's credibility. The author, Greg Nelson, is the vice president of the health care practice group for Developmental Dimensions International. Being the vice president of a health care practice group gives him first hand experience to see what strategies are effective or ineffective when it comes to hiring nurses. This source is not biased, because the entire website contains numerous peer reviewed nursing articles.

The second article, "A Nurse Residency Program Model for Hiring Graduate Nurses Into Clinical Tracks," explains how a residency program for nurses helps match up newly graduated nurses with a specific unit where they will fit in the best. CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, Arkansas launched this residency program in 2009 "to transition new graduate nurses from novice nurses to safe and competent practitioners, as well as to improve graduate nurses' retention in their first professional job" (A Nurse Residency Program Model for Hiring Graduate Nurses Into Clinical Tracks). Nurses are given different "tracks" they can follow that are composed of different units for a total clinical residency time of 12 weeks. The article states that "over 300 nurses have participated since 2009," making this a somewhat reliable study. The article, posted in 2014 on the peer reviewed website, Science Direct, came from the Nurse Leader, Volume 12, Issue 5. The author of the article, Jan Brandenburg, has her BSN and MSN, and is also a member of the nursing program faculty advisors at Northeastern College. These facts about Brandenburg add to her ethos because of her background in nursing, and her higher levels of education. The main interest at stake is whether or not hospitals want to partake in this new idea of nurse residency. The central issue with this article is the fact the authors did not

provide up statistics about the nurses' performances after completing the residency program. In order for this to be as informative as possible, I will need to find more up to date research about the outcome of this program. However, the general idea of finding the best unit for each nurse to maximize efficiency is a great strategy.

The third article, "Prepare for Stiff Competition to Get an Associates Degree in Nursing," discusses the problems with obtaining an associate degree. A news editor for international U.S. News, Devon Haynie, wrote this article. Her credibility as an author automatically increased, because readers are able to click on her name, which directs them to links to her Twitter and email. This article discusses how associate degree programs offered are available at community colleges across the country, but is only the first step. "Aspiring nurses should expect to pursue education beyond an associate degree if they want to become competitive in the marketplace," said Susan Peterson. Peterson is the interim director or nursing at American River College. The article also included a link to another article that is centered on the benefits of a master's degree in nursing, which could be used as more evidence in the future. Overall, this article seems relatively reliable. The article came from the U.S. News' Education section of the website which is filled with many articles regarding colleges, graduate schools, online programs, and more. However, U.S. News Education not the most reliable source when it comes to nursing statistics. It would be best to find more substantial evidence from a peer-reviewed source to back up this claim; however, the article can be incorporated into my paper.

The research question is arguable, because many people have different opinions about what qualities, characteristics, and degrees new nurses should posses. Some lean more heavily toward GPA and the rigor of the nursing school the applicant attended, while others take a more

holistic approach. I might need to make my research question more specific about exactly what I think certain qualities nurses should have. I also think about the reasons why I would want to be hired somewhere. I do not have a 4.0, but that does not mean I haven't worked hard or received a good education. Overall, I think my research question opens up many doors about differing opinions about how to hire the best nurses possible.

