Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wis., will require new hires to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing within six years and will offer incentives to older nurses. Mayo Clinic Health System is adopting similar measures next year.
The hospitals are following a wide national trend of hospitals requiring nurses to obtain higher education in order to boost patient safety. The trend was sparked by a 2010 Institute of Medicine report that recommends 80 percent of all nurses hold at least a bachelor’s degree by 2020.
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