Educational mobility. American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

As health care shifts from a fragmented system of disparate providers and payers into integrated managed systems, nurses and other health professionals are encountering tremendous changes. The environments in which nurses practice are becoming increasingly diverse, and the skills required to practice in these settings are becoming increasingly specific to the services offered and the patients served. Advances in health-related technologies call for enhanced knowledge and application of computing and other technical skills. Nurses are faced with complex ethical dilemmas created by rationing-of-health-care decisions and research advances such as the human genome project. Practicing nurses must continue to update their skills as their work environments adapt to reforms in health care delivery. Furthermore, nurses' practice will be influenced by changes in the regulatory system that will accompany multistate recognition of licensure. Over the years, the nursing educational system, through multiple entry and exit routes, has prepared nurses for the variety of settings in which health care is delivered. The nursing educational system must continue to produce the most qualified and prepared nurses to produce the most qualified prepared nurses to deliver cost-effective and quality care. Nurse educators must continue to analyze health care trends and create flexible curricula that provide individuals with the skills and knowledge needed for diverse settings. Furthermore, nurse educators must continue to offer continuing education for nurses as they fine-tune skills for new settings. Educational mobility in nursing is the vehicle by which nurses and aspiring nurses gain new knowledge and skills through formal and informal educational offerings. Educational mobility serves the public, the profession, and the individual nurse. Educational mobility should continue to focus on promoting high standards and maintaining the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate programs while emphasizing the attainment of program outcomes. The focus of higher learning should be on the socialization of students to new professional roles and the knowledge and skills needed for these roles. Educational mobility options should respect previous learning that students bring to the educational environment. To this end, educational mobility encompasses diverse approaches to continuous, life-long learning for nurses and for individuals aspiring to nursing as a profession. Baccalaureate and higher-degree programs in nursing should build on knowledge and skills attained by learners before their matriculation into formal educational programs. Higher education in nursing should be offered using creative and flexible approaches that are incorporated into curricula and reflect consideration of individual student learning needs.