The Process of Transformation Through Education The nursing profession has made great strides since I began working in the field of nursing in 1993. Although I was proud to be a As a nurse, I didn't feel the need to be ambitious or competitive in my field. Aside from the well-known fact of the nursing shortage, I was unfamiliar with the many advances the profession had made. More recently, I have realized how sophisticated and respected the nursing profession has become. Today, nurses, as a highly valued commodity, must be available to skillfully meet the challenging needs of the public. It is now clear that nursing is engaged in the process of reshaping its function and form to meet dynamic healthcare needs. I am convinced that nursing education is the key that will unlock the essential components in transforming nursing culture and practice. Despite the shortage of nurses, the nursing profession is elevating itself to the next level. While the nursing degree was the standard of yesterday, the new nursing workforce will shine, and the majority will be BSN-prepared nurses. As patient acuity increases, hospitals and chronic care institutions need nurses who can embrace the challenges and complications involved in complex healthcare issues. BSN-prepared nurses could successfully address the challenges of coordinating care among other members of the multidisciplinary team and being able to utilize available resources to provide safe, effective, and quality care (Institute of Medicine, 2011). To my dismay, I learned about the BSN preference when I tried to get a school nurse position a few years ago. Incidentally, the sectors of public health, education... the focus of the paper...ReferencesAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2011). New AACN data shows baccalaureate nursing program enrollment expands for 10th consecutive year. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2010/bacc-growthHassmiller, S. B., & Cozine, M. (2006, January/February). Addressing the nurse shortage to improve the quality of patient care [Essay]. Health Affairs, 25(1), 268-274. doi: DOI 10.1377/hlthaff.25.1.268 ©2006 Project HOPE–The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc. Institute of Medicine. (2011). The future of nursing: driving change, advancing health (Report). Retrieved from www.nap.edu: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12956Yordy, K. (2006). The nursing faculty shortage: a crisis for health care (Issue Brief). Retrieved from www.rwif.org: http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/other/NursingFacultyShortage071006.pdf