Do nurses with more education provide better care?

According to Lovett-Scott and Prather (2014), the assumption in the United Kingdom is that better educated nurses delivery higher quality care. As a result, the plan is to have all registered nurses eventually have a bachelor’s degree. There is a similar movement afoot in the United States. However, there are still nurses with diplomas and associate degrees able to take the same national exam and become licensed (p. 106). Some practitioners believe that the bachelor’s degree offers more management theory but adds little to a nurse’s ability to provide patient care. Those skills are learned best in the diploma and two-year programs that emphasize patient care and provide ample opportunities to practice in hospital and other clinical settings. What are your views on the debate? Do nurses with more education provide better care? Are we able to measure that in patient safety, patient satisfaction, or patient’s health outcomes? You may need to speak with a few nurses or research this topic in order to provide a well thought-out, educated opinion.