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Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice
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The Impact of Health Care Restructuring and Baccalaureate Entry to Practice on Nurses in New Brunswick

Ann Rhéaume, PhD

École de Science Infirmière, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé et des Services Communautaires, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Margaret Dykeman, PhD

Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Patricia Davidson, MN

Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Penny Ericson, MN

University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Health care restructuring during the 1990s resulted in major changes in the way nurses' work is defined and implemented. The adoption of the baccalaureate degree as basic preparation for entry into nursing has further complicated the lives of nurses. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact of health care reforms and changing educational requirements on nurses in New Brunswick, Canada. Sixty-three nurses representing different practice settings were interviewed and three focus groups were held with the nurses that were interviewed. Study findings indicate that nurses' practice has changed as a result of the reforms. Nurses give less direct care to patients and have taken on a greater administrative role. The requirement of a baccalaureate degree for entry to practice has placed a strain on working relationships between older and younger nurses, accentuating differences in working knowledge and work ethic among these groups.

Key Words: health care restructuring • nursing education • policy • work organization

Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, Vol. 8, No. 2, 130-139 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1527154407300797
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