Conclusion

While the term apprenticeship might be unfamiliar in the field of nursing, the practice of formally connecting health care work and learning has deep roots, from the diploma programs of the last century to the nurse residencies of today. It recognizes the workplace as a valuable location of learning and provides a more convenient and affordable pathway to a degree than an online program by itself. Combining apprenticeship with degree programs allows employers to integrate the best of higher education with the best of on-the-job learning.

Fairview Health Services has taken a step in that direction with its Registered Apprenticeship program for associate-degreed nurses. The program has not quite tied all the pieces together to fully realize the potential of on-the-job learning for RN-BSN students, but it demonstrates that apprenticeship is a model that can work for nursing and may provide a valuable complement to existing online RN-BSN programs. As the field seeks effective strategies for increasing BSN attainment, they may find that the future of nursing is where theory meets practice in apprenticeship.