Response by Margaret Conerford Freda to:
The 1965 Entry Into Practice Proposal – Is it Relevant Today? (May 31, 2002)

Dear Editor:

I want to applaud your latest edition of OJIN for its thoughtful and scholarly treatment of the entry into practice issue for nurses. Having lived through this as a diploma nurse graduating in the 1960's, I thought I understood the subtleties and complexities of this problem for nurses. Your authors, however, provided some additional points of view, revealing parts of this problem in a different light. Dr. Lucille Joel's summary article was magnificent, and should be compulsory reading for all nurses, no matter their age or educational preparation. I have written many editorials about this topic, and spoken about it in my speeches often. I often feel like a lone voice on this topic, for no one seems to be working on solving this conundrum for our profession! How will we ever gain the recognition we so deserve without the credentials every other profession requires? I'm so pleased to know that OJIN assembled such a learned group of nurses to discuss this. I hope the work will go forward through all our professional organizations to finally, finally, make a baccalaureate the entry degree for nursing!

Margaret Comerford Freda, EdD, RN, CHES, FAAN
Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center
Editor, MCN "The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing"

email: margaretfreda@yahoo.com

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