I am a graduate student at the University of Louisville enrolled in the family nurse practitioner tract of the master's degree program in nursing. It amazes me that at least one-third of my classmates have entered this program directly from the university's bachelor's degree program in nursing. They have no patient care experience other than the one or two years they worked part time while attending school full time.

Any degree program that bypasses critically needed steps in the training of seasoned, well-prepared educators is not a good idea.

David E. Shelton, RN