The American Association of Colleges of Nursing charged a national panel to "define essential knowledge, practice and values for the education of the professional nurse". This resulted in the publication of Essentials of College and University Education for Professional Nursing (1986). This report endorsed the recommended improvements for liberal education for the undergraduate curriculum of three national panels (Association of American Colleges, 1985; National Institute of Education, 1984; and National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984). This Essentials (1986) document recommended outcomes for the liberal education of the professional nurse.

A review of nursing and education literature revealed sparse reaction, commentary or research regarding the status of liberal education in baccalaureate (BSN) nursing education. The purpose of this study was to review liberal education requirements in BSN programs and to gather information about the perceived effectiveness of these programs in meeting the stated Essentials outcomes.

Data were collected through mailed and college catalogue surveys from fifty BSN programs stratified by institution type. Data analysis indicated that BSN graduates complete less coursework in liberal education studies, in the humanities and social sciences, than other graduates of the same institutions. Respondents rated their liberal education programs as less than effective in meeting a majority of the Essentials recommendations.

These findings suggest that further research and evaluation of the status of liberal education in professional nursing education is needed to make progress toward the stated Essentials recommendations.