...Differences in Competences between Nurse Prepared at Associate Level vs. Baccalaureate Level Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V- Professional Dynamics June 7, 2015 Differences in Competencies between Nurse Prepared at Associate Level vs. Baccalaureate Level There have been many comparisons between the different levels of nursing education, mainly between the Associate degree level vs. the Baccalaureate level. Having a Bachelor’s degree nor an Associate degree will not necessarily make a better nurse, however, there are differences in their course of study that will differentiate them from one another and how they approach patient care. This paper will differentiate the competencies between the Associate degree prepared nurse vs. the Baccalaureate degree nurse. In 1951, Mildred Montag, a nurse educator, started the Associate Degree program to reduce the nursing shortage after the war. The program’s success was measured by the students’ ability to pass the nursing licensure exam (Creasia, Friberg, 2011). The Associate Degree program is today’s most popular route to become a Registered Nurse. It can be taken in a community or junior colleges as a two-year program and once the students graduate, they are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), to become a registered nurse. Baccalaureate degree nursing was also founded after the war (Creasia, Friberg, 2011). It is a nursing program that requires a four-year education at colleges and universities. Graduates...
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...Educational Preparation of Registered Nurses: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) vs. Baccalaureate Prepared Nurses (BSN) Donna Rodriguez Grand Canyon University Professional Dynamics NRS 430V Jayme Goodner September 28, 2013 Educational Preparation of Registered Nurses: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) vs. Baccalaureate Prepared Nurses (BSN) The purpose of this paper is to discuss the educational preparation of the Associate Degree nurse (ADN) versus the Baccalaureate prepared Nurse (BSN). This will be accomplished by first exploring the differences in competencies between nurses based on degree level and with the use of a patient care example to describe the difference in the nursing approach based on formal educational preparation. Currently there are two paths to obtaining a registered nursing certification the ADN versus the BSN. The reasons for the development of the ADN nursing programs were simple. It was a matter of supply and demand, and a necessary solution to a problem. In the year of 1951, after the war a huge nursing shortage existed. It was at that time that a nurse educator named Mildred Montag made a proposition to prepare nurse technicians in 2-year associate degree community colleges. A 5-year study of ADN graduates noted preparation was successful, as the nurses passed their exams for licensure and demonstrated the ability to practice nursing with competence (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). The typical ADN degree is comprised of an average of 70 credit hours;...
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...Running head: ADN vs. BSN ADN vs. BSN ADN vs. BSN When I read the assignment for this paper, I thought the answers were clear cut and easy. As I was researching for the paper, I found that I was becoming extremely defensive in the cases where studies were attempting to prove Associate-Degree Registered Nurses were not as competent as Baccalaureate-Degree Registered Nurses. I felt personally attacked. When I asked myself why I was taking this course to further my education and proceed towards obtaining a Baccalaureate-Degree, the answers became clear and obvious once again. In researching the differences in competencies of nurses prepared at the associate-degree level verses the baccalaureate-degree in the nursing field there was little evidence to show a significant difference in initial practice. Both ADN and BSN nursing graduates are required to pass the same National Licensure Council Examination (NCLEX). BSN and ADN nurses initially practice at a similar level. (Davis-Martin & Skalak, 1992, p. 27). In the both ADN and BSN nursing programs students are prepared with courses in ethics, nursing process, critical thinking, accountability, and basic understanding of cultural diversity among the nursing curriculum. Yet there are some basic preparation differences. BSN prepared nurses are required to take courses in liberal arts and humanities which create a well diverse or well-rounded student. The BSN program also requires courses in community health, and more...
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...The Associates Degree verse The Bachelor Of Science Degree LaKisha R.Woodmore Grand Canyon University: NRS-430 April 10,2016 Nursing is a profession where you can obtain an education and get hands on training at either a two-year college or four-year college. Each degree leads graduate nurses to sit for boards which is known as the NCLEX. When a graduate nurse has successfully pass the NCLEX then they are officially a Registered Nurse. The difference in nursing is the degree each nurse pursued while attending school. The longer you attend school the higher degree of nursing you will achieve. The biggest percentage of nurses today consist of the Associates Degree of Nursing (ADN) and The Bachelor of Science Degree of Nursing (BSN). According to the American Community Survey 37 percent of nurses obtained an Associate Degree while 44 percent of nurses obtain a Baccalaureate Degree (In Friberg & In Creasia, 2016 pg.28-29). The Associates Degree of Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program taught at several community colleges, as well as private institutes all over the U.S. The severity of the nursing shortage back after world war two had the world in desperate need of nurses. Mildred Montag, a nurse educator back in 1951 proposed a program to prepare nurse technicians with a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (In Friberg & In Creasia,2016 pg.13). The program covers many nursing courses but it is not as exclusive in theory and research. After doing a study over...
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...Running Head: DIFFERENCES IN COMPETENCIES BETWEEN ADN VS BSN 1 Educational Preparation: Differences in Competencies Between Nurses Prepared at Associates-Degree Level Versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level in Nursing Jenny Curie Grand Canyon University NRS-430V Tara Harris February 10, 2013 DIFFERENCES IN COMPETENCIES BETWEEN ADN VS BSN 2 Competency is defined as the quality of being competent. To be competent one must possess required skill, knowledge, qualification, or capacity. The profession of nursing requires a skillset and knowledge base that is specific to its kind. There are many options in one’s educational journey to obtain a nursing degree. Nursing is the largest health care profession in our society today with three million registered nurses nationwide (AACN, Nursing Workforce). Along with the growing profession and the ever growing need for quality health care the debate over what qualifies a nurse to be skillful and competent in her profession and what type of education is required is at the for front. What are the differences in competency between a nurse with an associates degree and one holding a baccalaureate degree? Of the three million registered nurses nationwide 50% of those hold a baccalaureate degree while 36.1% have an associates degree, and 13% a diploma (AACN, Nursing Workforce). The quality in which we provide patient care and the need for those in this field to obtain higher levels of education...
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...ADN AND BSN DIFFERENCES 1 ADN AND BSN DIFFERENCES 2 Random Differences between ADN and BSN Nurses Although testing for one’s RN license is universal, the training background of an ADN versus a BSN nurse are very different. This has brought us to the discussion of the differences between an ADN and a BSN level nurse. As the needs of the patient population is changing, the demand for a more educated, skilled, resourceful practitioner is required (Smith, 2009). Personal Experience Example of how an ADN versus BSN nurse would treat a CHF patient. A specific patient case I reviewed, was readmitted to a hospital again within thirty days with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The ADN trained nurse could administer drugs, perform daily weights, ensure that the patient followed a cardiac diet, but was strictly task oriented (The Future of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, 2013). The BSN trained nurse, would base the care provided using a more integrated system (Why the Push for BSN Nurses?, 2012). The focus of the BSN trained nurse would encompass more teaching, measuring compliance of instructions that were given, and ensure core measures would be met prior to discharge. The follow up care would include determining if the patient had access to meds, home health, understood the need to maintain dietary restrictions, and instruct the patient on keeping a daily weight log to ensure that weight trends would be monitored and recorded. ADN...
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...Nursing Competencies: ADN versus BSN Suzi Roberts Grand Canyon University Professional Dynamics NRS-430V Brittney Grabill May 2, 2015 Nursing Competencies: ADN versus BSN According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), nursing is “the largest health care profession, with 3.1 million registered nationwide.” The AACN states on their website, in 1980, 22 percent held the bachelor’s degree and 18 percent held an associate’s degree (American Associate of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2015). By the 2008, the number holding bachelor’s degree increased to 36.8 percent and the number for an associate’s degree increased to 36.1 (AACN, 2015). In the paper, I will discuss what it takes to obtain both degrees, the advantages, disadvantages and the different competencies of the Associates Degree in Nurse (ADN) and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurse (BSN). In the last few years, the hospital I have worked for has really encouraged those with an ADN degree to obtain their BSN. Representatives from different colleges have made visits to the hospital to get nurses to enroll in their ADN to BSN online programs. Our hospital, like many other across the nation, suffer from a nursing shortage. There are 2 universities within an hour in driving distance with BSN programs. Where I live, we are very fortunate to have an ADN program at our local community college, which is right across the street from the only hospital in town. When thinking about becoming a nurse, the...
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...Competency Differences Between ADN vs BSN in Nursing Grand Canyon University: Professional Dynamics Competency Differences For ADN vs BSN in Nursing Are all registered nurses created equal and the same? To simply put it, no they are not. A registered nurse may be prepared at the diploma level, associate-degree level, baccalaureate-degree level, master degree level, and some possess a doctoral degree. The focus of this paper will be directed at the differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate-degree (ADN) level and nurses prepared at the baccalaureate-degree (BSN) level. Graduates from either degree must pass an examination as put forth by the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in order to become a licensed registered nurse. The NCLEX exam is the same for both degrees even though their prepared education is different. Three major differences in nursing competencies include education, nursing judgment, and professional identity. The following paragraphs will review and discuss how nursing care or approaches to decision making may differ upon the educational background of a registered nurse. First and foremost, “baccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities” ("Impact of Education," 2014, para. 4). The additional...
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...ADN AND BSN DIFFERENCES 1 ADN AND BSN DIFFERENCES 2 Random Differences between ADN and BSN Nurses Although testing for one’s RN license is universal, the training background of an ADN versus a BSN nurse are very different. This has brought us to the discussion of the differences between an ADN and a BSN level nurse. As the needs of the patient population is changing, the demand for a more educated, skilled, resourceful practitioner is required (Smith, 2009). Personal Experience Example of how an ADN versus BSN nurse would treat a CHF patient. A specific patient case I reviewed, was readmitted to a hospital again within thirty days with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The ADN trained nurse could administer drugs, perform daily weights, ensure that the patient followed a cardiac diet, but was strictly task oriented (The Future of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, 2013). The BSN trained nurse, would base the care provided using a more integrated system (Why the Push for BSN Nurses?, 2012). The focus of the BSN trained nurse would encompass more teaching, measuring compliance of instructions that were given, and ensure core measures would be met prior to discharge. The follow up care would include determining if the patient had access to meds, home health, understood the need to maintain dietary restrictions, and instruct the patient on keeping a daily weight log to ensure that weight trends would be monitored and recorded. ADN...
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...The Competencies of ADN Nurses vs. the Competencies BSN Nurses Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V May 5, 2012 Abstract Both ADN and BSN nurse needs to take licensing examinations to start working as a registered nurse in the United States. Associate degrees require two years of studying in a community college. However a bachelor’s degree requires four years of academic studying in a college. The first topic of the paper is whether not the risk taking propensities of the nurses changed between ADN and BSN nurses. A second topic of this paper is whether there is a different sort of management role between ADN nurses and BSN nurses. Lastly the quality of work between the Associate Degree Nurses (ADN) and Baccalaureate Degree Nurses (BSN) will be examined to see if the competency of the ADN and BSN differs. The Competencies of ADN Nurses vs. the Competencies BSN Nurses History of Nursing According to Joan L Creasia and Elizabeth Friberg, the first baccalaureate degree of nursing in the U.S.A was started in the University of Minnesota in 1909. Until the 1950’s the program usually consisted of two years of general education and then three years of nursing education. These nurses who graduated in 5 years could either begin as a general nurse who works in the hospital and is a part of patient care or they can join the management side of patient care and become managers of hospitals. For the BSN they would have to study liberal arts, patient quality...
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...Canyon University: Professional Dynamics December 6, 2015 BSN vs. ADN The discussion of rather an associate’s or bachelor’s degree should be the required educational experience of future nurses is one that will not end until one or the other is completely phased out. Some healthcare facilities have already begun the process of requiring their nurses to have a BSN versus an ADN upon hiring. A major difference between the two degrees is that a BSN readily prepares an individual for more advanced positions than an ADN, such as nurse manager. The BSN also has more preparation for entrance into an advanced degree program, such as nurse practitioner. It has reached a point where nurses are being put in positions to advocate for large groups of individuals, be involved in the politics of healthcare, and serve as a representative for nurses everywhere; however, there are only few nurses taking on these grand roles. Lack of preparation, knowledge, and ceasing further education is to blame. Obtaining a BSN as expressed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2015) “enhances both clinical competency and care delivery”. This presents another difference between the two degrees. Another difference between the ADN and BSN is that the clinical experience for both the patient and nurse is observingly different. A study done to explore the clinical differences between a nurse with an ADN vs a nurse with a BSN expressed that many times the nurse’s critical thinking skills...
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...society has debated about the nursing degree. What are the differences? What are the similarities? As nurses we have the opportunity to choose different levels of education. Which include: associate degree, baccalaureate degree, masters’ degree and nurse practitioner. In beginning we need to understand “What is nursing” in general? As defined by the ANA: Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. In my eyes nursing involves the use of critical thinking and clinical judgment to help us understand a client’s response to actual needs. Both ADN and BSN prepared nurses can provide the similar clinical bedside nursing skills, however, ADN prepared nurses training prepares them for specific patient care diagnoses and situations. BSN prepared nurses training prepares them for a more holistic approach, such as decision making, delegating, and oversight. However, the debate still turns to ADN vs BSN. ADN vs. BSN: Differences in competencies ADN: Associate Degree Nursing Associate degree programs are designed to train students to provide entry level care in a hospital setting. The ADN is an attractive option for many due to shortened program time and the reduced tuition rate. Associate degree nursing programs are developed to...
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...Associate Degree Program vs Bachelor’s Degree Program for Nursing Associate Degree Program vs Bachelor’s Degree Program for Nursing To become a registered nurse, one must graduate from an accredited nursing program and pass the NCLEX exam. There are different routes one may take to become a registered nurse. These routes include a diploma, associate degree, or baccalaureate degree program. The diploma program was the core of nurse educating until the 1960’s. The typical diploma program lasts three years. This program focuses on clinical experience and direct patient care. Over the years, the diploma programs have decreased. In 2010, there was only 54 accredited diploma programs. Since diploma programs are not as common as associate degree programs or bachelor’s degree programs, this paper will compare the ADN and BSN programs and explain why having a bachelor degree in nursing is a benefit to not only the nurse, but also the hospital and the patient. Associate vs. Bachelor’s Degree Programs Associate degree programs typically last two years, but the student is required to take other courses to fulfill graduation requirements. According to Creasia & Friberg (2011),”the ADN program prepares the nurse for direct patient care for secondary care settings, such as community hospitals and long term care facilities”. Many people choose an ADN program because community colleges are less expensive than going to a university. Community colleges can also be more accessible...
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...The Difference between BSN and ADN The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree can be acquired in 2 years at a university, community college, vocational school or even some hospitals. An ASN educational program readies nurses to deliver direct patient treatment or carry out other qualified nursing duties and responsibilities inside the field of health care. This 2-year degree can be the groundwork for more advanced nursing academic options like a bachelor’s or master’s in nursing. It is a relatively fast way to get into the nursing field and start earning income. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree typically takes 4 years to complete at the numerous universities and colleges that offer these programs. The BSN readies nurses to perform in most medical environments. While the job environments for RN’s with BSN degrees may be almost identical to that of RN’s with an ASN degree, those who completed BSN programs have additional preparation and training for clinical jobs that could include management, fiscal duties, medical personnel scheduling, administration, leadership and research roles (ASN vs RSN,. 2024). The main difference is the length of time and the amount of credits required to complete the program. An ADN typically takes 2 years to complete while a BSN will take 4 years to complete (including the time spent taking the prerequisites to enter the program.) There are also accelerated BSN programs (18-21 months) for students who have already obtained a...
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...Care; ADN vs. BSN Kristina Aguilar Grand Canyon University Professional Dynamics in Nursing NRS-430V-O101 Chris Bartholomew April 22, 2016 Competencies and Patient Care; ADN vs. BSN Introduction It could be hard for some people to understand the differences between the competencies of a Registered Nurse. They may ask, “Isn’t a Nurse, just a Nurse?” The answer is actually, “well, yes…. but not really.” There are 3 different avenues one can take to obtain a nursing degree. Students can choose between a 3 year hospital based diploma program, a 2 year Associates Degree, or a 4 year Baccalaureate Degree. According to the National League of Nursing, “nearly 60% of all graduates come from community colleges” with an ADN degree. In the 2007-2008 school year alone there was 106,095 ADN graduates, compared to only 38,724 BSN graduates. ("Nursing Education Research," 2010) Despite this extreme growth, with an increase in chronic health conditions and emerging technology, the Institute of Medicine now recommends “that 80% of all RN’s obtain a Bachelors degree by 2020. ("Institute of Medicine," 2011). These nurses are educated at a level to provide better quality patient care, with better outcomes. ADN vs. BSN Although graduates from both programs are required to take the same NCLEX exam to obtain their license, there are quite a few differences in the competencies that each program provides. In 1951, Mildred Montag developed the 2 years Associates Degree for Nursing...
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