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Differences in Adn and Bsn

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Competency Differences in ADN and BSN Nurses
Jim Bob
Grand Canyon University
NRS-430V: Professional Dynamics
June 8, 2014

In today’s health care field, most registered nurses are prepared at two different levels. There are ADN or associate degree level nurses and there are BSN or bachelor degree level nurses. Both of these levels of nursing require knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, medications, disease process and appropriate treatment methods. Both levels are also required to sit for and pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. However, there are differences in the levels of education. First, the time of completion is shorter for ADN degree. Next is the treatment methods that are learned in the BSN degree program. There are also many studies that show better patient outcomes when cared for by a nurse practicing with a BSN degree.
ADN vs. BSN
Wikipedia describes associate degree in nursing as “a tertiary education nursing degree which typically takes two to three years to complete.” In the US, this degree is usually obtained through community colleges, nursing schools, and some four year colleges and universities. The curriculum requires supervised clinical experience as well as courses in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, psychology and other social and behavioral sciences (Associate of Science in Nursing, 2014). The associate degree level in nursing is appealing to many individuals because of the time difference in completing the degree. Associate level nursing first did not exist until after World War 2. Following the war, nurses were in high demand. A woman by the name of Mildred Montag created a 2-year degree program to offer an alternative to the four year degree (GCU Interactive Timeline, n.d.). A baccalaureate degree level of nursing, or BSN, is obtained by completing a program at a 4 year university. Nurses trained at the

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