Differences in Competency Between ADN and BSN Nurses

Katie Rha
Grand Canyon University

August 5, 2011

The debate over minimum education requirements for nurses has been going on for decades and there still seems to be no general agreement. As health care shifts from hospital-centered, inpatient care to more primary and preventive care throughout the community. The health system requires registered nurses who not only can practice both within and beyond hospitals but can function with more independence in direct bedside care, clinical community environment, case management, supervision of unlicensed other support personnel, and educating patients on treatment. The focus will be on the differences in competency between ADN and BSN nurses in this paper.
Associate Degree Nurse The associate degree level of nursing was developed out of a need to produce nurses in response to a shortage during and following World War II. It was proposed as a temporary solution to a shortage but was not intended to replace the professional level of nursing education. It was proposed that graduates from associate degree nursing programs would work a“technical” nurses, assisting and working under the supervision of professional nurses. The associate degree level of nursing education became popular and has come to be viewed as an attractive career path for those who desire a shortened, less expensive route to becoming a registered nurse
1. Nursing Program Associate degree programs, located in community colleges, require a minimum to two year of full-time study with a reasonable balance in liberal arts and natural, social, and behavioral sciences and the other half in nursing courses.

2. Education The Associate Degree focuses more on technical skills than theory and provide opportunities to demonstrate competence in the application of nursing knowledge and clinical