Diploma vs. Associates vs. Bachelor Degree Nurses
Louanne Adkins RN
Grand Canyon University: Nursing History, Theories, and Conceptua...
June 6, 2015

I have seen and experienced a wide variety of differences among the 3 types of degrees available, diploma vs. associates vs. bachelors. Myself, as a three year diploma nurse, I believe that I encountered more of a “hands on approach” to clinical skills versus the “book smart” bachelor approach versus the combination program of the associate’s degree. My diploma program started day one with patient interaction, from vital signs to baths. I discovered the bachelors program was mainly book work until the fourth year, at which time clinicals were initiated. The current trend and future of nursing is having a bachelor’s degree. I believe that this is due to the greater exposure to management skills on a daily basis that nurses now face. Previously there was a direct line from the doctors, who made the decisions, to the nurses that did as they were instructed. As the nursing processed evolved, nurses were empowered and started becoming a patient advocate, this came as a direct route of the education nurses received. Nurses have come to earn the respect of their coworkers and doctors that they have worked with. I had the experience of starting my first job out of nursing school on a med-surg floor on second shift with two other new grads. One was an associate degree grad while the other grad was from a bachelor degree program. We embraced each other with open arms and fears of being new grads. We quickly learned we complimented and worked well with each other as one team. The differences in knowledge and skills were quickly made apparent with each shift we worked. When it came to being fluent with dealing with management skills the bachelor trained nurse was the leader.