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Associate Degree Nursing as Compared to Baccalaureate Degree Nursing

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Since the inception of the Associate Degree in Nursing there has been research and discussion as to whether this degree should continue. This is due to the adversity in the level of competency between the two. Current popular thought is that the entry-level into nursing should be the Bachelor of Science in nursing bringing the increase in the complexity of the medical arena and its every changing makeup to the professional level of the Baccalaureate Degree. It has been shown that a nurse’s level of education can become a major factor to the safety and quality of care of their patients because of this there has been an increase in studies over the years that directly examine patient outcomes in similar situations between Associate …show more content…

The studies have shown that nurses that have gone thru the baccalaureate program have a higher degree in articulation and problem deciphering abilities (Johnson, 1988) and are more proficient in their ability with nursing diagnosis along with the evaluation of nursing interventions (Geiger & Davidhisar, 1990). Research further shows that those registered nurses that have obtained their degrees at the associate degree and diploma levels have an increase in their level of skills when completing a BSN degree. When comparing RN to BSN graduates from the years 1995 to 1998 it was (Rosseter, 2010, para. 24) shown that these students had a higher competency in nursing process, articulation, management, professional integration and analysis/dissemination (Phillips, C.Y., Palmer, C.V., Zimmerman, B.J. & Mayfield, M. 2002). All the above studies seem to agree that when a BSN is involved in patient care there is a greater chance the patient outcome will be more positive than when the same patient in the same situation is taken care of by an ADN. The reasoning appears to be that with their higher education the BSN has an enhanced degree of assessment skills. This then allows for better critical thinking abilities. These two

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