Educational Impact on Competencies of Nursing Practice

“Programs provide a solid liberal education and substantive upper division nursing major. Both components are combined in ways that prepare a nurse generalist who is able to provide professional nursing services in beginning leadership positions in a variety of settings” (Friberg, 2011, p. 87-88). Obtaining a BSN can open up more job opportunities for a person and in most cases makes you more desirable to employers. Many nurses get burnt out from being floor nurses so if you have your BSN you have the option to move into management or many other areas like insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, research jobs or even a clinical instructor. “Research shows they use evidence based practice for better patient outcomes.” (Moore, n.d.) “ As also stated in the same article “numerous research studies have demonstrated that the ADN and BSN nurses are not different in skill competency when they graduate, but within a year, the BSN nurses show greater critical thinking skills better problem solving, and the development of clinical judgment; three skills of increasing importance for the increase in acuity of patients in hospitals and other health care settings.” (Moore, n.d.)

An ongoing debate for the requirements to become a Registered Nurse (RN) has been unsettled. Several different educational pathways lead to an RN licensure; however, the minimum educational requirements must be standardized at the baccalaureate level for several reasons. Spetz and Bates (2013) published that a growing number of hospitals prefer hiring nurses with a Bachelor Science in Nursing (BSN) as this increases the status of the nursing profession (p. 1). Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), as well as a certificate on-the-job training Diploma are two other educational pathways to become an RN, which can be disadvantageous to the nursing profession in several ways (Tollick 2013; Spetz and Bates 2013). If entry-level nurses

ADN/Diploma nursing programs meet the minimal educational standard to become eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The minimal education time for eligibility for the NCLEX is at least two years of academic course work in the discipline of nursing. With successful completion of an ADN/Diploma program and passing of the NCLEX-RN allows graduates to gain eligibility of an entry-level nursing position. According to recent analysis of the nursing job market, ADN/Diploma nurses qualify for 58% of nursing related jobs. Statistics from the United States Department of Labor (2012) shows the median income for a RN is

Nurses a with Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN) are known for their skills in critical thinking, leadership, case management, health promotion, and for their ability to practice across a variety of inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings. These nurses are well-prepared to meet the demands placed on today's nurse.

Furthermore according to American Association of College of Nursing, “the baccalaureate degree is designed to prepare nurses for work within the growing and changing health care environment. With nurses taking more active role in the health care, they are expected to develop critical thinking and communication skills in addition to receiving training in clinics and hospital”(American Association of College of Nursing) .

(Creasia,2011) The BSN nurse education provides a foundation for future critical thinking, problem solving skills, logical thinking, leader and management skills, and effective communication.( Hardy)The BSN nurse has different job expectations, different levels of patient interactions and contact. BSN nurses manage the patient experience from admission to discharge in a largely unstructured environment that requires more direct, long term interaction with the patient. (Hardy) The BSN nurse also uses theory and research based knowledge in the direct and indirect delivery of care to patients.

According to Creasia (2010), “The first baccalaureate nursing program was established in the United States at the University of Minnesota in 1909” and many programs were 5 years long (p. 4). Today, the BSN program is a 4-year college degree offered at universities, private schools and community colleges throughout our nation. The BSN degree graduate has many advantages over an ADN degree graduate and these might include: career paths that are only open to nurses with a BSN degree including administrative positions and minimum requirement for advanced practice nursing (APN). Furthermore, the BSN graduates get extensive training in components that might include: quality and patient safety, evidence-based practice, information management, clinical prevention/population health, and professional values, all of which are essential as nursing care becomes more complex (Creasia, 2010, p. 4). One of the biggest disadvantages of having a BSN degree is that the legal scope of practice is undifferentiated due to being awarded the same license as an ADN graduate “hindering the reward system for leadership responsibilities” (Creasia, 2010, p. 16).

each nurse develops. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) study focused on patient care skills

The BSN program of nursing concentrates on studies that affect the patient as a whole. They are able to perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of each individual in their care. Nurses with their BSN degree are trained in skills to include case management, leadership, critical thinking and health promotion for the betterment of the patient. They are able to apply the skills acquired during their education to both inpatient and outpatient scenarios (Rosseter, 2011, ¶ 1). Having nurses with a BSN degree will benefit patients across the spectrum due

BSN nurses not only provide more complex aspects of daily care and patient education, but also design and coordinate a comprehensive plan of nursing care for the entire length of a patient's stay from pre-admission to post-discharge, including supervising nurses aides and other unlicensed assistive personnel, designing discharge and teaching plans for patients, and collaborating with patient, physicians, family members, and other hospital departments and resource personnel.

The report indicates, of the overall nurses employed in healthcare, 80% of the nurses will have a baccalaureate degree by the year 2020. The baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs prepare nurses thoroughly so that they will have significant knowledge,

Nursing has been constantly evolving in every direction of the health care field. In the beginning of nursing it was built and expanded on many frameworks of education/models. In becoming a registered nurse there are many stage: general educations, prerequisites, nursing school of Associate or Baccalaureate degree, Master of Nursing in multiple fields and Doctoral degree. When

There is an increasingly high demand for students going into nursing careers in our society, but there are also varying educational pathways for these students to get into these careers. Are the three educational pathways (Diploma, Associate Degree, and Baccalaureate Degree) preparing prospective nurses to be at the same competency level after schooling? Advancement in education has become an increasingly important topic amongst health care organizations. Educational preparation can indeed affect nursing care and the decision making of nurses. In this paper, an analysis of nursing history and the degree programs themselves will provide evidence of an increased level of patient care by BSN nurses vs. ADN nurses.

In order to acquire a degree in nursing, the steps required are having a high school diploma and some form of formal education post high school. There are three different paths available: a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN), an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a hospital diploma of nursing (Krannich 72). A BSN program includes four years in college with the curriculum consisting of “assessment, disease management, decision making, health promotion and prevention, health care technology and policy, research, quality assurance, leadership, and management.” (Gregory 5). You are also required to complete clinical training, meaning working in a hospital for experience in the field with real people and situations. The ADN program only requires two to three years of education (Gregory 5). However, the ADN program had the most educational opportunities, or universities offering the program. The hospital diploma career path is not offered by every hospital, but only by seventy. The ADN programs available in

The Differences in Competencies between Nurses Prepared at the Associate-Degree level versus the Baccalaureate Degree level in Nursing