My Academic Goals: A Career As A Registered Nurse

In 2008 the National League of Nursing (NLN) conducted a survey of students enrolled in nursing schools across the United States. Fifty three percent of students were enrolled in ADN programs, forty three percent were in BSN, while the remaining four percent were in a Diploma of Nursing program (National League of Nursing Data Review 2010). The rate of completion of the ADN nurse has exceeded that of the BSN, creating a deficit in higher educated

“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.)

Registered nurses work alongside physicians providing patient care in a variety of ways. A few examples of what nurses are responsible for include: administering medications, tracking patient’s vital signs, helping to diagnose and properly treat patient aliments and educating the patient and their family on their condition and the course of treatment. Depending on what area of medicine a nurse works in will determine more generalized and specific duties and responsibilities. There are many different areas a nurse may work in. Some areas include: obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency room, and many more. Nurses can work in a variety of settings, these can include: hospitals, urgent cares, doctors office, nursing homes and home health.

After going through a lot of trial and error in my career, I have decided that I want to pursue being a Registered Nurse. Many things have led me to this career choice, including personal and financial gain. I have tried many other occupations and educational programs and none of them have fulfilled me like I believe nursing will. It has taken me a long time to get to this point and I often joke that I finally know what I want to be when I grow up. I will tell you about my journey and what I hope to gain in my future.

ADN is shortened program time and reduced tuition rates. This program is more concise which focuses on the clinical skills and more tasks oriented. It lacks the theory and science behind nursing as a profession.ADN nurses are educated to provide nursing are to persons with similar alterations in structured setting.ADN degree graduates to meet the needs of the pt.

Scholarship. During my interview for UMMC I was asked if I had a bachelor’s in nursing to which I replied no. I was hired with the agreement that I would pursue my degree with two years of working. This isn’t the ideal way someone wants to continue his or her education. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth feeling forced to pay for more education when you are already licensed as a registered Nurse. At first you feel as though all of the hard work you put into your ADN program is worth pennies because you don’t have BSN next to your name. But then you realize, nursing is no easy task. It requires all that we have learned in this program; the valued ends, presence, praxis, self-care, leadership, advocacy and now scholarship. Having completed

There is much debate on whether there is a benefit to obtaining a Baccalaureate in Nursing. Since it is only my second week in the RN to BSN program, I don’t have a lot to base my opinion on. This paper will summarize the differences between Associates a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing based on what I’ve been told, research I have done, and my own experiences.

The implications for BSN-prepared nurses in addition to those of RNs with an associate degree

Before the age of eighteen, I had lived in three countries. My father’s career as a doctor and scientist of Military, Disaster & Extreme Medicine took my family throughout Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Ukraine. Although it was a challenge for me to continually adapt to new places and learn three languages, I am grateful for the cultural exposure that traveling provided me. In every new environment I was raised to treat others with equal respect and kindness regardless of any differences or similarities we may have had. This exposure has taught me that successful acclimation lies in the ability to interact well with people from diverse backgrounds. Here, in a country of immigrants, I have met people from countries all around the world. The Nursing field provides me the opportunity to help all people regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. I seek a Nursing degree here in the United States in order to increase my knowledge and to be able to practice in the field of professional nursing. My goal of becoming a Registered Nurse has long been encouraged by my personal interest in the profession and by my experience, previous education and achievements. These factors continue to motivate and inspire my desire to seek this degree and become a healthcare professional.

Starting the Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelorette of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Jacksonville University in June 2015 was a simple transition for me. I had graduated an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in December 2014 and became a licensed RN in January 2015. I had just gotten hired for my first nursing position the month prior to the start of class and had not yet started working. I was very much still in student mode. While this makes it a bit easier to learn and process information in a classroom setting, I had no real world experience to help guide me. Through the knowledge I have gained as a student at Jacksonville University I have become a competent and well-rounded nurse. I am able to quickly problem solve and utilize critical thinking to identify and rectify issues. I have even put together, and will be presenting, and presentation about nursing practice for staff members at the facility where I work.

Associate Degree Nurses (AND) return to school for a multitude of reasons; many are personal. Frequently the reasons are one of the following: to become leaders in the field, for advancement of their career, or move up the educational level, and receive a master’s or doctorate. The opportunity to network with other nurses is often an overlooked, but important reason to go back to school. RNs with BSN degrees that are still at the bedside can guide new graduate ADN nurses to provide holistic care to patients that have been proven to also have positive impact on outcomes.

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 added course work provided in a baccalaureate program is designed to prepare the nurse for a broader scope of practice and a better understand of issues that affect patients and their health care, including: cultural, economic, political, and social issues. “Nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees are well-prepared to meet the demands placed on today's nurse (The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice, 2012, para 1).”

Another issue with the ADN and diploma programs is that there is a lack of continuing education. As Altmann states, “In the U.S., only about 20% of ADN’s and 30% of diploma educated nurses continue their formal education to the baccalaureate level or beyond.” (Altmann, 2011, p.257) This is a large problem if the field is to ever advance its influence in the medical profession. Nurses need to constantly continuing their education. Even if the education is not formal, nurses need to constantly be keeping up with new trends, procedures and treatments. With the constant changes that the nursing profession and health care endures, the BSN program can at least ensure through it’s more intensive curriculum that the nurses will be better prepared and more successful at adapting and researching these trends and changes.