Technical School Nurse Controversy

I want to be an Advanced Practice Nurse. I complete similar work every day so I thought to myself, why not get the certification for it? As I called medical doctors and physicians assistants about sick patients, I found myself suggesting and telling them what orders the patient needs. I was struck with a sudden realization; I needed to go back to school.

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.

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) .

The United States healthcare industry faces many challenges everyday, such as the rising cost of care, medical errors, access and quality problems etc. Within the next few years, the United States will experience a shortage of Register Nurses (RNs). “Registered Nurses are considered one of the largest health professions in the health care industry. The Nurses duty is to provide direct patient care and can be done in a hospital, public health facility, nursing home and many other different settings. Other services included are patient education on disease prevention, administering treatments and promoting a healthy lifestyle.” ("The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State- Level Projections 2012-2025”) The shortage will occur due to Baby Boomers aging and the demand for health care will dramatically rise. With the baby boomers aging, Registered Nurses are at the top of the list for demand in health care. Unfortunately the supply and demand does not meet. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2012-2022 released in December 2013, RNs will increase of about 526,800 within that time frame but will still have job openings of 1.05 million by 2020)”("Nursing Shortage") Indicating that there is no growth between 2012- 2022. There are multiple factors to this shortage and one of them is that nursing schools across the nation are struggling to increase the capacity of students to meet the rising demand. Considering the fact

Significantly more medication errors and procedural violations are committed by nurses prepared at the associate degree and diploma levels than at the baccalaureate level” ("Ensuring An Educated," 2005, p. 12). The BSN nurse has stronger communication skills, problem solving skills and is more likely to use evidenced-base practice in their daily nursing routine. Being more alert a doctor. Having strong skills can help prevent a devastating accident by knowing when to question a doctors order, and looking for signs and symptoms of patient decomposition. A BSN nurse can make nursing diagnoses and evaluate nursing interventions better than a nurse who holds an ADN.

Bachelor degree nursing programs are highly regarded for the skilled, clinical thinking, and professionalism of nurses they provide for the community. Obtaining a baccalaureate in nursing provides the same skills and knowledge encompassed in most associate’s programs, while allowing a broadened look into research, public health, management, and humanities (AACN IENP, 2012). Many facilities are now providing incentives for nursing staff to continue their education; from tuition reimbursement, an increase in pay, and played time off for the sole purpose of education. Research has proven that with a more educated

A registered Nurse can graduate from one of 2 main programs of education and include (ADN) associate degree nursing or (BSN) baccalaureate degree nursing. Both have similarities and differences. Both must take a state board exam of questions that are user specific to gauge whether the student nurse has enough knowledge to go professionally. Both programs hold the mandatory minimum knowledge in order to provide efficient and safe healthcare. But which one is better? Does one program have an advantage over the other?

Now there are a lot of opportunities for nurses to advance their knowledge in their field. Sometimes when an emergency situation happens to a patient that admitted to the hospital, critical thinking is crucial. At that point we always consider the most experienced nurses like supervisors, so that will help us to make an immediate decision. I believe the nurses with bachelor degree are more knowledgeable than an associate degree nurse. According to Grand Canyon University College of Nursing, educational experiences supposed to meet students and clients’ needs .

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,

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

In the future nurses will have to face complex care situations in hospitals and should take critical lifesaving decisions with the help of technology and information management systems which requires analytical and synthetic skills. A baccalaureate or doctoral degree will help nurses to master the domain with more than basic knowledge of patient care.

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.

“Throughout the last decade, policymakers and practice leaders have recognized that education makes a difference” (Impact of Education, n.d.). Hospitals are also trending towards preferred hiring of bachelors prepared nurses for their workforce. Even national organizations are jumping on the bandwagon requiring “all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013” (Impact of Education, n.d.), likewise the Institute of Medicine has also recommended that all hospitals have at least 80% of their nursing staff with a BSN or higher by the year 2020 (Impact of Education, n.d.).

With a consistent change in modernizing medicine, along with the continuing advancement in technology, continuing education in nursing is essential for a variety of reasons. The nurse’s main concern is providing safe, efficient, and effective patient care with positive patient outcomes. This paper will examine the differences in competencies between nurses prepared at an associate-degree level versus a baccalaureate-degree level, in order to provide an evidenced-based understanding of the variation in the educational preparation of nurses.

I am striving to achieve professionalism and growth in roles and values while going through the bachelor’s degree in nursing program. I plan on taking each class one at a time, try to do my best, and gain the knowledge needed to grow in the nursing profession. By October 2010, I should obtain my bachelor’s degree in nursing, which will provide new opportunities, such as management, and educator positions. A bachelor’s degree in nursing will provide the opportunity to further my education to a master’s degree level.