The Differences Between an Associate Degree Nurse and Bachelor Degree Nurse

I do believe that nursing is in danger of losing its designation as a “profession” if it fails to maintain educational entry levels comparable to those of other health profession. I believe our entry level is far below average when compared to other professions. On a professional level and in this time, entry level should be a baccalaureate degree. Almost every job prefers baccalaureate degree. Nursing entry level being a diploma makes nursing as a profession one may question. This may lead to doubts and patients wanting other professions to better care for them because of the decline in nursing education.

Current trends in healthcare are leading to more complex, advanced patient care and needs. Hospitals and patient services are now in need of highly skilled, trained, and educated professionals to deliver this care. The impact of these trends extend into the profession of nursing, where employers are taking a closer look at the outcomes of patient care delivered by ADN graduates vs. BSN prepared nurses. Although

They determined that patients needing surgery have a "substantial survival advantage" (Aiken, Clark, Cheung, Sloan, & Silber, 2003) if treated in hospitals with higher ratios of nurses educated at the baccalaureate degree level. They too determined through this research that the more nurses holding BSN degrees help decrease the risk of patients dying and the ability to determine the patient is in distress. This research provides the evidence that nurses with a BSN degree have a better comprehension in their ability to formulate nursing diagnoses and evaluate nursing interventions. (Giger & Davidhizar, 1990) BSN degree nurses also demonstrate improved professional integration and research/evaluation skills. (The Future of Nursing:Leading Change, Advancing Health, 2012)

Nursing has a long history of formal education which moved out of hospitals and into colleges and universities early last century. The associate degree level of nursing was developed out of a need to produce nurses in response to a shortage during and

The differences between the baccalaureate-prepared and a master’s-prepared nurse are the deeper understanding theories and practices. Communication skills now have evolved to include all departments involved to improve patient’s care outcomes while being mindful of cost (American Associations of Colleges of Nursing, 2011). Advanced knowledge and analytical thinking generates a higher level of self-esteem leading to professional growth. In turn, colleagues identify you as a role model perusing their own personal growth (Cotterill-Walker, 2012).

With an ever-increasing body of knowledge in the field of nursing, more education is being required to enter the field of nursing. Many healthcare institutions are raising the educational requirements in order to become employed or maintain employment in their facilities. Healthcare organizations are transitioning to hiring registered nurses (RN) who have a higher level of education, such as, a graduate from a Baccalaureate Degree Nursing (BSN) program. The goal of these institutions is to have nurses with a broader array of skills that can meet the growing demands of our patient population. BSN prepared nurses are recognized for their well-rounded skills in critical thinking, management, case management and health promotion versus Associate Degree nurses (ADN)/Diploma nurses that focus on direct patient care.

This “incorporates the roles of assessing, critical thinking, communicating, providing care, teaching and leading” (Grand Canyon University, para. 7). I also believe that an individual’s maturity over a four-year period has time to evolve with the concepts of critical thinking and decision making the BSN framework offers. The difference in cost and time from ADN to BSN programs is a deciding factor in many educational decisions. The economy and decrease in job opportunities has driven many into the nursing profession that may not have initially considered it a career option. Sadly, I believe that has contributed to the lack of interest in pursing an advanced education. The professional choice wasn’t driven out of a motivation to help humanity or a sense of altruism; it was merely an employment opportunity.

There are numerous studies depicting the correlation between the four-year degree nursing education and improved patient outcomes. In the August 2008 edition of Health Services Research, Dr. Christopher Friese and associates identified a link between patient outcomes and nursing education level. They determined that moving to a nursing practice environment with a higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses led to a significant decrease in the mortality of hospitalized cancer patients who underwent surgery. In addition to lowered mortality rates, patients also experienced lower failure to rescue rates. In a separate study published by the Journal of Advanced Nursing, researchers at the University of Toronto resolved that facilities with a greater number of BSN prepared nurses had lower 30-day mortality rates. For every 1,000 patients discharged, a 10% increase in the number of baccalaureate degree nurses resulted in 9 fewer deaths (Rosster,

The associate degree of nursing was founded in “the year of 1952 at the Fairleigh Dickinson University” ( http://viuw.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=166). The purpose of starting the program was to solve the nursing shortage after the World War II. The ADN is a three year degree for those who want to be in the health care field. Nurses play an important role in a health care system. Once a student has completed their ADN, then they take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse. This test will certify that the person is safe to practice as an entry level nurse. The pace at which a person earns the degree is one reason why students go for ADN instead of any other degree. While a person is in the AND, he or she will learn important skill that would be extremely useful in health care. Associate degree of nursing is more

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).

Clinical reasoning is embedded in nurses’ thinking for patient care (Levett-Jones 2013). It is a spiral, continuous mental process, underpinned by critical thinking theory and a sound body of nursing knowledge (Levett-Jones 2013). The clinical reasoning cycle includes considering patient’s situation, collecting cues, processing information, identifying problems, establishing goals, taking action, evaluating outcomes and reflecting on the process undertaken (Levett-Jones 2013). Nursing practice for registered nurses is guided both by the National Competency Standard (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2006) and the Nursing Practice Decision Flowchart (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2010) to ensure patients’ safety and to optimise care by challenging medical assumptions and facilitating evidence-based practice. The clinical reasoning framework, therefore, allows nurses to prioritise the most time sensitive and specific information, to recognise deteriorating patients and to manage complex clinical situations (Levett-Jones & Bourgeois 2011). This paper will focus on processing information and identifying the two major problems in the case study of Mr. Brown, a 74-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital after a ‘fainting’ episode with chief complaint of dizziness.

The Carnegie Foundation reports that nurses today “are undereducated for the demands of practice” (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2009, ¶ 17). Education of the ADN centers around the hands-on skills needed to care for a patient at bedside and less on the scientific theories that allow the holistic treatment of a patient. A report by the Milbank Memorial Fund in 2001 reports that nurses educated at the ADN level have a higher incidence of mistakes made while performing their duties (Rosseter, 2011, ¶ 24). Registered nurses who graduate with the two year degree lack research skills, leadership and managerial skills as well as informatics needed to deliver quality medical care within today’s health care system (Orsolini-Hain & Waters, 2009, p. 269).

This essay sets out to discuss the importance of comprehensive and accurate assessment on a registered nurses’ ability to make excellent clinical decisions. It will examine what factors can change a nurses’ capability to be aware of, and act on abnormal assessment findings. As well as assessment being part of the nursing process that is used in every day nursing, it is also a critical part of patient safety (Higgins, 2008). Assessment findings are used to determine what needs to be done for the patient next. Early warning scoring systems currently exist to aid in the early detection of patient deterioration (Goldhill, 2005). The rationale for the use of these systems is that early recognition of deterioration in the vital signs of a

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.