Preview

... Competency Differences of Associate and Bsn Nurses

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
815 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
... Competency Differences of Associate and Bsn Nurses
Competency Differences of Associate and BSN Nurses
Rhonda Dilks
Grand Canyon University
Professional Dynamics

September 18, 2010

Competency Differences of Associate and BSN Nurses There are three educational pathways for registered nurses. One is a two year community college program, earning a student an associate degree in nursing (ADN), a three year diploma program offered by hospitals and a four year university or college program, earning the student a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN). The practice of the ADN and Diploma nurse is the same. Each nurse is eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. This paper will compare the competency levels of BSN and ADN/Diploma nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) believes that education significantly impacts the knowledge base and competencies of nurses (AACN, 2010). BSN and ADN nurses have the same basic skills needed to care for patients, however, the BSN prepared nurse builds upon these skills. ADN/Diploma degrees focus on the technical aspects of caring for patients, demonstrating clinical competence and use of critical thinking skills, knowledge, caring and compassion. These skills are utilized using ethical decisions and following professional standards set forth by the Board of Nursing. ADN/Diploma nurses usually practice within structured settings where policies, procedures and protocols provide guidelines for care (Hood, 2010). ADN/Diploma nurses assess, implement and plan patient care from admission to discharge of a patient. The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing is usually the minimum requirement for administrative positions, research, consulting and teaching. The curriculum for the BSN degree includes courses to enhance critical thinking, communication and leadership skills. BSN nurses have additional training in obtaining information from multiple disciplines of the care team. They assimilate and analyze this



References: American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2010). The impact of education on nursing practice. Retrieved from American Association of Colleges of Nursing website: www.aacn.nche.edu/media/factsheets/impactednp.htm Hood, L. J. (2010). Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing (7 ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    To obtain a Nursing Degree one can start at the LVN or go all the way to a PHD in nursing. This paper will focus on the abilities or competencies of a prepared Associate Degree nurse, and the abilities or competencies of a Baccalaureate Degree Nurse. This is a hot topic now and has been for many years. I have been hearing for many years that ADN will be phased out, and only BSN will be used in the future. The time period in which to mandate this event is governed differently by the state where the nurse works. There are catchy phrases out there like BNS in 10, or BSN by 2020. “As of 2010, at least 18 states, including New York, New Jersey, were considering BSN in 10 legislation.” (nursing link 2011, 07.)…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The importance of education is very critical with the evolving health care system and when caring for another human being. Differentiating between an ADN and BSN nursing degree will give us a better and clear perspective. The National Council of State Board of Nursing (NCSBN, 2005) define Nursing competency as the “application of knowledge, interpersonal decision-making and psychomotor skills expected for the practice role within the context of public health” (p.70). The Board of Nursing focuses on entry level practice and competency to meet minimal entry level standards.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    ADN Vs BSN Research Paper

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Abilities to deliver the most safe, total proficient and excellence of care to different groups in healthcare. Due to many actions and modifications in healthcare role of nurses is transformed. Nurses have to be competent to make critical decisions, information, educate and coordinate with patients their families and other health care professionals, and they have to perform research to make progress in nursing and patient care consequences. There are four main causes which define the differences in competencies between associate degree prepared nurses and baccalaureate degree prepared nurses. These causes are course curriculum, time frame, education, job opportunities and cost.ADN programs are two to three years long and can be taken in community college or junior college .they also require prerequisites to join the program, while BSN programs are four years long and are provided by colleges and universities. They also require many prerequisites to…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In this era there are many different kinds of registered nurses: diploma, associate degree (ADN) and baccalaureate degree (BSN). A diploma nurse will obtain schooling through a hospital-based program. An ADN is usually done in two years or less and is usually more affordable and without long waiting lists. The BSN is a four-year degree, more costly and is done at a university. After completing any of these three, the applicant will sit for National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nursing Competency

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Associate degree Nurse (ADN) nurses has 2 years training and diploma in nursing has 3 years of training .whereas Baccalaureate degree in Nursing has 4 years of training .The passing rate for NCLEX exam and basic clinical skills are the same example of I/V insertion, administering medicine and wound care. BSN training means Bachelor of Science in nursing are more focused in critical thinking skills, decision making skills, dealing with legal and ethical decision in evidence based practice and research based…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ADN nurses also develop critical thinking skills but do not delve as deeply into the process during their education. BSN programs have classes specializing in community and public health, nursing management, and pathophysiology in order to better prepare their nurses for the challenges they will face as opposed to many associate programs (Forster, RN). It is also much easier to attain a management position when you have a baccalaureate degree as opposed to an associate’s degree at most hospitals and clinics (Forster, RN). A nurse must also possess a BSN to further their education to include a masters or doctorate in…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the past, nursing education in the United States was based on teaching student nurses in the hospital setting the skills necessary to provide bedside care. Now, with the expansion of the role of nurses due to the development of cultural, socioeconomic, scientific, technological aspect in the United States, the level of education , depending on the nursing role, expanded and can reach up to the doctorate level. However, diploma programs still exist in the United States, besides two other educational pathways; associate degree programs, and bachelor degree programs. All three pathways lead student nurses to take the same licensing exam, NCLEX-RN, after…

    • 1275 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Hood, L. J. & Leddy, S. K. (2003) Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.…

    • 4554 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the field of nursing, there are many different educational routes available to those who want to become a Registered Nurse, or RN. Nurses can choose to graduate with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or advance on to a higher level of education. Throughout the nursing profession, there is discussion over which level of preparation is more desirable. When comparing ADN and BSN prepared nurses, there are several noted differences in competencies and trainings between the two levels of preparation. These differences include critical thinking skills, health promotion and the ability to practice in a wide variety of settings.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nurses play a very critical and important part in patient care and safety, bedside care regardless of degree. Education has an important effect on all health care providers. We are learning every day, we should go more forward to learn better to get more education. This paper will explain the differences between ADN/Diploma and BS Nurse. Health care trends are leading to more complex, advance care and needs.…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 1935, an organization was developed for collegiate nursing programs in American universities. The organization was known as the Association of Collegiate School of Nursing today is the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). The members of this organization strongly suggested “nursing could not develop into a profession until it could generate scientifically sound nursing knowledge that could sustain the practice of nursing” (Stewart, 1943).…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nursing has come a long way from the medieval age of scrutiny and disguise to being a well sought out profession. Nursing helps to provide humane services to the people and community. Education in nursing has different levels, an associate’s degree, a baccalaureate degree, master’s degree and many more. In this paper difference between Associates degree in Nursing (ADN) verses Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) would be discussed.…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Orsolini-Hain, L., & Waters, V. (2009). Education evolution:historical perspective of associate degree nursing ( ed.). : . []. http://dx.doi.org/. Retrieved from…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    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.…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    With the complexity of the disease process and the technology that we have today in the nursing field, it is important to have more educated nurses in our facility. We are gearing to the magnet status in every hospital wherein we are being recognized for nursing excellence and good patient outcome. “In the statement titled Education Advancement of Registered Nurses, the Tri-Council organizations present a united view that a more highly educated nursing workforce is critical to meeting the nation’s nursing needs and delivering safe, effective patient care. In the policy statement, the…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays