There are several different degrees in nursing that may be obtained. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) endorses three routes of becoming a registered nurse (RN) including: the 3-year diploma program, the 3-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) program and the 4-year baccalaureate of nursing (BSN) program (American Association of College of Nursing [AACN], 2014, para. 3). Although, there are differences in nursing degrees all three take the same NCLEX-RN exam (AACN, 2014, para. 3). There are, however, some differences in competencies in regards to providers of patient-centered care.
Differences in Competencies Baccalaureate prepared nursing includes all the of same competencies as …show more content…
ADN nurses “analyze assessment data to identify problems, formulate goals/outcomes, and develop plans of care for patients and their families using information from evidence-based data in collaboration with patients and their families, and interdisciplinary health care team” (BON, 2011, p. 7). BSN nurses synthesize the information using evidence-based data as well as published research and also include populations and communities when developing plans of care (BON, 2011, p. 11). Completing course work for the RN-BSN program has given me a better understanding of the differences in the ADN vs BSN nursing degrees. I was unaware that the BON had different competencies for ADN and BSN nurses in regards to patient-centered care providers. I am now aware that BSN nursing care not only involves the patient and their family but also involves populations and the community. I am also now aware that patient-centered care is based on research and theories in nursing. Competencies in nursing care continue to promote a boarder scope of practice to ensure safe and good quality patient-centered care. The competencies outlined by the BON for BSN nurses provide them with a better understanding of how cultural, political, economic and social issues affect patients and its influence on health care …show more content…
Apply quality improvement measures to continually improve health outcomes consistent with current professional knowledge. As a labor and delivery nurse, we are constant looking for ways to improve our practice to improve health outcomes that are consistent with current professional evidence-based practice. In the Introduction to Evidence course, we were instructed to complete a level of evidence assignment. The assignment required the students to interview our unit manager concerning the implementation of current evidenced-based policies and procedures. During the interview with my director, we explored the mechanisms in place to ensure that the policies and procedures are current and who is responsible for ensuring that they are kept up to