Baccalaureate-Degree Nurses: A Case Study

The American Nurses Association defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2013, p. 1). Their definition of nursing does not specify if there is a difference in who is providing the care. Associate-degree nurses (ADN) and baccalaureate-degree nurses (BSN) both sit for the same NCLEX exam and come out with the same license to practice. The more feasible route of acquiring a registered nurse license is getting an associate-degree because of the decreased length of schooling and
The BSN nurse is in school longer and trained to critically think through different scenarios. If in a situation where an ADN nurse and a BSN nurse are working in a skilled nursing facility and a patient is stating that they are having difficulty breathing, the ADN nurse may think to go get a set of vital signs with O2 saturations and place oxygen on the patient. The BSN nurse may do the same and check blood sugar, check heart and lung sounds, check the patient’s chart to see if the patient has any predispositions, and start making a list of things to tell the doctor when a phone call is
After a registered nurse is able to get his/her BSN he/she has many more opportunities in the field of nursing. For the nurse who does not know if they want to get their BSN, the biggest question for them would be “where do you see yourself in the next five to ten years?” It is important for the nurse to visualize where his or her career path is headed, working in a skilled nursing facility or possibly being the director of nursing in that facility. The nurse with the BSN can choose whether they want to be a nurse limited to patient care or a nurse that has the option of transitioning into management or