Preview

The Associate-Degree Level in Nursing Versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level in Nursing

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1962 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Associate-Degree Level in Nursing Versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level in Nursing
The Associate-Degree Level in Nursing Versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level in Nursing

The Associate-Degree Level of Nursing Versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level in Nursing Multiple pathways exist today for an individual deciding to seek a career in the nursing profession. It can be intimidating to an individual trying to decipher the various educational programs and the relationship of each program to the future nursing practice (Creasia, J.L. & Friberg, E., 2011). Programs at all levels provide these multiple pathways that can lead an individual to one or more nursing credentials (Creasia, J.L. & Friberg, E., 2011). The historical overview of the various programs available can help in building a greater understanding of the factors that are influencing nursing education (Creasia, J.L. & Friberg, E., 2011). The associate-degree and the baccalaureate-degree levels of nursing both provide contributions towards the contemporary health care system, advancement of the nursing profession, and promotion of a profession dedicated to lifelong learning. In 1965, the educational entry point into the professional practice of nursing was designated to be the baccalaureate degree by the American Nurses Association (ANA) (Creasia, J.L. & Friberg, E., 2011). Three educational pathways for the registered nurse (RN) still exist more than 45 years later. These educational pathways include the diploma programs, associate degree, and baccalaureate. For an individual trying to choose the best pathway to enter the nursing profession, it can be confusing with the existence of the various program types that still exist today.
Associate-Degree Level of Nursing
In 1952, the Associate Degree in Nursing was designed by Mildred Montag in to assist in the shortage of nurses caused by World War II. These programs were an alternative to the collegiate preparation of technical nurses (Creasia, J.L. & Friberg, E., 2011). A pilot project funded by the W.K. Kellogg

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Associates Degree Nursing (AND) program started during World War II. The ADN program became popular as a shortcut to the nursing profession. An individual can earn their Associates Degree in Nursing at a Community College in two to three…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Independence Blue Cross Nurses for Tomorrow Scholarship will afford me to the opportunity to reach my professional goals while setting an example and creating a better future for other nurses of tomorrow. Professionally, I desire the doctorate of nursing practice degree to create change in how nurses are educated. I have large ideas that this degree is helping me refine and learn how to implement. One of these ideas is the creation of a better educational path for individuals that would have traditionally become associate degree nurses. This new path will have the potential to reduce the health disparities faced by these students while creating the bachelor’s prepared nursing workforce.…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Diane S. Moore Ph. D RN (2008). The difference between Associate Degree Nurses and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurses. Retrieved Sept. 10,2010, from http://www.westcoastuniversity.edu/content.aspx?id=331…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Adn vs. Bsn

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Associates degree of nursing was developed during the World War II around the 1950 's to aid in the nursing shortage. Mildred Montage, is credited with the creation of the ADN program (Clainberg, M. (2013). It was in her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Montag who studied at Adelphi University proposed educating a technical nurse for two years to assist the professional nurse, whom she envisioned as having a baccalaureate degree (Clainberg, M. (2013). The ADN program provides core nursing curriculum with emphasizes on clinical skills. The ADN program, with its limited credit hours vs. BSN focused only the basics of leadership and management in terms of ancillary staff supervision. The ADN programs do not focus on nor does it prepare nurses for graduate study. It does allow entry into registered nursing after successfully clearing the NCLEX-RN board exam.…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The associates degree nursing curriculum (AAS) is a two year program that prepares the nurse to apply technical and clinical skills upon graduation. The baccalaureate degree nursing (BSN) curriculum is a four year program that builds upon the technical and clinical skills of the AAS. Heights of learning is raised by incorporating psychosocial, ethical, legal, evidence based nursing into their curriculum. The first BSN program started out at the beginning of the twentieth century. Annie Goodrich, director of the first privately operated baccalaureate program at Yale University, believed that certain concepts in nursing should be built on the foundation of technical and clinical skills (Creasia and Friberg. 2011) Goodrich believed that the BSN field of study should address psychosocial and public health issues (Creasia and Reid. 2011). Todays BSN programs takes the AAS nurse out of the closed minded dome of just applying technical and clinical skills and into the world of other plateaus and horizons of nursing. This greater arc of nursing consists of addressing ALL pertinent needs that influences the health of individuals, families and communities. BSN nurses learn about legal, ethical, psychological,…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bsn vs Adn

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Becoming a Registered Nurse is considered a grueling process by most people who go through it, whether it is through the Diploma, Associates or Baccalaureate program. The Diploma program has almost been completely phased out as an acceptable program, leaving the Associates and Bachelor programs in play. The Associates Degree in Nursing is usually a 2year program obtained in community colleges, whereas the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a 4year course done in undergrad colleges. Some of the attraction factors to the ADN over the BSN have included the tuition being cheaper, having fewer prerequisites and finishing the course in less time. Things are however, beginning to change, as the standards of healthcare are becoming more advanced. This is because BSN educated nurses generally exhibit more competence in their practice than those with an ADN education.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Associate’s degree in Nursing (ADN) program was started in 1952 at Fairleigh Dickinson University. An ADN is defined by many nursing entities as “an entry-level tertiary education nursing degree.” In the U.S.A Data shows enrollment in AD programs increased until the early 1990s, but the ADN had started…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Baccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities. The additional course work enhances the student’s professional development, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice, and provides the nurse with a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence health care delivery. There are distinct differences between the 72 ADN credits and 125 BSN credits required in each of the nursing programs' curriculum. The baccalaureate curriculum has a different focus, emphasizing evidenced-based clinical practice and leadership. Additional courses are offered in the baccalaureate curriculum, such as research, statistics, critical thinking, and public health/community health. In addition, the additional units prepare the baccalaureate nurse to pursue graduate study, leading to an advanced degree in nursing. Baccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities. The additional course work enhances the student’s professional development, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice, and provides the nurse with a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The difference between a baccalaureate and associates degree program may seem obscure at first, but looking into the information and research that students learn in a four year program verses a three year program can be shocking. When looking into the core requisites needed to graduate with a bachelors verses an associates, some obvious differences are the higher levels of English, math, communication, and pathophysiology required to graduate with a BSN. Also, the higher level course work required to complete a bachelors shows the necessity of critical thinking and research a nurse needs to even graduate. Once past the prerequisites required for a bachelor’s in nursing we have to exam the nursing course work itself. As stated before,…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    To this day there are three types of programs that exist to allow an individual to practice as an RN: the diploma, the Associate degree, and the Baccalaureate degree. The diploma route is a hospital based program that prepares an individual to sit for the NCLEX-RN. It is usually a two to three year program. It prepares the student for nursing jobs for delivering direct patient care in the hospital or other inpatient setting. The associate route RN is typically a two-year program that focuses on teaching the student technical nursing skills with basic education requirements in math, science, and English. It prepares the student for entry-level nursing jobs in hospitals and inpatient facilities. The baccalaureate route RN holds the higher level of education in nursing. It is achieved through a more rigorous educational study through research and evidence-based practices that prepares them for leadership and management positions. In comparing the associate degree nurse vs. the baccalaureate degree nurse, in order to increase patient safety, the associate degree nurse should attain their baccalaureate degree for standardization in with our continually changing health care systems.…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are three educational pathways one may take in order to become a registered nurse. Students may attend a college offering an associate’s degree in nursing, ADN, or a bachelor’s degree in nursing, BSN, or they may become a diploma nurse. Completion of one of these programs allows a student to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses, the NCLEX, which tests students at what has been determined to be the safe minimum competency to become a new graduate nurse (Creasia, PHD, RN & Friberg, DNP, RN, 2011). There has been controversy over which program creates the best nurses. Many individuals and groups including hospitals, committees, and various organizations feel that in order for nurses to deliver the highest standard of care, it is imperative they become highly educated with a baccalaureate degree (Rosseter, 2012).…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This essay will explore the differences in competencies for nurses prepared at the associates and baccalaureate degree levels. Both degrees allow the nurse to enter in to the field of nursing as a Registered Nurse .The American Association of colleges of Nursing believes that education significantly impacts the knowledge base and competencies of nurse (AACN2010). BSN and ADN nurses have the same skills need to care for the patient 's, the BSN prepared nurse builds upon these skills. Educational preparation for both degrees includes a core curriculum focusing on preparing the nurse for acquired to in the clinical setting. There are the educational pathways…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In order to be a registered nurse you must obtain a license through the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. The opportunity to take this exam is to be from an accredited program, wither it be a diploma in nursing, an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN). The ADN program typically requires about two to three years of nursing school and focuses more on tasks and clinical skills. The BSN program is roughly four years and focuses not only on tasks and clinical skills but also focuses on knowledge, theory and research. The BSN is deemed to encompass what nursing is all…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This paper’s the focus will be on the differences in associate degree nursing (ADN and baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) competencies, based on educational preparation. Highly qualified nurses are required by most of the health care system, in the United States (US) Magnet hospitals, have require all nurse managers and nurses leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013. (Citation). This writer intents to analyze similarities and differences between ADN and BSN degrees, the ADN is an attractive option for many, due to shortened program, time and the reduce tuition rate; baccalaureate nursing program have additional classes in humanities, sciences and expanded nursing coursework. Additional classes in community health nursing, nursing management and research enables the BSN nurse to be prepared for broader scope of practice (citation). By the end of this paper the reader we will be able to differentiate the two educational levels based on a patient care scenario, which demonstrates why higher education is recommended for nurses.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When I was first assigned to write the differences in competencies between the nurses at the Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) level and Bachelor Degree of Nursing (BSN) level I thought to myself this should be a breeze. I found it difficult to grasp just how many different competencies there could be. Nurses at either degree level take the same board examine to reach the same end goal; obtaining the Registered Nurse licensure. Typically entry level ADN and BSN nurses work side by side and have the similar knowledge base when it comes to patient care. Then I started…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics