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Associate degree nurses versus baccalaureate
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A Bachelor’s Degree as a Requirement of Medical Practice
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the high demand for baccalaureate degrees in nursing and to explain why that level of education is in demand in today’s health care system. Nursing is one of the few professions in which there are multiple points of entry in order to practice medicine. Furthermore, one of the biggest discrepancies is the fact that no matter the level of education a nurse may have, they are treated the same as other nurses with higher or lower degrees of education. This paper will highlight the discrepancies regarding education in the nursing profession and will attempt to evaluate why the baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) should be the most basic level of education needed to practice medicine.
The idea of multiple levels of entry has been traced back to World War II with the inclusion of the diploma and the associate degree in nursing (ADN). These programs were included into the field of nursing in order to compensate for the shortage of nurses in the field after the end of the war. (Taylor, 2008) While this may have been a useful inclusion for the time, these levels of education are no longer a good measurement and education for the present time. As Taylor points out: “Nurses prepared at the graduate level demonstrate a significant difference in competency compared to nurses with associate degrees” (Taylor, 2008, p.612) What this means for the ADN nurses is that they are not as well prepared as nurses with the BSN education.
One source of this problem is the actual education and the lack of continuing education in ADN prepared nurses. In their education, ADN programs do not require as much as BSN prepared nurses receive. In addition, ADN...
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... p.612) If this is to change, then the profession must become more adaptive to the needs of the patients and the institutions they work with. The first step toward this goal is to define a definite entry-level education for health care. At that point, the necessity of the BSN program as a starting point for good, competent nursing care will be recognized.
Works Cited
Altmann, T.K. (2011). Registered nurses returning to school for a bachelor’s degree in nursing: Issues emerging from a meta-analysis of the research. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal For The Australian Nursing Profession, 256-272.
McEwen, M., Pullis, B., White, M., & Krawtz, S. (2013). Eighty percent by 2020: The present and future of RN-to-BSN education. Journal of Nursing Education,
Taylor, D. (2008). Should the entry into nursing practice be the baccalaureate degree? AORN Journal.
Nursing, as a crucial part of the health care system, keeps evolving while dealing with an increasingly complex clinical situation that involves quality of patient care. Therefore, to successfully handle these scenarios, nursing needs to become more advanced, clinically and academically. A DNP degree is needed in this situation because according to Dunbar- Jacob, Navito & Khalil (2013), a DNP degree is considered to have more impact on nursing than a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree due to the advanced clinical education a DNP provides (p. 425). Hence, the DNP degree has an enormous impact in nursing practice especially in terms of improving clinical care, promoting leadership roles, and improving educational status.
The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must determine which educational path to pursue, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate Degree in nursing (ADN). Most will initially be educated at the associate degree level, even though the American Organization of Nursing Executives (AONE) has recommended a baccalaureate level as a minimal for entry-level nurses. With the expanding number of RN to BSN programs available there is always the option to further one’s education at a later date. The benefits for acquiring a BSN over an ADN include a better knowledge for evidence-based practice, an increased advantage for promotion, and the necessary gateway for higher education.
Megginson, L. (2008). RN-BSN education: 21st century barriers and incentives. Journal Of Nursing Management, 16(1), 47-55.
For the past few decades, there have been ongoing discussions involving the preferred educational level for nurses entering the field of healthcare. Two routes can be taken to entering the field: one can finish a two-year program and obtain their associate or add two years and get their baccalaureate instead. There are differences, albeit minor ones, between nurses prepared at the associate degree level versus those prepared at the baccalaureate level. However, an increase in technological advances in nursing field, and a higher demand for patient care has recently sparked the discussion of whether or not it is beneficial for nurses to further their education and obtain a baccalaureate degree or even a master’s degree as the case may be.
In fact, Researchers had shown the results of outcomes having different degrees of level. According to AACN, Today 61% Nurses in the United States have a BSN degree who works in health settings. In fact, BSN nurses reduce death rate mortality, and readmission rate by using clinical practice knowledge (AACN) . Having advance level of knowledge involves nurses to manage the patient level of care and monitor for progress. American Organization of Nurses Executives states that nurses who have a higher education level promotes safe nursing care and improves patient safety. Higher educational nurses prepare herself for clinical challenging and complex roles (AACN, page 1). They develop more ideas, better intervention, and focus more on clinical
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment” (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that “more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade” (Diagnosis: Critical).
There has been great debate in the nursing community for years regarding what should be the educational requirements for a practicing nurse. There are currently many options for men and women to enter the field through LPN, ADN, and BSN programs. More recently, programs have been popping up allowing accelerated BSN obtainment through second degree programs. The debate stems from the conflicting ideas of whether nursing as a whole is a trade, requiring an associate’s degree, or should be considered a profession, often requiring a Baccalaureate degree. In this paper this author will use past nursing history, current medical demands and advancements, and clinical patient outcomes to argue that the minimum education for a nurse should be a Baccalaureate degree.
This is a research paper conducted on the very highly pursuited field of nursing. Nursing is a profession in the healthcare field that focuses or assisting others. Not to mention, nurses are heroes because of the many lives they save every day. This is an example that one doesn’t need tights or a cape to be a hero. Never the less, there are many reasons one may want to become nurse. Some of those reasons may be for personal gain or the greater good. However, before becoming a nurse one needs to be educated about educational requirements, licenses and certifications, projected salaries, and the projected job outlook for the next five – ten years for nursing. This research paper will provide thorough information on those four major aspects of
Both the ADN and the BSN take the same licensing exam, receive the same credentials and often have little pay and benefit distinction (Hess, 1996). What appears to have little difference superficially actually has significant implications on the health of our nation, efficiency of practice, and role nursing plays in the healthcare community. The impact that this difference in degrees has is why the bachelor’s degree in Nursing is the absolute minimum requirement for entry into practice. This can ensure that the field of nursing is a field that is professional, scientifically based, and culturally aware.
The shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States has been a cyclical topic dating back to the 1960s. Only recently have employers in certain regions of the nation stated a decline in the demand for RNs. Consequently, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014) report on 2012-2013 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, American nursing schools denied admission to 79,659 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2012. The reported decrease in job availability and rejected admissions has left many individuals to question if the nursing shortage still exists. On the other hand, some experts project that the United States will be short more than one million RNs by 2020 (Dolan, 2011). Although some parts of the country are in less of a demand than others, it is undeniable that there is a national shortage of RNs.
In 1965, the American Nurses Association shared its vision for the future of nursing education. A primary goal in its message was that a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) becomes the minimum requirement for entry into nursing practice (Nelson, 2002). Fifty years later, debates on this issue continue. In its report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change and Advancing Healthcare, the Institute of Medicine shared its recommendation that 80% of nurses possess a bachelor’s degree by the year 2020. A significant number of health care facilities have adopted the practice of hiring nurses with BSN over those with two year Associate’s Degree of Nursing (ADN) or a three-year hospital based diploma program. Stakeholders in the Registered Nurse (RN)
McEwen, M., Pullis, B. R., White, M. J., & Krawtz, S. (2013). Eighty Percent by 2020: The Present and Future of RN-to-BSN Education. The Journal of nursing education, 1-9.
Nursing has always been a key career in the health care system. Although it is not often focused on in media and stories surrounding health care, nursing is a career of great importance. If any patient was asked about their experience at a hospital or a care center, many will mention the capability and care that they received from the nurses. The health care system could not function efficiently, if at all, if nurses were not present to perform their part. Nurses are more than just physicians support staff. Of interest in this paper is why people choose to study nursing in university or college. From students just graduating high school to mature student who have prior degrees or education, nursing is a popular choice as a path to study
The BSN program helps the nurses in many ways including utilizing the process to the full scale and it will encourage nurses to use their skills like educating the patient as we’ll as creating new nurses. Because of the new health care reform, the BSN program will also aid in filling the gap from the influx of patients. The baccalaureate degrees and BSN program helps prepare students for the significant part they are going to play in reinforcing the new healthcare reform. At present, I utilize and develop nursing care plans in the nursing process, even though it needs some corrections due to the nature of my work. The highest standards of nursing can only be achieved through better research and advanced training.
Hansen, J. (2013b, September 13). New! uw-milwaukee college of nursing rn to bsn flex option. Retrieved from http://campaignforaction.org/news/new-uw-milwaukee-college-nursing-rn-bsn-flex-option