Becoming A Registered Nurse (RN And Bachelor's Of Science Degree In Nursing

here are two educational pathways to become a Registered Nurse (RN): An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN). Both allow nursing students to graduate to take the same entry-level exam, which is the National Council Licensures Examination (NCLEX). Typically, an ADN takes 2 years to complete and is offered by community colleges, while a BSN is a 4-year college degree. It is important to understand the difference in education and resulting competence for both degrees (Gorrell, 2011).

World War II was a spark for many changes in the nursing education and nursing jobs (Creasia, 2007). During the postwar years there were not enough Registered Nurses to meet the needs of the military and the civilian

After decades, the BSN degree is starting to become the primary path to entry-level nursing. The BSN degree graduate has many advantages over an ADN degree graduate. One of the main advantages is that unlike the ADN program, the curriculum of the BSN program is not only focused on nursing care, but also extends to physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities (Gorrell, 2011). The additional course work enhances the students’ professional development, and provides the foundation for progression to advanced practices or specializations in different nursing fields (Gorrell, 2011). An additional advantage to a BSN degree is that it makes graduates more desirable to employers because they are looking to hire nurses who have an advanced education (Raines, 2008). While there are many advantages to earning a BSN degree rather than an ADN Degree, there are also reasons students choose not to take it. The BSN pathway can be more expensive due to a university’s tuition compared to a community colleges tuition. BSN programs also tend to be more competitive and have more admission requirements (Raines, 2008). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the American Nurses Association all now recognize the BSN degree as the minimum educational requirement