The major differences between the ADN diploma and BSN degree is that the ADN requires 72 credits and the BSN requires 125 credits in order to complete the nursing program. In the associate degree of nursing the programs are mainly directed and focused towards providing basic nursing care to the patients and also catering to the needs of their families as well. In the associate degree level the students acquire and gain the knowledge and skill that is required to take care of patients to provide bedside nursing and providing direct care to the patients in order to restore the sick from their illness and provide them medical treatment and care which mostly requires hands on practice for patient care experience in the hospitals and even in the community health facilities. At the associate level nursing they are taught just the basics principles for leadership that is required for being the charge nurse and also required for the RN supervision that is required for other health care providers. It is very obvious that the associate degree nursing programs do not really prepare their nurses for graduate level of study.
On the other hand we find out that the students at the baccalaureate curriculum have a higher level of focus, mostly which emphasizes on evidence- based clinical practice and leadership qualities. When we look further into the additional courses that are offered at the baccalaureate curriculum are research, critical thinking, and statistics also public health and community health. It is found that numerous research studies have found out that both the associate and the BSN nurses may not show a vast difference in their skill and competency when they initially graduate. But studies have shown that within one year the BSN n...
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... understand what the patient said who was calling. So she told the charge nurse who was a BSN to go and check the patient. The charge nurse noticed that is patient’s voice was garbled and in front of her eyes he was having a facial droop. The nurse asked the patient to raise both his hands but one hand was falling down. Immediately the charge BSN nurse recognized that this patient was getting a stroke and she called rapid response. So when the rapid response team came, they assessed the patient and took him to the ICU for further evaluation and treatment. Therefore, a professional who is BSN nurse means to participate in research in order to increase your nursing knowledge and use your experience with patients and their families as research tools in order to design the best practices in the field of health care and be able to demonstrate evidence based practice.
There are several differences in competencies between an ADN and a BSN. These include, but are not limited to decision-making skills, the depth of knowledge base, as well as critical thinking abilities. As the nursing is role is becoming more complicated; strong skills are necessary for providing excellence in patient care (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, n.d.a., pp. 1,3). More than ever patients that are being admitted to hospitals have multiple commodities. When caring for a post-surgical open heart patient, it takes multiple types of critical thinking skills to recognize when a patient is becoming hemodynamically unstable. Quick, crucial, and significant decisions need to be made quickly to turn a grave situation around.
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.
Taylor, D. (2008). Should the entry into nursing practice be the baccalaureate degree?. AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-620. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2007.07.006
The topic of "ADN versus BSN" is one that has plagued the nursing profession for decades. Does a nurse’s level of education really matter? Can ADN nursing graduates perform their duties as well as BSN graduates? These are the types of questions that continue to be debated by policymakers, educational organizations and associations, and the general public. This may be because nurses are now one of the least educated health care roles when compared to other health care professions that are now requiring bachelor degrees or higher for entry. A more likely reason is undoubtedly due to the growing body of evidence suggesting that BSN graduates are more prepared when entering the workforce than their ASN counterparts. These findings have made some hospitals decide to only hire BSN prepared graduates or higher. Linda Aiken, director of the center for health outcomes and research at Penn State, recently stated "the evidence base is growing, and a number of hospitals are acting on it” (Burling, 2010). If employers prefer BSN prepared nurses, why don’t more of them offer pay differentials or other incentives to return to school? The answer to that question is still unknown. The Veterans Administration (VA) is one exception. The VA leads the country in employing the most registered nurses according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2011). The VA made the decision a decade ago to establish the BSN as a requirement for new hires. The VA devoted $50 million in approximately five-years to help
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs strive to ready student nurses for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) that tests not only pure knowledge, but the reasoning and application of that knowledge. These programs provide student nurses with the necessary knowledge base and ability to apply knowledge in practice; especially since the introduction of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) has been integrated into didactics. EBP, along with hours of clinical placement, benefit student nurses by arming them with the clinical judgment skills called for in the workplace. However, if student nurses accrue more focused clinical hours in their areas of specialty, they will be better prepared for the situations they will face in their careers for which simulation labs or nonspecific clinical settings fail to adequately prepare them. With more hours spent in specialty areas, student nurses will be able to establish higher degrees of mental preparedness and hands on experience as well as understanding of the difficulties and demands of working as a nurse in a specific field as opposed to shifting between various focuses of nursing.
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
According to the American Nurses Association, nursing is defined as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2016). Nurses have many jobs and responsibilities and wear many different hats. Nurses can perform at many different levels depending on their scope of practice which is defined by the board of nursing in one’s state of residence. It is important as nurses to understand and follow
Nursing is a knowledge-based profession within the health care sector that focuses on the overall care of individuals. According to The American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), “defines nurse practitioners as registered nursed who have received graduate-leveling nursing education and clinical training, which enables them to provide a wide range of preventative and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. They deliver high-quality, cost effective care, often performing physical examinations, ordering tests, making diagnoses, and prescribing and managing medication and therapies”. Nurse Practitioners are able to specialize in a particular area, such as family and adult practice, pediatrics, and women’s health; and refer patients to other specialist when necessary. Some Nurse practitioners work under the supervision of a physician; while others run their own practices.
The RN BSN plays a critical role in facilitating the care of the patient in all phases of care. The RN BSN is present from the day of patient’s admission to the day they are discharged home, transferred to a long-term rehab facility, or when the patient passes away. Their education allows them to be involved in many aspects of the patient care. The BSN RN can play any role from direct patient care (bedside nurse), case coordinator, nurse manager, to being a educator by educating patients on preventative care. Other members of the interdisciplinary team unlike the BSN RN are not always present in the care of the patient. A speech therapist will only be consulted when needed, a dietician is consulted when needed,
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.
Nursing encompasses several levels of education and licensure. For decades the differentiation between these levels has been debated, primarily between the differentiation of the Associates degree in Nursing (ADN) and the Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing (BSN). The associate’s degree, which began with the intention of creating a technical nurse, has developed into being “equivalent” to a bachelors degree (Hess, 1996). The two degrees however are not equivalent, the bachelors educated nurse receives two years education beyond the associate, in the liberal arts and upper division nursing courses
Everyday in this world, elderly, adults, teens or children become ill or get into accidents and need medical attention. Whether these elderly, adults, teens or children are taken to a hospital, pediatrician, specialist, or clinic, a doctor and a nurse will tend to them. The nurse plays a role that is just as important as the doctor. Nurses work very closely with the families as part of the caring process. Every member of the family plays a role in different ways. The nurses are there to help the patient as well as the family step through the illness or injury. They provide information for the prevention of future illness and injury, and help to comfort the patient and his/her family. It is vital that a nurse understands that to be a nurse, you need a certain personality and understanding of the field.
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.
There has been a drastic cut in both the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. According to Robert (2012), “cuts of more than $360 billion to Medicare and Medicaid will be made over the next 10 years. The focus of nursing needs to emphasize more on wellness care and prevention rather than acute care” (McNeal, G., 2012). Nursing practice will need to shift more towards community and population focused nursing. Baccalaureate prepared nurses are provided with a curriculum that includes both community health and leadership skills that are not included in the associate program. By encouraging associate’s degree nurses to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an increase in the awareness of the needs of the community and population may be seen. The IOM report has outlined the anticipated obstacles that healthcare will face if changes are not made. By allowing nurses to provide care within their full scope of practice, quality care may be provided at an affordable cost to the population. The use of advanced practice nurses in primary care may provide quality, access, and cost efficient healthcare to high-risk populations and possibly decrease hospital admission rates, thus lowering the overall cost of healthcare. If nurses partner with doctors and other healthcare providers, it may improve healthcare by providing seamless transitions (Institute of Medicine,