Associate Degree Nurse Vs. Baccalaureate Nurse

Differences in competency level between associate degree nurses versus baccalaureate nurses. The nursing profession has come a long way and has grown in the last century. In its initial stages, the education was elementary, and there was little attention paid to the quality of care. There were no standards or guidelines to guide its practice. But beginning in the nineteenth century, as urbanization and industrialization grew, the awareness for public safety also rose. Accountability became a common idea in modern society, and excellence according to Leufer and Cleary (2009), was defined by the “consumer” (Leufer, T., & Cleary-Holdforth, J. 2009). This thinking had broad application across all spectrum of nursing profession, and to uphold

It is expensive and requires around 120 credit courses to complete. Baccalaureates nurses are more prepared for a broad range of nursing skills and the American Organization of Nurse Executives In their March 2005 press release, issued a statement asking “registered nurses to be educated in baccalaureate programs to prepare” them for “their challenging and complex roles” adequately (Executives, 2005). Associate degree nurses perform mostly practical skills; one that does not require in-depth analysis or critical thinking. For the most part, associate and baccalaureate nurses are taught related nursing skills and theories with exceptions in leadership, workplace supervision and high acuity. Although associate degree nurses may assume leadership positions, research has shown that their nursing education is not enough to prepare them in these areas (Mbewe, C., & Jones, M. (2015). According to AACN, the baccalaureate program encompasses all courses offered in the associate degree program and addition, in-depth training in management, research, leadership, community health, humanities, critical thinking and problem solving (AACN, 2015). Their elaborate training and curriculum provide a verse depth of knowledge that enables BSN nurses to perform the complex task and better understand issues affecting patients. Their training and extended clinical hours also produce nurses who can deliver quality, safe and efficient patient care. The advance education also provides for better diagnosis, quality intervention, and better outcome and according to research patient outcomes and quality of care improve with baccalaureate degree prepared nurses (Gillespie, et al., 2011). Baccalaureate nursing degree also equips nurses to work in the community outside of hospitals and nursing facilities which allow for some autonomy and