Since 1965 when the ANA (American Nursing Association) first advocated for the baccalaureate nursing degree to be an entry level requirement into nursing, there has been controversy. Nursing is one of the most versatile career fields with a perpetual demand for employees and research. Choosing to go to school for nursing can be challenging and intimidating, schools across the country have rigorous programs that are not always easy to get into. Deciding on a two year degree program to become a registered nurse or going to school for four years to obtain a BSN is a difficult choice for some. Both options present myriad benefits in conjunction with negative facets and ultimately what fits best into the individual 's life is going to work for them.
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It is hard to argue against the solidity of the two year RN degree however, once we stop and examine all of its strengths. Perhaps the strongest advantage is the speed at which the ASN can be obtained compared to BSN. With perhaps a year 's worth of pre-requisites, an RN degree can easily be achieved within 2 or 3 years depending on how many pre-requisite classes the individual needs. This means less tuition and faster entry into the nursing field which means more income for the individual. This can also mean more experience time in a hospital or clinical setting while the BSN student is still in school (#4). Many hospitals and medical employers will also offer tuition assistance for continued education. Thus, a new RN who gets their foot in the door can always go back to school for the BSN degree while working and potentially have it paid …show more content…
There were 6 subscales in the study: right to privacy, assumes responsibility, exercises informed judgement, implements and improves standards of nursing, collaborates with others. The people who scored the highest were people of ethnicity who mostly had ASN degrees. It was suggested that not only was the ASN their only option for entry into a nursing career due to financial limitations but that coming from transcultural backgrounds could have enhanced their understanding and empathy for patients and been an impetus for improved patient care # 5. This supports the concept that, without a two year entry program into nursing, many potential students would look to other career paths and neglect their initial interest in nursing due to being intimidated by a 4 year allotment of time in school. Many people cannot afford the cost of school for that long of a period and cannot afford to be out of work for that long to concentrate on the school
It is hard to argue against the solidity of the two year RN degree however, once we stop and examine all of its strengths. Perhaps the strongest advantage is the speed at which the ASN can be obtained compared to BSN. With perhaps a year 's worth of pre-requisites, an RN degree can easily be achieved within 2 or 3 years depending on how many pre-requisite classes the individual needs. This means less tuition and faster entry into the nursing field which means more income for the individual. This can also mean more experience time in a hospital or clinical setting while the BSN student is still in school (#4). Many hospitals and medical employers will also offer tuition assistance for continued education. Thus, a new RN who gets their foot in the door can always go back to school for the BSN degree while working and potentially have it paid …show more content…
There were 6 subscales in the study: right to privacy, assumes responsibility, exercises informed judgement, implements and improves standards of nursing, collaborates with others. The people who scored the highest were people of ethnicity who mostly had ASN degrees. It was suggested that not only was the ASN their only option for entry into a nursing career due to financial limitations but that coming from transcultural backgrounds could have enhanced their understanding and empathy for patients and been an impetus for improved patient care # 5. This supports the concept that, without a two year entry program into nursing, many potential students would look to other career paths and neglect their initial interest in nursing due to being intimidated by a 4 year allotment of time in school. Many people cannot afford the cost of school for that long of a period and cannot afford to be out of work for that long to concentrate on the school