Associate and diploma competency vs Bachelor’s degree competency
Stephanie Earl
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
10/30/16
Associate’s Degree Competency versus Bachelor’s Degree Competency Hospitals are now requiring their nurses to have a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing and this is becoming very controversial in the field. Nurse competency is measured by the NCLEX-RN (National Council exam for Registered Nurse) licensure exam. This exam is testing for minimal competency for the nurse to work safely within the basic practice of nursing. Before Florence Nightingale there was no specific scope of nursing practice, ill patients were just taken care of by prostitutes, religious women, or just women. Over the past 100 years since Florence Nightingale’s …show more content…
This additional knowledge prepares the nurse for a broader scope of practice and provides better understanding of cultural, social, and economic issues that may affect the patient. In the bachelor degree, the patient outcomes also differ in that the mortality rate was decreased compared to the associate degree and a significantly lower readmission rate (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2015). A BSN also integrates additional teachings in leadership, critical thinking, and communication. ADN students receive instructions on all of these but not in as much depth. This can cause problems when having to call a doctor, delegating to the PCA or other healthcare personal, and research. Studies have also found that BSN nurses have better problem solving skills, stronger communication, and better ability to make nursing diagnoses and evaluating nursing interventions (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2015). BSN nurses are more likely to work in specialties, nursing faculty and researchers (Fulcher & Mullin, 2011).
Not only is there a difference in knowledge basis but there is a difference in values. In at study comparing diploma, ADN, and BSN, BSN scored higher in all five categories (Fisher, 2014). The five categories included caring, activism, trusts, professionalism, and justice. There was only a significant difference in the mean overall value, there was no significant different among ADN and BSN senior participants. This can be a problem because the ADN nurse may be more focused on just the care not the emotional aspect of the patient
Stephanie Earl
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
10/30/16
Associate’s Degree Competency versus Bachelor’s Degree Competency Hospitals are now requiring their nurses to have a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing and this is becoming very controversial in the field. Nurse competency is measured by the NCLEX-RN (National Council exam for Registered Nurse) licensure exam. This exam is testing for minimal competency for the nurse to work safely within the basic practice of nursing. Before Florence Nightingale there was no specific scope of nursing practice, ill patients were just taken care of by prostitutes, religious women, or just women. Over the past 100 years since Florence Nightingale’s …show more content…
This additional knowledge prepares the nurse for a broader scope of practice and provides better understanding of cultural, social, and economic issues that may affect the patient. In the bachelor degree, the patient outcomes also differ in that the mortality rate was decreased compared to the associate degree and a significantly lower readmission rate (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2015). A BSN also integrates additional teachings in leadership, critical thinking, and communication. ADN students receive instructions on all of these but not in as much depth. This can cause problems when having to call a doctor, delegating to the PCA or other healthcare personal, and research. Studies have also found that BSN nurses have better problem solving skills, stronger communication, and better ability to make nursing diagnoses and evaluating nursing interventions (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2015). BSN nurses are more likely to work in specialties, nursing faculty and researchers (Fulcher & Mullin, 2011).
Not only is there a difference in knowledge basis but there is a difference in values. In at study comparing diploma, ADN, and BSN, BSN scored higher in all five categories (Fisher, 2014). The five categories included caring, activism, trusts, professionalism, and justice. There was only a significant difference in the mean overall value, there was no significant different among ADN and BSN senior participants. This can be a problem because the ADN nurse may be more focused on just the care not the emotional aspect of the patient