Preview

Adn vs. Bsn

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
979 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Adn vs. Bsn
ADN vs. BSN: Competency Differences
Mehul Sanghavi
Grand Canyon University
NUR 430V-(237)
Dana Martyn, RN, MSN
May 5, 2013

INTRODUCTION

Nursing comprises the largest health care workforce in the United States. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration survey, there are more than 3 million registered nurses (RN) nationwide. The survey also shows that 50.0% of the workforce holds a baccalaureate (BSN) or graduate degree while 36.1% earned an associate degree (ADN) and 13.9% a diploma in nursing (AACN, 2013). There are multiple pathways available for one to become a nurse. Today, the ADN and BSN degrees are the most common pathway selected by future nurses. This paper’s primary focus will be to comprehend the competency differences of a nurse with an Associate’s degree in Nursing (ADN) vs. Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN).
ADN OVERVIEW The Associates degree of nursing was developed during the World War II around the 1950 's to aid in the nursing shortage. Mildred Montage, is credited with the creation of the ADN program (Clainberg, M. (2013). It was in her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Montag who studied at Adelphi University proposed educating a technical nurse for two years to assist the professional nurse, whom she envisioned as having a baccalaureate degree (Clainberg, M. (2013). The ADN program provides core nursing curriculum with emphasizes on clinical skills. The ADN program, with its limited credit hours vs. BSN focused only the basics of leadership and management in terms of ancillary staff supervision. The ADN programs do not focus on nor does it prepare nurses for graduate study. It does allow entry into registered nursing after successfully clearing the NCLEX-RN board exam.

BSN OVERVIEW

The first baccalaureate nursing (BSN) program was established in the United States at the University of Minnesota. The school opened in March 1909, offering a three-year program in



References: American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Creating a Highly Qualified Nursing Workforce (2012). Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-workforce Clainberg, M. (2013). History: school of nursing:adelphi university. Retrieved from http://nursing.adelphi.edu/about/history.php Creasia, J and Friberg, E (2011). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice, 5th edition, Elsevier Mosby Rosseter, R. (2012, 10 24). The impact of education on nursing practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education Univeristy of Minnesota (2012, 02 12) History: School of nursing. Retrieved from http://www.nursing.umn.edu/about/history/index.htm

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Associates Degree Nursing (AND) program started during World War II. The ADN program became popular as a shortcut to the nursing profession. An individual can earn their Associates Degree in Nursing at a Community College in two to three…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Adn vs Bsn - Differences

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the late 1850s Florence Nightingale started her own school to train nurses and developed standards by which nurses performed their duties. She may never have envisioned that one day there would be different educational tracks resulting in multiple degrees and disciplines in nursing, each having their own set of criteria for excellence. Associate degree nurse (ADN) and baccalaureate degree nurse (BSN) are the two most common entry level nursing positions. An ADN can be obtained in two or three years whereas the BSN takes four years of education to complete due to additional courses. Differences between the degrees begin with education and mature as the nurse gains experience.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    BSN vs ADN

    • 1222 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I have heard the statement "Why should I get a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) when I can get an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and still sit for the same NCLEX and get my RN license?" This is a very good question and one that every nursing student should ask. The short answer is that a nurse with a BSN has more opportunities to work in a variety of health care settings that offer an extensive array of opportunities for professional growth. Baccalaureate-prepared nurses can be bedside nurses, educators, case managers, discharge planners, administrators, and work in public health, home health, and community clinics. The armed forces require an officer in the nurse corps to have a BSN and joining the military is an excellent opportunity to serve your country, pay for your education, and receive all the wonderful benefits that go beyond the immediate financial rewards. The associate degree nurse is limited to providing direct, hands-on patient care in a more restricted type of health care setting such as hospitals, skilled nursing and long term care facilities, clinics, and physicians' offices.…

    • 1222 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The associates degree nursing curriculum (AAS) is a two year program that prepares the nurse to apply technical and clinical skills upon graduation. The baccalaureate degree nursing (BSN) curriculum is a four year program that builds upon the technical and clinical skills of the AAS. Heights of learning is raised by incorporating psychosocial, ethical, legal, evidence based nursing into their curriculum. The first BSN program started out at the beginning of the twentieth century. Annie Goodrich, director of the first privately operated baccalaureate program at Yale University, believed that certain concepts in nursing should be built on the foundation of technical and clinical skills (Creasia and Friberg. 2011) Goodrich believed that the BSN field of study should address psychosocial and public health issues (Creasia and Reid. 2011). Todays BSN programs takes the AAS nurse out of the closed minded dome of just applying technical and clinical skills and into the world of other plateaus and horizons of nursing. This greater arc of nursing consists of addressing ALL pertinent needs that influences the health of individuals, families and communities. BSN nurses learn about legal, ethical, psychological,…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Associate Degree Nursing focuses on the nursing fundamentals, basics of nursing, care planning, and everyday nursing skills. It is said that Dr. Mildred Montage (Nurse Educator) introduced the two year ADN program some fifty years ago due to a nursing shortage. This program was known to be patient centered not disease center. Montage (1952).…

    • 776 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    ADN vs BSN

    • 1084 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As society’s pushing for a demand in higher education, we are seeing the requirements for nursing increase as well. As most facilities are phasing out the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), the Associates degree RN is becoming the entry level of nursing. Many facilities are already requiring a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree for nurses before even considering them for hire. I feel one of the major setbacks in nursing is its lack of educational requirements. Often times the nurse being the primary care giver is the least educated in the patients’ healthcare team. As of right now, the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is not a requirement for bedside nursing. It isn’t until recently that the push for the BSN has become more prevalent.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bsn vs Adn

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Becoming a Registered Nurse is considered a grueling process by most people who go through it, whether it is through the Diploma, Associates or Baccalaureate program. The Diploma program has almost been completely phased out as an acceptable program, leaving the Associates and Bachelor programs in play. The Associates Degree in Nursing is usually a 2year program obtained in community colleges, whereas the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a 4year course done in undergrad colleges. Some of the attraction factors to the ADN over the BSN have included the tuition being cheaper, having fewer prerequisites and finishing the course in less time. Things are however, beginning to change, as the standards of healthcare are becoming more advanced. This is because BSN educated nurses generally exhibit more competence in their practice than those with an ADN education.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Adn vs Bsn

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages

    An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) emphases on the technical standpoints of nursing, rather than the theoretical and academic aspects of nursing usually covered in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. ADN students will have to accomplish some fundamental prerequisites before taking nursing curriculum, such as courses in writing, social science, history, etc. Nursing-specific module will likely enfold such topics as anatomy and physiology, chemistry, biology, family health, pediatric and geriatric medicine, pharmacology, psychology and mental health. State Boards of Nursing in each state regulate which programs are customary for that state. Upon achievement of a state certified curriculum of study, the nursing candidate will need to pass the NCLEX, or the National Council Licensure Examination. Fortuitously, most of the two-year courses for an ADN are geared en route for helping graduates to pass the NCLEX. With the existing high exigency for nurses, employment for someone with an associate degree in nursing and a bona fide nursing license is virtually guaranteed. The nurse may also choose to work in a specialized medical field, such as pediatrics, geriatrics,…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    To obtain a Nursing Degree one can start at the LVN or go all the way to a PHD in nursing. This paper will focus on the abilities or competencies of a prepared Associate Degree nurse, and the abilities or competencies of a Baccalaureate Degree Nurse. This is a hot topic now and has been for many years. I have been hearing for many years that ADN will be phased out, and only BSN will be used in the future. The time period in which to mandate this event is governed differently by the state where the nurse works. There are catchy phrases out there like BNS in 10, or BSN by 2020. “As of 2010, at least 18 states, including New York, New Jersey, were considering BSN in 10 legislation.” (nursing link 2011, 07.)…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    ADN VS.BSN Degree

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Nursing education encompasses a vast continuum. Within the undergraduate subdivision, there are two preparatory levels of nursing education: Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN). Although the underlying philosophies of patient-centered care and compassion remain consistent between both degree-levels, there are distinctions pertaining to clinical decision-making and care delivery. Major differences in competency of critical thinking and problem solving skills, evidence-based practice and clinical judgment, exist between nurses prepared at the associate-degree level and baccalaureate degree level, thus proportionally affecting patient outcomes.…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The difference between a baccalaureate and associates degree program may seem obscure at first, but looking into the information and research that students learn in a four year program verses a three year program can be shocking. When looking into the core requisites needed to graduate with a bachelors verses an associates, some obvious differences are the higher levels of English, math, communication, and pathophysiology required to graduate with a BSN. Also, the higher level course work required to complete a bachelors shows the necessity of critical thinking and research a nurse needs to even graduate. Once past the prerequisites required for a bachelor’s in nursing we have to exam the nursing course work itself. As stated before,…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ADN vs BSN

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Now more than ever, nurses are faced with the daily challenges of caring for higher acuity patients. In order to meet this need, nurses must be more highly educated to be able to effectively manage patient care. The Institute of Medicine (IOM), states, “As patient needs and care environments have become more complex, nurses need to attain requisite competencies to deliver high-quality care. These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, and teamwork and collaboration, as well as competency in specific content areas such as community and public health and geriatrics. Nurses also are being called upon to fill expanding roles and to master technological tools and information management systems while collaborating and coordinating care across teams of health professionals. To respond to these increasing demands, the IOM committee calls for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and suggests that they be educated in new ways that better prepare them to meet the needs of the population.” ("Future of Nursing," 2010, p. 2).…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This paper’s the focus will be on the differences in associate degree nursing (ADN and baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) competencies, based on educational preparation. Highly qualified nurses are required by most of the health care system, in the United States (US) Magnet hospitals, have require all nurse managers and nurses leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013. (Citation). This writer intents to analyze similarities and differences between ADN and BSN degrees, the ADN is an attractive option for many, due to shortened program, time and the reduce tuition rate; baccalaureate nursing program have additional classes in humanities, sciences and expanded nursing coursework. Additional classes in community health nursing, nursing management and research enables the BSN nurse to be prepared for broader scope of practice (citation). By the end of this paper the reader we will be able to differentiate the two educational levels based on a patient care scenario, which demonstrates why higher education is recommended for nurses.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The educational levels of the ADN and the BSN differ drastically, they can last anywhere from two to four years in length and focus on many different aspects of the nursing profession, but they all are geared toward the same outcome, optimal care of the patient. In the two year ADN program, the RN is focused on hands on skills. It focuses on the RN mastering the technical part of the profession. In other words it is focused on direct, hands on patient care. Not too much attention is focused on the theoretical or scientific background. “The intent was the nurses with associate degrees would work under the direction of the nurses with the bachelor’s degrees” (Conceptual Foundations, 2011). These nurses were meant for bedside nursing role in the profession.…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In recent years a movement has been emerging in more and more hospitals and health care facilities to hire nurses with BSN degrees. In addition, many health care employers are requiring, or at least urging, their current staff to earn higher degrees. This movement gained momentum following a study released by the Institute of Medicine in October 2010 recommending “increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the workforce to 80% and doubling the population of nurses with doctorates” to meet the demands of the evolving health care system (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014, para. 5). In addition, the AACN stated that positive patient outcomes are increased with the care of nurses educated at a BSN or graduate level. Employers say they want to ensure their staff is equipped to meet the increasing health care demands (Trossman, 2012, para. 1). This can cause some confusion amongst those who believe that an RN is and RN, but there are many routes to earning the title of registered nurse. Nursing students who have graduated from diploma, ADN, and BSN programs all sit for the same NCLEX-RN licensing exam, but are they all equally equipped to practice? (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014). Does staffing with high percentage of BSN educated nurses really lead to a safer patient environment?…

    • 955 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics