Adn Vs. Bsn: Differences in Competencies

ADN vs. BSN: Differences in Competencies

Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V-O102

12/12/2015

ADN vs. BSN: Differences in Competencies

        Healthcare and nursing are ever changing and seem to be changing at a faster rate these days. With a worsening economy, competition for jobs only gets fiercer as well. Nurses are now expected of greater responsibilities to help advocate, protect and assist in healing with a higher level of acuity of patients with more scrutiny than ever before. As a result, employers are now looking for more efficient and well-educated employees to hire to improve patient outcomes and improve hospital costs overall. While an associate degree and a bachelor degree in nursing will both give the opportunity of obtaining an RN title after your name, what truly is the difference between the levels of programs? Our patients do not see our level of degrees marked on us but the level of education for a nurse can truly affect a patients overall outcome.

Even as early at 1899, some nursing professors believed that nurses should further their education level besides holding a diploma. University of Minnesota was the first to establish a permanent undergraduate program for nurses in 1909 opening up new opportunities to diploma holding nurses that wanted to further their education. Unfortunately at the time, these new programs were unrealistic due to the cost and amount of time needed to dedicate to the programs (Telford & Keeling, p. 10).  It was post WWII that the American Country as a whole emerged with a stronger belief in modern medicine and wanted more for themselves regarding healthcare options and education opportunities. Also, with an increase in the number of hospitals and the baby boomer population, the nursing shortage was in full effect. With this need at an all time high for nurses, programs were encouraged to create new entry-level programs for nurses; which ultimately created the ADN program in 1951 with thanks to the nurse educator, Mildred Montag. Even today, ADN programs are the main point of entry into nursing and provide the most diverse graduation population (Telford & Keeling, p. 13).

While ADN degrees were originally supposed be a means to an end during post WWII era, studies are now proving better patient outcomes due to level of education differences between an ADN and BSN. It is true that associate degree, baccalaureate degree, and diploma graduates may all sit for the same NCLEX exam, it does not mean all entry-level nurses are created equally. Per the American Association of Colleges of Nursing fact sheet, “Research has shown that lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors, and positive outcomes are all linked to nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate degree levels” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, p.1). A study that came out in an issue of Medical Care in October of 2014, found that an increase as little as ten percent of baccalaureate level nurses in hospital units had an outcome of lowering patients mortality rates by 10.9% alone. The same study went on to note that increasing the amount of baccalaureate nurses to 80% would not only lower readmission rates but shorten patient lengths of stay as well. These outcomes alone could mean huge savings for hospitals. Which would then provide more than enough extra expenses for hiring baccalaureate level nurses in hospital settings. Proving that further education comes deeper understanding of our currently growing population of patients that only grow in complexity as well due to progression in modern medicine. Numerous of these emerging studies are now promoting employers to gravitate to nurses with that of baccalaureate and graduate degree levels verse associate level nurses.  (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, p 2-3).