Facilitator:
Associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level in nursing
Associate degree level (ADN) in nursing is a concentrated two-year program that includes a combination of sciences, liberal arts, and more focused nursing courses. It takes a shorter time and it focuses on underserved victims in the society. The baccalaureate-degree level (BSN) is a more advanced level in nursing that compliments the nursing field as a whole and encompasses all aspects of nursing like first aid, treatment, and chronic handling (Hamilton, 2008). It aims at serving the whole population and not the people who lack the services. The associate degree level and the baccalaureate degree level differ in a number of ways. The paper examines the differences in quality and competence between the two levels by exploring various elements that differentiate BSN from ADN.
Initially, the baccalaureate degree level is more comprehensive than the associate degree level making the baccalaureate degree level more competent than the associate degree level. The areas that ADN covers form a section of the overall course that the BDN covers. This means that some of the areas covered in BSN are overlooked in ADN. Accordingly, the nurses with the ADN education lack capacity of tackling some procedures that can be executed by individuals who studies BSN. For example, in a case where a patient suffers from an instant cardiovascular attack, the ADN nurse is likely to regard the case as purely heart due to the limited knowledge of other conditions that have the potential of causing such a condition. However, a BSN nurse is likely to evaluate the case from a diverse perspective. For example, he or she may attempt to address nutritional problems that majorly caused the attack and account for other factors such as mental issues.
Another aspect that makes BSN more comprehensive than the ADN is the length of time that each program takes. BSN has a diverse curriculum thus learning this course takes longer than ADN as the candidate is required to cover numerous nursing concepts (Laibach, 2006). In reference to the case highlighted above where a patient has a cardiovascular attack, a freshly graduated nurse in the ADN is likely to panic due to little experience in dealing with the emergency cases. However, a freshly graduated nurse in the BSN will not panic because they have longer and more sustained experience, as the course is more inclusive and practical.
The curriculum specification also makes the decision making of the people who come through the two programs to differ intensely. In most cases, the ADN emphasizes on the theoretical modeling of the nursing students. This program subjects students to less practical and stress-free work hence they develop low skills in making pressure-motivated decisions. On the other hand, BSN emphasizes on the boot camp nurse training where the nurses make decisions under pressure and intense situations. This gives nurses the practical proficiency and the ability to make decisions faster than the ADN level nurses (Waugh, 2007). In the case above, where a patient has a cardiovascular failure, BSN nurses are likely to make their decisions faster and more precisely, than the ADN nurses hence the chances of survival under the BSN nurses are higher.
In conclusion, the ADN level nurses and the BSN level nurses differ in competence on various fronts occasioned by the fact that the training undertaken differs in both cases. The BSN nurses make decisions faster, have more complex and inclusive training and can diversify their skills in case of nursing emergencies. However, the ADN level nurses have narrower knowledge, low experience as the training takes shorter time, and are poorly skilled in making pressurized decisions.
References
Hamilton, B. F. (2008). Attributes most indicative of chief executive officer and chief nursing officer caring in a for-profit healthcare setting. (Order No. 3354217, University of Phoenix). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 153-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304315997?accountid=45049. (304315997).
Laibach, C. (2006). The relationship between social support and academic achievement in registered nursing education students. (Order No. 3286746, Dowling College). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 156-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304913184?accountid=45049. (304913184).
Waugh, K. M. (2007). The perception of transformational leadership and the critical care nursing shortage: A phenomenological study. (Order No. 3277197, University of Phoenix). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 169-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304736944?accountid=45049. (304736944).
