Essay about Educational Preparation

Write a formal paper (750-1,000 words) discussing the differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level in nursing. For additional help finding research on this topic, refer to the library tutorial located at in the Student Success Center. Identify a patient care situation in which you describe how nursing care or approaches to decision-making may differ based upon the educational preparation of the nurse (BSN versus a diploma or ADN degree). Introduction

Nurses are prepared in two different educational backgrounds, the baccalaureate degree level of nursing and the associate-degree level of nursing. Though they are prepared in two different settings when completion of these programs both sit for NCLEX-RN exam. The NCLEX is the state board to license and RN for competency to work as a registered nurse. There are few differences in competencies between associate- degree nurses and baccalaureate degree level nurses including their level of commitment, leadership skills and their quality of patient care.

Education is an infinite process. Every day, new developments emerge and new deceases and remedies discovered. The overall outlook of healthcare professions has dramatically changed in the past few decades. Nursing plays a very critical and important part in efficient care and patient safety. Nurses work shoulder to shoulder with physicians in treatment planning and management. Legal and ethical responsibility of the care provided is also increasingly shared by the Nurses. Nursing profession thus calls for better qualified and well groomed nurses.

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Even though associate degree programs prepare nurses for patient care in a hospital setting, that training is insufficient for a variety of nursing roles. Comparison Point one-Associate level nursing was established after World War 2 during a nursing shortage. This started at the community colleges; students would have to attend for 2 years to obtain your nursing degree. Community colleges were growing at a fast rate they were able to accept many more students than universities. Associate nurses were taught the skills of nursing to work as an RN.

One study showed that when reviewed by managers 86% of ADN nurses met or exceeded their expectation. (EEpg268) Point two Baccalaureate degree programs are help at the Universities, and students would attend these schools for four years to obtain their nursing degree. One study shows that nurses with their BSN are shown to be less task oriented, have critical thinking skills, are more professional in their role, and show more leadership skills. These nurses look at the patient as a whole and not just a list of things they need to accomplish during their day.

ADN program is designed to provide the skills and knowledge to become a compliant generalist nurse. In most cases, it is a 20 month program aimed to provide a reasonably good training for the licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) and then an immediate, decent staff position in hospitals and inpatient healthcare modern society human being, encompass extensively sophisticated requisites provoking advanced techniques of acquisition directly correlating to health care industry.

The health care is intensifying in complexity and observing beneficial amendments. The longevity and expectations have heightened thus nurses are obligate to become educated in higher echelon, the professional baccalaureate level, to comprehensively achieve composite necessities. The professional nurse who graduates with a baccalaureate is primed for broader role in numerous facet of health care in addition to global knowledge of functionality of medical system and diverse methods of application.

Enabling the application in daily patient care, the delegation of tasks, independent decision making, secure patient discharge, and numerous other aspects provoking an improvement in quality of care. 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. Education for nurses is life long process either at the bedside or school, nurses are continuously learning to meet the competencies of professional practice and growing demand of excellent care.

The difference between the nurse prepared at the associate degree level versus the baccalaureate degree level in nursing is the nurse with baccalaureate degree has the more prestigious degree and training in global aspect of health care Learning in complex systems is, itself, complex. Nonlinear systems confound attempts to develop and enforce simple models of cause and effect, and so traditional, hypothetical-deductive methods to explore cause and effect often fail.

We know that in the daily life of parenting, marital relationships, and team sports, where “continual learning and improvement” replaces “planned experiment” as an approach for gaining knowledge. Even where firm, cause-and-effect knowledge exists in science-based health care the knowledge, for example, that antibiotic A will almost always kill bacterium B the application of that knowledge runs straightaway into the messy world of complex systems.

That is, reliably getting the antibiotic safely into the body of a patient with that germ turns out to be a constant challenge as systems fail (the order got lost), unpredicted side effects occur (the patient is on an incompatible other drug), local circumstances become highly relevant (the drug is unfamiliar to the new doctor), and errors multiply (the bacteriological report was on the wrong patient). The fact is frustrating and inescapable: in health care, as in any complex enterprise, the simple, scientific facts lie fallow without continual Adaptation to local contexts.

The modern nurse who intends to improve the job effectively needs to be a master of the work So what is the difference and how will it affect the course of a career in nursing In today’s nursing world, more is expected from a nurse than following doctor’s orders and starting IVs. The nurse must be able to make critical decisions about a patient’s care, to question the doctor if orders seem inappropriate and to help the patient through, sometimes, difficult life-changing decisions.

These skills take an education that is broad based, one that includes critical thinking and exposure to many different people, thought processes, and culture and societal norms. Two year nursing programs do recognize these needs and address them as they can, requiring liberal arts classes to be taken before entering the program and teaching decision making skills along the way. At every level of nursing, the ability to connect with different people, recognize the pressures they face from their personal environment and find value in each is critical.

This is a lot to learn against a backdrop of proficiently performed procedures and giving the right medication. BSN programs offer more education aimed at developing these skills. These programs bolster knowledge about community and public health issues. There is also more attention paid to nursing management, that is, enhancing skills needed to help “direct reports” do their best work for the patient and the health care organization. Opportunity to refine patient assessment skills and examine more in depth the pathophysiology of diseases, also sets these rograms apart from their two-year program me Nurses who graduate with a BSN degree will find it easier to enter faculty teaching positions, higher level administrative roles in hospitals or other health care environments and State or Federal level government nursing jobs. And for some, these roles are more satisfying, allowing the individual to affect change at a more global level than one-on-one nursing. While it is true an experienced, talented nurse with an AS degree can move “up the ladder” into management and leadership roles, the Bachelor’s degree can make the climb a little less steep.

And, with all this said, there will always be a critical role for the nurse who works directly with the patient, teaching patients about their health care, assuring quality wound management in the hospital setting and observing patients for signs of a worsening condition. Nursing is a huge and welcoming field. It offers a satisfying career path for both AS and BSN trained nurses. Whatever path you have chosen in nursing, the essential wisdom is to continue enhancing your skills and education so that your community, your organization and your patients benefit from your broadened view of the world. Conclusion

I know personally from being an RN with my associate degree that I do think differently than other RNs. I find myself worrying a lot about the tasks that I need to finish before my shift ends and not looking at the reasons why I am doing things. I watch other RNs getting why they patient is experiencing these symptoms while I am just following orders and treating the patient. I have seen myself start critically thinking on what my patients need and asking the doctors for different things. References Conceptual foundations the bridge to professional nursing practice 5th edition 2011 American Association of college of nursing

Robert Rosseter april 2 2012The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health http://www. nap. edu/catalog/12956. html Aiken, L. H. , Cheung, R. B. & Olds, D. M. (2009, June 12). Education policy initiatives to address the nurse shortage in the United States. Health Affairs Web Exclusive. Accessed June 22, 2009 at http://content. healthaffairs. org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff. 28. 4. w646 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2009). 2008-2009 Enrollment and graduations in Baccalaureate and graduate programs in nursing. Washington, DC: Author.

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