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Adn and Bsn from 2010

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ADN or BSN
What’s the Real Difference?
Amy Dubois
Great Bay Community College

ADN or BSN
What’s the Real Difference? The writer will briefly discuss the pros and cons of an ADN vs. BSN for entry level nursing. The primary difference in background between the 2 degrees are 3 nursing classes : nursing theory, research and finance. Many fingers point at the rapid changes and complexities in the healthcare system that have made BSN and higher degrees a more desirable title to hold. However, the associate degree of nursing curriculum provides for attainment of knowledge and skills set in the current practice of nursing, community concepts, health care delivery, critical thinking, communications, therapeutic interventions, and current trends in health care (Todd Van Wieran & Christine Reid, 2007). A big pro with the ADN is that in most places, this is the requirement. Whether there is another candidate applying for the same position with a BSN is another story. Many widely accredited nursing organizations such as the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners ( AANLCP), Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN), American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) , the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS), along with several others have all agreed on one thing. They all state “no stance advertisement about the minimal level of nursing preparation required for entry into professional practice, other than the implicit fact that they focus and represent RN practice issues i.e., diploma, associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate level nurses- and do not represent LPN issues” (Todd Van Wieran & Christine Reid, 2007). The stigma of ADN is felt throughout the healthcare community. They are thought to be the least educated out of the healthcare bunch, primarily because of the other competitive fields such as respiratory therapy or

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