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Adn vs Bsn Educational Preparation for Nursing

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It has been close to 50 years ago, in 1965, since the American Nurse's Association (ANA) released a position paper stating that the "minimum preparation for beginning professional nursing practice should be baccalaureate degree education in nursing" (as cited in American Nurses Association, n.d.), and this statement is consistently reaffirmed by the organization in 1978 and 1985 (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Opponents to this position argue, that graduates of Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs and Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs have been shown that they have the same skill levels (Smith, 2002). Is this true? In brief, no. Their basic technical skills upon graduation are the same, but their competencies vary significantly (Gondeck, 2011).
At the forefront, it should be understood that an ADN is not comparable to a generic Associates degree obtained from a Community College or similar venue. It is "a cut above" the standard associates degree. I have had people inquire about becoming a nurse, and I ensure they are aware that comprehension in nursing classes is different from other college classes where you can read the chapter summary and be happy with a "C". In nursing courses, a student must have read and understood all the assigned readings. If you don't, no big deal, right? Wrong! It could be someone's life down the road. Our instructors drilled that into us throughout our ADN classes. The instructors knew that more was on the line than a student's feelings. Individuals who have earned an ADN have put in the blood, sweat and tears that is equivalent to a standard Bachelors' degree and their effort should not be diminished in any way. However, a BSN is not a standard Baccalaureate degree. The BSN is needed to build the elementary skills developed in an ADN into the competency required in today's complex acute

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