Associate Degree Nursing An associate degree nurse can be defined as a nurse with two to three years nursing training, usually at a community college. A graduate of this program is qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), to become a registered nurse (RN). Differences in Competences of ADN VS. BSN Nurse

There have been studies that showed that investments in highly qualified and educated nurses produce better patient outcomes.

A study of Magnet hospitals in Pennsylvania with higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses revealed that patients in magnet hospitals had lower rate of inpatient death within 30 days and lower odds of failure-to-rescue compared with patients cared for in non-Magnet hospitals (Mc Hugh et al.,
2012).Other studies observed the consequence of nursing practice; skills on cancer patients going through surgery showed that the educational level of a nurse has a vital impact on patient health. The BSN nurses were linked with lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates confirming the view that if a higher proportion of staff nurses have at least a baccalaureate-level education; this would have a positive effect on a patient outcome, and will also reduce their stay in the hospital.

ASSOCIATE NURSE VS. BACCALAUREATE NURSE

Patient Case Scenario

Using a patient case scenario, a known male hypertensive (high blood pressure) patient on medical floor may be reported by a medical assistant to have an elevated blood pressure after consuming 2 cups of coffee and have an argument with a family member. The ADN nursemaid repeat the BP and then proceed to medicate the patient while the BSN nurse may question and assess the patient further, taking into consideration his stressful situation and the stimulant he had just consumed.

Furthermore, the ADN programs generally concentrate on learning the technical aspects of nursing suitable to providing appropriate care to patients and families. The Associate degree nursing students learn skills required to care of individuals and families during illness, because they usually practice a more restricted level of nursing care. This may make their nursing skills limited to direct hands-on patient care in the hospitals and community health facilities. This view may also make the BSN prepared nurse inadequate in the clinical hands on skills. The Associate degree nursing programs only teach fundamentals of leadership roles needed for Supervision and it does not prepare their nurses for graduate studies, that is, any associate degree nurse who is interested in pursuing a graduate degree must first complete a baccalaureate degree. Another point is that, at some point in one’s nursing career, one might decide to change his or her area of practice, a BSN program have a more direct and shorter route to attain ones overall goal. The BSN offers more flexibility in education to pursue expertize in various types of nursing care and in a variety of settings within the health care. In a patient care situation, baccalaureate nurses are usually acquainted with the use of evidence based practice as their ASSOCIATE NURSE VS. BACCALAUREATE NURSE

5tool in making decision, while associate degree nurses use critical thinking skills sometimes without evidence based practice. Both the BSN nurse and the ADN nurse is expected to function as an initiator and carry out their task as leaders in promoting nursing as a profession and in collaboration with other allied professionals (Poster, 2001).In conclusion, the answer to the question, both the BSN and ADN nurses are reducing the nursing shortages and they all play a vital role within the healthcare team. In order to elevate the nursing profession, it is important to encourage continuing education for all nurses at all levels. The focus of healthcare should always be patient safety first and it is important to work in collaborations. As for "What is the difference between an ADN and BSN nurse?" to many of our patients “a nurse is a nurse” the patient will remember the caring nurse long after discharge not the qualification. The qualification may differentiate the BSN and the ADN nurse but when it comes to patient’s safety, there should be no difference. We should ask ourselves, "What do we intend to achieve as nurses upon graduation, in five and ten years from now? We must think of our long term goals, our age, and interests, shortage of nurses and socio-economics issues that are often in the ways of many who become great nurses. Education and experience are great tools that help our society to educate nurses with a greater ability.