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Differences in Competencies

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Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate- level versus the baccalaureate-degree level
John Edgar
May 15, 2011

Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate- level versus the baccalaureate-degree level
As a registered nurse the individual has an opportunity to work with other healthcare professionals in an effort to provide quality of care to the clients they are responsible for in a variety of different settings. In an effort to provide quality of care it is important to verify that the care is delivered safely and in a manner that promotes the patients over all well-being. The question that is being asked by many in the healthcare community is whether or not the patient is best served by having the care delivered by an associate-degree nurse (ADN) or a nurse that has a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). This paper will review a few of the differences in competencies for nurses that are prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level in nursing.
There are three levels of education that will qualify an individual to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). The associate’s degree in nursing consists of two years of concentrated study focused on clinical skills in the community college setting. The diploma nursing program offers three years of nursing education focused on learning nursing skills in a hospital-based setting. In diploma nursing programs, students typically receive the most clock hours of clinical instruction. The baccalaureate degrees in nursing offer four year degrees in institutions of higher learning (Hood, 2010, p. 15). The number of diploma programs has declined steadily to less than ten percent of all basic registered nurse education programs as nursing education has shifted from hospital operated

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