Educational Preparation

Educational Preparation
Nursing is a genuine work of the heart. Once a person decides on becoming a nurse, it is so apparent that each individual can be whatever type of nurse they choose to be. There are so many different avenues one can take on their journey to becoming a nurse and the type of education one receives is a much talked about and is an ongoing discussion. Many questions often arise as to whether being prepared at the Associates Degree level is sufficient or if being prepared at the Baccalaureate Level is more beneficial. Being educated on a person’s goals within nursing is the best way to decide on the path to their educational preparation. According to Nursing History, Theories, and Conceptual Models “The goal for seeking additional formal education, a BSN, is to strengthen the platform from which nurses make better decisions, plans, and evaluations of patient outcomes. In order to do that, enhanced knowledge is required.” (Hood & Leddy, 2006, para. 1) Baccalaureate prepared nurses are trained and prepared to practice in all health care settings which not only include inpatient care but also outpatient care, public health, mental health and critical care areas.
Because health care is moving into a direction of more preventative services, it is important to be BSN prepared so that the nurse is able to make quick decisions and provide well rounded and exceptional care to each patient they are in contact with. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing it states, “At increasing numbers of hospitals nationwide, baccalaureate-prepared nurses are being utilized in ways that recognize their different educational preparation and competency from other entry-level RNs.” ("A Model for Differentiated Nursing Practice," 1995, p. 26-29) With this in mind, BSN nurses are providing much more complex aspects