Since the inception of the Associate Degree in Nursing there has been research and discussion as to whether this degree should continue. This is due to the adversity in the level of competency between the two. Current popular thought is that the entry-level into nursing should be the Bachelor of Science in nursing bringing the increase in the complexity of the medical arena and its every changing makeup to the professional level of the Baccalaureate Degree. It has been shown that a nurse’s level of education can become a major factor to the safety and quality of care of their patients because of this there has been an increase in studies over the years that directly examine patient outcomes in similar situations between Associate Degree Nursing (AD) and Baccalaureate Degree Nursing further know as (BSN) (Fagin, 2001) The states of New York and Texas conducted separate studies that were done in the year 1996. Both of these studies agree on the point that there is a significantly higher degree in levels of medication errors and procedural mistakes made by nurses that are from AD Degree and Diploma Degree nurses as compared to that of a BSN Nurse and AD degree nurses were destined to be charged nine times more often with violations than those with a BSN degree. These results are equivalent with the results disclosed in the July/August 2002 issue of Nurse Educator magazine (Fagin, 2002, para. 50). Research has also shown that when you have a shortage of registered nurses at the baccalaureate and higher degree it is endangering the safety of the patient. Comparatively in a study done at the University of Pennsylvania they found that patients experienced a significantly lower death and failure to re... ... middle of paper ... ...When Care Becomes a Burden: Diminishing access to adequate nursing. Retrieved from Milbank Memorial Fund: http://www.milbank.org/reports/WhenCareBecomesBurden_Fagin.pdf Giger, J. N., & Davidhizar, R. E. (2006, December 22). Conceptual and theoretical approaches to patient care: associate versus baccalaureate degree prepared nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15, 1009 - 1015. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1990.tb01980.x Green, (1996). (Survey). State Education Department/University of the State of New York Johnson, J. H. (1988). Differences in the performance of baccalaureate, associate degree and diploma nurses. Research in Nursing and Health, 11, 183-197. Rosseter, R. J. (2010, March 18). Fact Sheet: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice (Fact Sheet). Retrieved from American Association of Colleges of Nurses: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media/pdf/EdImpact.pdf
Taylor, D. (2008). Should the entry into nursing practice be the baccalaureate degree?. AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-620. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2007.07.006
The topic of "ADN versus BSN" is one that has plagued the nursing profession for decades. Does a nurse’s level of education really matter? Can ADN nursing graduates perform their duties as well as BSN graduates? These are the types of questions that continue to be debated by policymakers, educational organizations and associations, and the general public. This may be because nurses are now one of the least educated health care roles when compared to other health care professions that are now requiring bachelor degrees or higher for entry. A more likely reason is undoubtedly due to the growing body of evidence suggesting that BSN graduates are more prepared when entering the workforce than their ASN counterparts. These findings have made some hospitals decide to only hire BSN prepared graduates or higher. Linda Aiken, director of the center for health outcomes and research at Penn State, recently stated "the evidence base is growing, and a number of hospitals are acting on it” (Burling, 2010). If employers prefer BSN prepared nurses, why don’t more of them offer pay differentials or other incentives to return to school? The answer to that question is still unknown. The Veterans Administration (VA) is one exception. The VA leads the country in employing the most registered nurses according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2011). The VA made the decision a decade ago to establish the BSN as a requirement for new hires. The VA devoted $50 million in approximately five-years to help
Taylor, D. L. (2008). Should the Entry Into Nursing Practice be the Baccalaureate Degree? AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-619.
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster health and prevent disease.
..., R.M. & Jones, J.R. (2010). From practice to education: Perspectives from three nurse leaders. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(2), 83-87. doi: 10.3928/00220124-20100126-0
Nursing, as a crucial part of the health care system, keeps evolving while dealing with an increasingly complex clinical situation that involves quality of patient care. Therefore, to successfully handle these scenarios, nursing needs to become more advanced, clinically and academically. A DNP degree is needed in this situation because according to Dunbar- Jacob, Navito & Khalil (2013), a DNP degree is considered to have more impact on nursing than a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree due to the advanced clinical education a DNP provides (p. 425). Hence, the DNP degree has an enormous impact in nursing practice especially in terms of improving clinical care, promoting leadership roles, and improving educational status.
The shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States has been a cyclical topic dating back to the 1960s. Only recently have employers in certain regions of the nation stated a decline in the demand for RNs. Consequently, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014) report on 2012-2013 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, American nursing schools denied admission to 79,659 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2012. The reported decrease in job availability and rejected admissions has left many individuals to question if the nursing shortage still exists. On the other hand, some experts project that the United States will be short more than one million RNs by 2020 (Dolan, 2011). Although some parts of the country are in less of a demand than others, it is undeniable that there is a national shortage of RNs.
In fact, Researchers had shown the results of outcomes having different degrees of level. According to AACN, Today 61% Nurses in the United States have a BSN degree who works in health settings. In fact, BSN nurses reduce death rate mortality, and readmission rate by using clinical practice knowledge (AACN) . Having advance level of knowledge involves nurses to manage the patient level of care and monitor for progress. American Organization of Nurses Executives states that nurses who have a higher education level promotes safe nursing care and improves patient safety. Higher educational nurses prepare herself for clinical challenging and complex roles (AACN, page 1). They develop more ideas, better intervention, and focus more on clinical
Higher education is a highly encouraged aspect in today’s society. The higher degree a person has, the more knowledgeable they are said to be. The education and degree that a registered nurse acquires affects not only the nurse, but their patients and their fellow coworkers as well. It is crucial to consider how different education levels of registered nurses will impact the patients, the nurse, the medical field, and the view on nurses as a whole. A nurse with a BSN rather than an ADN could perhaps provide more knowledgeable care that is consistent with the advances of today’s society. With our society and technologies always advancing and changing, it is safe to assume that a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree should be the required level of education for a registered nurse.
Nursing leaders nationwide believe that it is important for nurses with an Associate Degree to return to school to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) education within 10 years of graduation from an Associate Degree program to keep their licensure. The reason why this bill is passed is because of patient safety. Nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) have lower mortality rates in surgery department, less incidences, and better outcomes in the acute care settings which are heavily emphasized in the Affordable Care Act necessary for payment reimbursement (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2014). This bill A01977/S02533A was introduced in January 27, 2012 in the state of New York. At the same time the state of New Jersey also introduced similar bill A553. This author will represent one of the registered nurses with an Associate Degree who is going back for their BSN education to see the effectiveness of the bill on the healthcare system and therefore supports the bill.
Nurses want to give complete and quality care, but are unable to, due to the constant needs of their workload and inadequate staffing. They have to prioritize their patients needs based on the most critical treatments first. Then whatever time is left, they fill in what treatments they can. Some reasons that nursing treatments are missed include: too few staff, time required for the nursing intervention, poor use of existing staff resources and ineffective delegation.” (Kalisch, 2006) Many nurses become emotionally stressed and unsatisfied with their jobs. (Halm et al., 2005; Kalisch,
Patient’s safety will be compromised because increase of patient to nurse ratio will lead to mistakes in delivering quality care. In 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted a metanalysis and found that “shortage of registered nurses, in combination with increased workload, poses a potential threat to the quality of care… increases in registered nurse staffing was associated with a reduction in hospital-related mortality and failure to rescue as well as reduced length of stay.” Intense workload, stress, and dissatisfaction in one’s profession can lead to health problems. Researchers found that maintaining and improving a healthy work environment will facilitate safety, quality healthcare and promote a desirable professional avenue.
There are various incentives and disincentives for practicing nurses to continue their formal education. Dr. Tanya Altmann, Sacramento State University Associate Professor, published a meta-analysis of ten studies of the concerns faced by diploma nurses (DN) and associates degree nurses (ADN) about pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Nursing is a knowledge-based discipline. Continuing education is essential for to keep nursing as a profession. Continuing education will enhance knowledge, to provide an optimum care for the patient. To strengthen the base of nursing obtaining BSN will provide you with in –depth knowledge of better skills for decisions making, planning and evaluating patient’s outcome. Patient care is the main key component of the nursing practice. Emphases on higher education will helps in advanced nursing provide nurses with critical skills for complex patients, good communication and leadership skills to best outcome of the patent. Research has shown that nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate degree level can lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors,
Community Colleges offering Associates Degrees in Nursing appear to see that graduates of these programs are being placed in nursing roles that ...