Competencies In Nursing Essay

Differences in Competencies in Nursing

In today’s healthcare system, nurses play an integral part in the delivery of care and are a strong workforce within this system. Nurses are not only part of the healthcare team but also are leaders in healthcare change (Hassmiller, 2010). The passing of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is drastically changing the healthcare delivery system (Hassmiller, 2010). Nurses need to recognize and understand that collectively they have a significant impact on healthcare. Nurses are a part of the solution to achieve improved patient outcomes, patient safety, and cost effectiveness (Hassmiller, 2010). Education is key to the development of strong nursing leaders and care givers (Hassmiller, 2010).

There are two education pathways into this rapidly expanding profession: a three-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program and a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Graduates from both programs are prepared to sit for the same NCLEX-RN licensing examination. It has been identified that education does make a difference in not how nurses pass this test, but in how nurses practice.

According to the American Association of College Nursing fact sheet "The Impact of Education of Nursing Practice", baccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in an ADN programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities." Higher education does make a difference in the way nurses approach caring for patients at the bedside and positively impacting patient outcomes.

The different in preparation between a BSN and ADN prepared focuses on the in-depth of study and a range of different competencies. Some of the skills that are impacted are critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership. Proficiencies in these areas can result in better patient

outcomes.

Nursing students from either program must have the same knowledge skill set to perform tasks in all the main areas, for example: maternal-child nursing, surgical nursing, adult nursing, mental health nursing. ADN and BSN students learn the same hands-on nursing skills. BSN prepared nurses, however, learn additional technical skills. BSN programs generally have a strong emphasis on critical thinking skills performance, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership, and nursing theory.
There are several differences in competencies between an ADN and a BSN. These include, but are not limited to: decision making skills, the depth of knowledge base, as well as critical thinking abilities. As the nursing is role is becoming more complicated; strong skills are necessary for providing excellence in patient care (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, n.d.a., pp. 1,3). More than ever patients that are being admitted to hospitals have multiple commodities. When caring for a post surgical open heart patient, it takes multiple types of critical thinking skills to recognize when a patient is becoming hemodynamically unstable. Quick, crucial, and significant decisions need to be made quickly in order to turn a grave situation around. The benefits of a higher education can give a level of confidence and training to be able to manage complex situations. Leadership takes the application of critical thinking skills and a proficiency in strong decision-making to be able to delegate and manage these life-threatening situations. The BSN has the responsibility to make sure the work is complete and quality care is given. This also extends to working with multi-disciplinary teams and managing all of the care specialties. The BSN prepared nurse can meet the higher level skill set need and can offer different expertise that is needed in the profession of nursing.