Pros And Cons Of ADN Vs BSN

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

The development of ADN programs has allowed many to reach their career goals by offering a shorter and less expensive way to complete their degrees. Some believe that Associate’s degree programs lack strong nursing theory and understanding of the actual science of nursing (Auerbach, Buerhaus & Staiger,