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Controversy about Nursing Education: BSN versus ADN DSN vs “To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse. ” -Rawsi Williams Nursing is a profession that takes a lot of passion and dedication to what you do. It is very important to be physically and mentally prepared to the career in nursing. The profession of nursing is a combination of art and science, where a nurse develops an appropriate relationship with the patient, the physician, and the whole health team.
There are two major educational paths to registered nursing: a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), and an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN). Nursing students’ duty is to analyze advantages and disadvantages of both programs and decide which level of education meets their needs and ambitions. The educational journey of students pick depends upon their goals, abilities, finance, and their career plans. Different Approaches to Nursing Education For the last several decades there have been so many debates regarding an entry level requirement for professional nursing practice.
Opponents of two types of licensure say that there is no difference in NCLEX performance between ADN and BSN students. They also state that the NCLEX checks only the technical knowledge and skills for safe nursing practice (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 1994). Regardless of educational background the nurse with ADN, Just like A BSN- prepared nurse has to have the same basic knowledge in pathophysiology in order to do a professional assessment. According to Joanne D.
Hess, MSN, RN (1996), the ADN- trained nurse administering medications to her patients should understand the side ffects to these drugs to the same degree as the BSN student. However, the BSN- prepared ones obtain upper division credit for completing the same skill. David L. Taylor (2008) found that “There is usually no distinction in pay and benefits among ADN and BSN graduates”. He thinks that “it is disservice to the patients to hire nurses with less than a bachelor’s degree. The nursing shortage should not be an excuse for that”.
Fagin and Lynaugh (1992) and Ross (1993) believe that nursing education should begin at post baccalaureate level to meet the needs of patients and ealthcare society. AORN (Statement on entry into practice. Denver, CO: AORN, Inc; 2007, p. 379) thinks there should be only one pathway for a nursing career. They believe the minimal education should become a baccalaureate degree. BSN Graduates are More Competitive Nursing is a very unique field of study in healthcare by cause of multiple educational pathways that lead to an entry level license for work.
The entry level of education for nurses has been a dilemma for nursing organizations and academics. However, nowadays more and more hospitals nationwide use baccalaureate- repared nurses as they consider them more competitive from other RNs. According to American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2012) the Tri-Council for nursing wrote a statement asking for RNS to continue their education. They state that RNs with higher level of education are needed for providing safe patient care. They think that without highly educated nurses the health of the whole nation will be in danger. Dr.
Betty Rambur and her colleagues (2003) think that in order to stabilize the work force there should be more BSN graduates. They found that nurses with BSN have a higher rate of Job satisfaction, which is essential for keeping them at work. Discussion After reviewing the articles I was able to determine that nursing was at the point where changes needed to be made in order to improve nursing practice. The majority of opponents preferred for nurses to have a higher level of education (BSN rather than ADN). They tend to think that baccalaureate students can go beyond direct care of individuals to include care of family members, communities.
Associate degree students don’t have specific nursing disciplines due to the fact that the rogram is shorter. In a nursing school I was told that BSN students are more efficient and effective than the ADN counterparts. However, I disagree. In all honesty, I don’t see the difference, even though I do understand the difference between Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree. BSN and ADN students assess patients, start IVs, pass medications, etc. I understand that BSN students have more disciplines in their courses and they may be well-rounded academically, but we all know education doesn’t always equate to intelligence.
Being more educated doesn’t always make a person a “better” nurse. In my opinion, they created an artificial class system giving BSNs more prestige. Working in a healthcare setting I noticed how many nurses are obsessed with their credentials. It seems like the more letters after our names we have, the more competitive we are, regardless of ‘Q. There are a lot of nurses with associate degree in the facility I work for. It’s a shame they cannot move to management positions, even when they are far better qualified and more intelligent than their BSN counterparts. References Hess Joanne D. 1996) Education for Entry Into Practice: An Ethical Perspective . Journal of Professional Nursing, Vol 12, 289-296 Jacobs Linda A, DiMattio Mary Jane, Bishop Tammi L, and Fields Sheldon D. (1998). The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing As an Entry-Level Requirement for Professional Nursing Practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, Vol 14, 4, pp. 225-233 Taylor David L. ( 2008). Should the Entry Into Nursing Practice Be the Baccalaureate Degree? Aorn journal, vol 87???? 611-620 Rosseter Robert J. (2012). The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. Fact sheet. Retrieved from https://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/560/10/