The education preparation about the competencies between associate degree nurse verse baccalaureate degree nurse. If we take the length of the study associate degree program takes 2 years and the baccalaureate degree program is four years. And Students who completed both program will take the NCLEX and become registered nurse, that doesn’t mean that the level is the same. Students finished the two years program and passed the licensing exam (AND) is prepared for secondary nursing care and competent for bedside care where as BSN prepare professional nurse generalist for acute care setting, community-based practice, and beginning leadership /management positions (Friberg p 30). when they take NCLEX both degree levels that is to test the minimum requirement how they are competent to practice safely in nursing field. The American association college of nursing in October 2010 reported that the importance of knowledge and competencies in nursing, state that “to the demand of an evolving health care system and meet the changing needs of patients, nurses must achieve higher levels of education.
” Past, nurse held diploma and associate to work as a nurse in hospitals, whereas now nurse expected to have baccalaureate to be hire in hospitals. That means those we have the diploma and associate degree nurses need to upgrade to work hospitals and maintain the quality patient care and advocate the patients. The education level the associate level to the baccalaureate is if I take mine, baccalaureate course encompasses what all I took in the associate degree and on top of that add 36 credits course which are professional dynamics, family centered health promotion, health assessment, concepts in community and public health, applied statics for health care professionals, introduction to nursing research , ethical and spiritual decision making in health care, nursing leadership and management, pathophysiology and nursing management of clients’ health , trends and issues in health care and professional capstone and practicum(grand canyon university program of study) to get my BSN.The curriculum of ADN is focus on according to the patients’ health status and need, that is more of technical in nature and task oriented. Nurses need to be prepared for leadership roles to build effective health care team by using proper delegation and collaboration. baccalaureate prepared for decision making, have knowledge and combined assessment skills and advanced knowledge and information during their four years study periods, like good critical thinking skills, provide quality care and advocate the patients, and they have many different approach to solve or manage problems and also there are theory use in nursing based on evidence research.
whereas AND lacks those critical thinking skills and advanced level solutions. Competencies of associate degree nurse is more of technical skill or task- oriented in nature secondary care settings. AND is accountable for his/her own task and the staff he/she which delegate the task.
