A Comparison of Nurses Essay

A Comparison of treats Educated at the beau-Degree level versus the Baccalaureate-Degree Level A career in breast feeding has many possibilities and depending on where sensation is employed there may be different educational requirements. at that place are many deems in the workforce with only their associates story in nursing, but as time passes it seems that the baccalaureate degree is becoming more than of an expectation. This brings up the question- is there a difference in the competency of the associate-level halt from the baccalaureate-level encourage? Studies are showing that there is a difference and patient outcomes are affected by this difference.Differences between the Associate Degree in nursing and the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing In order to compare the competencies between take ups prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level, matchless must(prenominal) first compare the requirements to obtain these degrees. The Associ ates Degree in Nursing, abbreviated ADN, is a cardinal-year degree commonly earned through a community college. It requires 60 credit hours to carry out and upon completion the graduate can apply for licensure through the state in which they result practice. The Bachelors of Science in Nursing, also called BSN, is a four-year degree obtained at a university.It includes the same areas of study and has the same license upon completion of the NCLEX as the ADN nurse, but delves win into nursing possible action as well as pathophysiology and technical skills. Many employers require the bachelors degree for high positions in nursing such as clinical managers and nurse specialists. Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level As explained above the bachelors degree in nursing requires two more years of education and a much deeper study of nursing speculation and pathophysiology than the associates degree.Th e question is does this extra education and focus on nursing theory make a BSN nurse more fitted than an ADN nurse. Research suggests there is a significant effect of nurse finger and a significant effect of the percentage of BSN nurses in each infirmary (Kendall-Gallagher, Aiken, Sloane &Cimiotti, 2011) in regards to better patient outcomes. To understand the difference one must look at the basic nursing execute and how fellowship of nursing theory and pathophysiology affects it. The basic process taught in nursing school in providing patient care is assessment, project, intervention and evaluation.Assessment is one the first things a nursing student learns. The associate-level and bachelor-level nurse will both have wise(p) this skill in the very first days of nursing school. both(prenominal) nurses will also be competent with the last step, evaluation of the interventions. The proceeds a BSN nurse will have lies in the middle two steps- programme and intervention. The pl an and interventions a nurse provides is affected by their decision-making skills and this is found on their education. Plan and Intervention.To determine a patients plan of care, one looks at the abnormal assessments and then calls their knowledge of pathophysiology to determine the plan of care. While the BSN nurse will not necessarily have more clinical hours in assessing the patient, they will have taken more classes in pathophysiology than the ADN nurse and thus may notice a disease process more readily than the ADN nurse. This is where the interventions will occur. Interventions are determined by the nurse based on their decision-making skills. Decision-Making SkillsNursing is a field in which one is given a great amount of autonomy. Therefore much of a patients care is affected by a nurses decision-making skills. Ones ability to make decisions is affected by many things including past experiences, environment and education. The focus here is education and how the superflu ous study for the BSN affects nurses decision-making skills. The BSN nurse will have studied pathophysiology and nursing theory in greater depth than the ADN nurse. This extra knowledge is then use to the decisions a nurse makes for their patient.These decisions have a great impact on patient outcomes and recent studies have indicated that there is decreased morbidity, mortality, and failure-to-rescue rates in infirmarys that employ larger percentages of baccalaureate prepared nurses (Altman, 2011). Effect of baccalaureate-degree level nurses on patient outcomes In the acute situation the BSN nurse can use their knowledge of pathophysiology in addition to their decision-making skills to decrease morbidity and mortality. Taking into scotch the greater picture, a more holistic approach based on the BSN nurses familiarity with nursing theory, will improve patient outcomes.For instance lets look at a hospital inlet for a congestive heart failure exacerbation. Both the ADN and BSN nur se will assess the patient and notice classic signs like shortness of clue and edema. Both nurses will plan on diuresis and paying close economic aid to respiratory status. The difference will come with the holistic approach that a BSN nurse is more likely to take. The emphasis on the nursing theories that a BSN nurse has studied will allow them to look at the patient as a whole, rather than dealing with only stabilization of symptoms.The knowledge of nursing theory the BSN nurse has will allow them to delve further into why this patient admitted and what they can do to prevent a readmission. The BSN nurse asks questions as to what caused the exacerbation. It may be that the patient needs more direction on diet and medication compliance. They will ask the patient intimately their shoes situation. Its possible the patient is having financial burdens that have kept them from filling their prescriptions. The BSN nurse is more likely to look at the al-Qaeda situation. The patient may have depression with the diagnosis and need many resources for social support.In regards to Kings theory, nursings rudimentary goal is to help individuals maintain their health so that they can cash in ones chips in their roles (Creasia, 180). By helping the patient function in their role, the nurse empowers the patient to lead a healthier life. The patient is sent home educated with the resources needed to lead a healthy life and therefore reduces unnecessary hospital admissions. This in turn allows the space available for hospital admissions that are necessary and leads to a healthier community. REFERENCES Altmann, Tanya K. (2011).Registered nurses returning to school for abachelors degree in nursing Issues emerging from a meta-analysis of the research. Contemporary Nurse A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 39, (2) 256-72. Creasia, J Friberg, E. (2011). Conceptual Foundations The bridgework to Professional Nursing Practice. (5th Edition). St. Louis, Missouri Mosby, Inc. , an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Kendall-Gallagher, Deborah Aiken, Linda H. Sloane, Douglas M. Cimiotti, Jeannie P. (2011). Nurse Specialty Certification, convict Mortality, and Failure to Rescue. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 43, 188-94.