ADN Vs. BSN Critical Thinking Skills
ADN vs BSN Critical Thinking Skills
There are a lot of options when choosing a nursing career, you can either obtain bachelors (BSN) or associates degree (ADN). An ADN nurse will be able to complete all clinical skills without difficulty but struggle when it comes to conceptual and theoretical approaches to patient care. BSN nurses are able to perform all clinical skills and demonstrate excellent critical thinking skills. BSN prepared nurses perform better in professional leadership roles.
ADN education for nurses started as part of an experimental project in the 1950s. In her doctoral dissertation, Mildred Montag recommended educating a technical nurse for two years to assist the professional nurse, who would be bachelor …show more content…
prepared. Mildred believed this would help with the nursing shortage due to the decreased amount of time spent in school. In order to decrease the time spent in school these nurses focused more on the clinical skills aspect of nursing and not the conceptual and theoretical approach to patient care. One of the many challenges when creating this program was not what to include, but what could be left out. According to a study ADN prepared nurses lack the same critical thinking skills that a BSN prepared nurse. (AACN) One of the competencies reviewed was the Texas Model of Entry Level Competencies. The BSN competency assumes the nurse will use evidence- based studies in decision making and is also expected to act as a leader as well as promote new projects, all while promoting nursing as a profession. The ADN competency expects the nurse to use critical thinking skills without evidence based studies and is only expected to participate in, not lead, activities that promote professional nursing (Poster, 2001). This study confirms a BSN nurse performs better as a leader and the ADN nurse is more task driven.
Though there are many characterizations of critical thinking, all have the same core elements. Critical thinking is mainly characterized by knowledge, intuition, understanding of meanings, rationalization, investigation of problems, application and ability to develop and make judgments on different methods. In a study by Shin, Jung, Shin, and Kim they compared critical-thinking scores amongst senior students in BSN and ADN nursing programs. Noteworthy differences were found; the BSN scores showed better critical-thinking skills then ADN scores. The summation of the authors was that with the changes, the quick growth and complexity of patients, nursing education programs that produce better critical thinkers would become crucial. (Shin, Jung, Shin, and Kim (2006).
BSN nursing programs involve the same course work taught in ADN programs plus nursing management, a more comprehensive management of the physical and social sciences, public and community health, the humanities, and nursing research.
This additional course work helps to enhance the student’s critical thinking skills and professional development. The additional course work also helps to prepare the nurse with a better understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural issues that affect patients. In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine released its a report on The Future of Nursing, initiated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the report called for increasing the number of BSN-prepared nurses in the workforce to 80% by 2020. Magnet hospitals are known for excellent patient outcomes and nursing excellence. Magnet Hospitals have now began requiring all nurse leaders and nurse managers to have a BSN or graduate degree in nursing by 2013. There is now data that supports better patient outcomes and considerably lower mortality rates come from having more practicing BSN nurses in health care facilities. …show more content…
(AACN).
As an ADN nurse if the patient were to have renal failure the nurse would go directly to monitoring intake and output, administering medications, nutrition changes and obtaining labs, very task focused. ADN nurses complete the tasks at hand and treat the symptom. A BSN nurse with the same renal failure patient would perform the same duties but would also interpret the labs and look at what caused the renal failure and can that be treated. Does the patient have other chronic disease that need to be addressed in order to treat the renal failure, what medications does the patient take and should any of those be discontinued. BSN nurses have established the critical thinking to look further then the symptom alone.
Associate degree nursing programs have progressed into a large part of nursing education, and with recent changes to the course many have become an even more valuable asset.
With ongoing course assessment, respect and encouragement from nursing leadership, ADN programs will for many years to come continue to assist entry into professional practice as a nurse. In conclusion a BSN nurse is better prepared for critical thinking and professional leadership nursing and ADN prepared nurses are great clinical nurses but may struggle with critical thinking and professional leadership. Education must move onward to emphasis the importance of developing a superior educated professional, to their best ability, at all degree levels. With this partnership, we can generate a brighter outlook for
nursing.
References
Shin K., Jung D., Shin S., Kim M. (2006). Critical thinking dispositions and skills of senior nursing students in associate, baccalaureate, and RN-to-BSN programs. Journal of Nursing Education, 45 (6), 233–237.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)| The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. (2012, October 24). Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education
FAQ. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/FAQs.aspx#def
Nursing Theories (n.d.). Metaparadigm In Nursing. Retrieved December 20, 2013, from http://nursingtheories.info/category/metaparadigm-in-nursing/
Poster, E., Adams, P., Clay, C., Garcia, B. R., Hallman, A., Jackson, B., Klotz. L., Lumpkins, R., Reid, H., Sanford, P., Slatton, K., & Yuill, N. (2001). The Texas model of differentiated entry-level competencies of graduates of nursing programs.
Nursing Education Perspectives, 26, 18-21.
There are a lot of options when choosing a nursing career, you can either obtain bachelors (BSN) or associates degree (ADN). An ADN nurse will be able to complete all clinical skills without difficulty but struggle when it comes to conceptual and theoretical approaches to patient care. BSN nurses are able to perform all clinical skills and demonstrate excellent critical thinking skills. BSN prepared nurses perform better in professional leadership roles.
ADN education for nurses started as part of an experimental project in the 1950s. In her doctoral dissertation, Mildred Montag recommended educating a technical nurse for two years to assist the professional nurse, who would be bachelor …show more content…
prepared. Mildred believed this would help with the nursing shortage due to the decreased amount of time spent in school. In order to decrease the time spent in school these nurses focused more on the clinical skills aspect of nursing and not the conceptual and theoretical approach to patient care. One of the many challenges when creating this program was not what to include, but what could be left out. According to a study ADN prepared nurses lack the same critical thinking skills that a BSN prepared nurse. (AACN) One of the competencies reviewed was the Texas Model of Entry Level Competencies. The BSN competency assumes the nurse will use evidence- based studies in decision making and is also expected to act as a leader as well as promote new projects, all while promoting nursing as a profession. The ADN competency expects the nurse to use critical thinking skills without evidence based studies and is only expected to participate in, not lead, activities that promote professional nursing (Poster, 2001). This study confirms a BSN nurse performs better as a leader and the ADN nurse is more task driven.
Though there are many characterizations of critical thinking, all have the same core elements. Critical thinking is mainly characterized by knowledge, intuition, understanding of meanings, rationalization, investigation of problems, application and ability to develop and make judgments on different methods. In a study by Shin, Jung, Shin, and Kim they compared critical-thinking scores amongst senior students in BSN and ADN nursing programs. Noteworthy differences were found; the BSN scores showed better critical-thinking skills then ADN scores. The summation of the authors was that with the changes, the quick growth and complexity of patients, nursing education programs that produce better critical thinkers would become crucial. (Shin, Jung, Shin, and Kim (2006).
BSN nursing programs involve the same course work taught in ADN programs plus nursing management, a more comprehensive management of the physical and social sciences, public and community health, the humanities, and nursing research.
This additional course work helps to enhance the student’s critical thinking skills and professional development. The additional course work also helps to prepare the nurse with a better understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural issues that affect patients. In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine released its a report on The Future of Nursing, initiated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the report called for increasing the number of BSN-prepared nurses in the workforce to 80% by 2020. Magnet hospitals are known for excellent patient outcomes and nursing excellence. Magnet Hospitals have now began requiring all nurse leaders and nurse managers to have a BSN or graduate degree in nursing by 2013. There is now data that supports better patient outcomes and considerably lower mortality rates come from having more practicing BSN nurses in health care facilities. …show more content…
(AACN).
As an ADN nurse if the patient were to have renal failure the nurse would go directly to monitoring intake and output, administering medications, nutrition changes and obtaining labs, very task focused. ADN nurses complete the tasks at hand and treat the symptom. A BSN nurse with the same renal failure patient would perform the same duties but would also interpret the labs and look at what caused the renal failure and can that be treated. Does the patient have other chronic disease that need to be addressed in order to treat the renal failure, what medications does the patient take and should any of those be discontinued. BSN nurses have established the critical thinking to look further then the symptom alone.
Associate degree nursing programs have progressed into a large part of nursing education, and with recent changes to the course many have become an even more valuable asset.
With ongoing course assessment, respect and encouragement from nursing leadership, ADN programs will for many years to come continue to assist entry into professional practice as a nurse. In conclusion a BSN nurse is better prepared for critical thinking and professional leadership nursing and ADN prepared nurses are great clinical nurses but may struggle with critical thinking and professional leadership. Education must move onward to emphasis the importance of developing a superior educated professional, to their best ability, at all degree levels. With this partnership, we can generate a brighter outlook for
nursing.
References
Shin K., Jung D., Shin S., Kim M. (2006). Critical thinking dispositions and skills of senior nursing students in associate, baccalaureate, and RN-to-BSN programs. Journal of Nursing Education, 45 (6), 233–237.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)| The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. (2012, October 24). Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education
FAQ. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/FAQs.aspx#def
Nursing Theories (n.d.). Metaparadigm In Nursing. Retrieved December 20, 2013, from http://nursingtheories.info/category/metaparadigm-in-nursing/
Poster, E., Adams, P., Clay, C., Garcia, B. R., Hallman, A., Jackson, B., Klotz. L., Lumpkins, R., Reid, H., Sanford, P., Slatton, K., & Yuill, N. (2001). The Texas model of differentiated entry-level competencies of graduates of nursing programs.
Nursing Education Perspectives, 26, 18-21.