The Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level in nursing
Mini Anthony
Grand Canyon University: NRS 430v Professional Dynamics 01/08/11
The Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the associate-degree level versus the baccalaureate-degree level in nursing The nursing training or education started in 1860, after the Crimean war. This program was started by Florence Nightingale, based on her experience caring for the sick and injured soldiers during the war. The first nursing school was established in London. During the United States civil war, the American women proved the capability of skilled nursing to provide better care for the sick and injured in the war. There was decrease in morbidity and mortality in the war camps. This motivated the women in the United States to form training schools for nurses based on the nightingale model (Woolsey, 1950; Dock, 1907). In the year1923 there was a recommendation, that the entry level of education for a professional nurse be a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. As the years passed there was a severe shortage of nurses, to compensate this Mildred Montag, in the year 1951, found the Associate Degree in Nursing program. Associate degree nursing was a two year program. As the Associate Degree nursing flourished, the diploma education in nursing started to disappear. Associate degree programs produced more graduate nurses, than the Bachelor of Science and diploma nursing. Both associate degree graduate and baccalaureate degree graduate take the same NCLEX board exam for licensing and enter the same job. The fast growing complex health care and broadening clinical knowledge are forcing nurses have educational preparation appropriate to the various demands. Since health