Educational Preparation
Educational Preparation
Jennifer Hansel
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
May 28, 2013
Educational Preparation
The debate concerning the minimum education required by a Registered Nurse (RN) continues to be a hot topic throughout the years. There are multiple methods to achieve an RN degree. Many RN’s today have a two-year Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) issued by a Community College, or a two-year Diploma Degree issued by a hospital; however, there is a palpable push towards RN’s obtaining a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as a minimum education requirement. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is one of the leaders of the national push towards higher education, as they believe that attaining such a degree has an incredible influence on the competencies and aptitude of the practicing Registered Nurse ("Fact Sheet: The Impact," n.d.). A national sample survey of RNs done by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2008 showed that only approximately 50% of the RN workforce has a BSN or higher (“Fact Sheet: Creating,” n.d.). The basis of the argument stem from what scholars and organizations believe as the key advantages to achieving a higher degree: competencies, patient outcomes, retention and precedence.
It is no surprise that the passing rates of new nursing graduates taking the NCLEX-RN exam are the virtually the same across the board, no matter which avenue of RN degree the student may have completed. The exam merely tests for the minimum technical knowledge required for basic RN skills, which the ADN and Diploma degrees both prepare for. In addition to the groundwork that the ADN and Diploma levels provide, the BSN also includes greater emphasis on nursing management, research, humanities, public and community health, as well as physical and social sciences; all of which the NCLEX-RN does not review. It is believed that this supplemental preparation produces nurses valued for their higher-level
Jennifer Hansel
Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V
May 28, 2013
Educational Preparation
The debate concerning the minimum education required by a Registered Nurse (RN) continues to be a hot topic throughout the years. There are multiple methods to achieve an RN degree. Many RN’s today have a two-year Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) issued by a Community College, or a two-year Diploma Degree issued by a hospital; however, there is a palpable push towards RN’s obtaining a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as a minimum education requirement. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is one of the leaders of the national push towards higher education, as they believe that attaining such a degree has an incredible influence on the competencies and aptitude of the practicing Registered Nurse ("Fact Sheet: The Impact," n.d.). A national sample survey of RNs done by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2008 showed that only approximately 50% of the RN workforce has a BSN or higher (“Fact Sheet: Creating,” n.d.). The basis of the argument stem from what scholars and organizations believe as the key advantages to achieving a higher degree: competencies, patient outcomes, retention and precedence.
It is no surprise that the passing rates of new nursing graduates taking the NCLEX-RN exam are the virtually the same across the board, no matter which avenue of RN degree the student may have completed. The exam merely tests for the minimum technical knowledge required for basic RN skills, which the ADN and Diploma degrees both prepare for. In addition to the groundwork that the ADN and Diploma levels provide, the BSN also includes greater emphasis on nursing management, research, humanities, public and community health, as well as physical and social sciences; all of which the NCLEX-RN does not review. It is believed that this supplemental preparation produces nurses valued for their higher-level
References: Fact sheet: Creating a more highly qualified nursing workforce. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/NursingWorkforce.pdf Fact sheet: The impact of education on nursing practice. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/EdImpact.pdf Forster, H. (n.d.). ADN vs. BSN. Retrieved from http://nursinglink.monster.com/education/articles/3842-adn-vs-bsn Grand Canyon University College of Nursing philosophy. (2011). In P. Stoffers (Comp.), Grand Canyon University College of Nursing Philosophy (). Phoenix, AZ: Grand Canyon University. McHugh, M. D., & Lake, E. T. (2010). Understanding clinical expertise: Nurse education, experience, and the hospital context. Research in Nursing & Health, 33(4), 276-287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nur.20388