educational preparation

The United States’ recognizes three traditional routes to becoming a registered nurse. These three routes consist of a diploma program, an associate degree program, and a baccalaureate degree program in which graduates of all three programs have to take the National Council Licensing Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN©) which measures competency for entry-level nursing practice (Raines & Taglaireni, 2008). From these entry-level positions, there are even more options to further nursing education, such as RN-BSN degree-completion program, master degree programs, and BSN-doctoral programs (Raines & Taglaireni, 2008). In the United States, approximately 60% of registered nurses are prepared at the associate degree level, and of these, only about 21% continue their education, even to the baccalaureate level (Stokowski, 2011).
This multiple pathway to nursing can sometimes pose as a challenge to aspiring nurses who are not sure which pathway to choose. In making a decision for the educational preparation of nursing, one has to know the pros and cons of each entry route so as to facilitate better decision making.
The nursing diploma is a 3-year diploma program typically administered in hospitals. This route was once the most popular in the United States but it is believed that it will be phased out in the next 10 years. Among still licensed RNs, 20% received a hospital diploma for their initial "nurses training," but this number is said to be in a steady decline. Only 3.1% of registered nurses who graduated after 2004 were educated in a diploma program.
The Associate Degree Nurse is a Registered Nurse (RN) who practices within the guidelines of the Nurse Practice Act. The ADN is normally offered in community colleges where it takes 3 years to complete the program. A common misconception exists that the AD is a 2-year degree; whereas, in nursing, the ADN usually takes at least 3 years to complete because of course prerequisites. As of 2008, the Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) was still the most common initial nursing education degree, earned by 45% of all licensed registered nurse. Some of the advantages are it takes a reasonable amount of time to complete schooling. You can earn the degree for a great price at Community Colleges. There are many RN-BSN Bridge Programs and sometimes your place of work can help pay for it. Some of the disadvantages with getting an Associate’s Degree are that you may need more schooling to continue your education. With an Associate’s degree one is less qualified for management, education, and specialty nursing positions. It may also limit your job opportunities.
A BSN degree is superior to an Associate degree. It requires a traditional, four-year degree from an accredited college or university. There are more opportunities for advancements available when you earn a BSN. Some career paths are open only to nurses holding a bachelor’s degree. A BSN is a prerequisite for admission to graduate nursing programs. The Registered Nurse who has earned a BSN has a recognized advantage over a job candidate with an Associate’s degree. A disadvantage might be universities can be very expensive (APRN guide, 2013). The goal established by the Future of Nursing initiative is to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80% by the year 2020. Furthermore, at least 10% of these baccalaureate graduates must matriculate into a master's or doctoral program within 5 years of graduation. The need for this increase of nurses with BSN is in line with what the public wants from nurses in terms of growing expectation for quality and competency.
The American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing have called for a mandated baccalaureate degree as a point of entry to nursing practice. Studies demonstrate better patient outcomes in hospitals staffed by a greater proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees to those with associate degrees.
The master’s degree builds on the baccalaureate degree to enable student to develop expertise in one area. There are also bridge programs like ADN-MSN available for associate degree holders. Currently, 13.2% of licensed registered nurses hold a master's, or higher, degree. These nurses work in a variety of roles, including clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthetist. Master's degrees prepare RNs for leadership roles -- in administration, clinical, or teaching -- or for work in other advanced practice roles, and serve as a springboard to doctoral pursuits. Full-time master's programs consist of eighteen to twenty-four months of uninterrupted study. Many graduate school students, however, fit their master's-level studies around their work schedules, which can extend the time it takes to graduate.
The doctoral degree composes of the PhD and DNP (Doctor of nursing practice). The DNP degree is a practice doctorate. The PhD is a research doctorate. Graduates of PhD programs are prepared to conduct independent research and disseminate their findings. The DNP will provide graduates with the skills and tools necessary to assess the evidence gained through nursing research, evaluate the impact of that research on their practice, and as necessary, make changes to enhance quality of care. Scholarship is an integral part of both doctoral degrees.
All programs of nursing education strive to produce safe, effective entry level license to practice in the field of nursing. Before a school can call itself a nursing school it has to be accredited. Therefore I believe that the multiple entry pathway it is an asset to the profession. Taking for instance, there have been so many individuals who just couldn’t afford to attend a four year university and therefore got a nursing degree at a community college. Today, they are working as a nurse after graduation. If there were limitations placed on such an individual he or she wouldn’t be contributing to the work force. Though, data from the institute of medicine suggest that 21st century nursing care is very different and it will require BSN nurses, this dynamic will definitely phase out Associate degree nurses and will require them to complete the BSN program within a limited number of years.