Nursing Competencies: Baccalaureate Degree In Nursing
Nursing Competencies
GCU
Nursing Competencies
The first school of nursing in the United States was the Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing, founded in 1873. The Bellevue offered a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing with principles of nursing established by Florence Nightingale. In later years, the Associate-degree in nursing was formed by Mildred Montag, to help with the nursing shortages in WWII. “In the mid 1900’s an Associate-degree level nurse was thought of as a “technical nurse”, closer to the role of a limited vocational nurse; created to assist the professional Baccalaureate level nurse during the nursing shortages (GCU, 2014).”
The Associate and Baccalaureate degrees are still offered today. After receiving a diploma, …show more content…
both degrees sit for the NCLEX-RN. The National Council Licensure Examination is an exam that is pass or fail and if passed the graduate will receive a license to practice nursing in that state.
An Associates degree in nursing is two to three years of schooling. The ADN focuses on clinical skills but lack in a complete study of the field of nursing as a profession. An Associates degree has a 72 credit hour requirement where as the Bachelors degree requires 125 credit hours.
A Baccalaureate degree in Nursing focuses on a more complete understanding of the profession of nursing.
There is more education on community health, cultural nursing, and research within the four year program. With a BSN the nurse has more opportunities to advance in the field, as a managers or higher positions. The Bachelors degree also offers for progression in education, such as a master to receive your license to practice as a Nurse Practitioner or a Doctoral degree. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “the nurse prepared at the Baccalaureate level are linked to lower mortality and failure rates” (AACN, …show more content…
2013)
In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado a nurse with an Associates degree works at the bedside and performs tasks the same as the graduate of the Baccalaureate. New graduate RN with an Associate are hired only with the intent that the nurse will receive a BSN within three years. All employees who have an Associates degree are encouraged to get a BSN in order to have a nursing staff of at least 80% Bachelors. This is done in preparation to meet Magnet status for the hospital.
At the bedside of a Neonate an Associates degree nurse perform in the way she was taught by her preceptor.
The nurse may change a diaper, obtain a weight, and complete an assessment. She may give a med or change out fluids. In an emergency, she would achieve the steps of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). All of these extensive skills where taught in a year long orientation program for the NICU. The Associates degree nurse is task oriented and focused on clinical skill. The nurse lacks in the depth of education the Bachelors nurse has. She may not be as culturally competent in the bedside assessment with the family. The family whose new baby is in an ICU and isn’t born with the “perfection” they dreamed of. The family, who maybe doesn’t speak English, isn’t used to the way the hospitals are run in this country, and are scared. The bachelors nurse would have more knowledge of cultural nursing and may be a better fit for this family and their stay. The Associate nurse can perform the steps of NRP but may not have the research education to know more about the neonate and the emergency it is
having.
The field of nursing has earned and gained respect throughout this journey of becoming a profession. The nurses who work this job strive to keep that alive. Respect is built on the care given, the compassion shared, and most of all the knowledge obtained and performed. The recognition of this profession was first given to Florence Nightingale with her research and improved outcomes during the war. Her knowledge and teaching ignited the path to admiration for this career. In keeping this value alive the nurses of today need to also have passion in increasing knowledge and improving outcomes in their field. That can be obtained in furthering education of ones self. Every profession evolves and changes with the new research and ambition. It should be a desire for the nursing professional to obtain the upmost education. In doing so, the respect will with follow. References
American Association of colleges of Nursing website. (January 21, 2013). http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/NursingWorkforce.pdf
Grand Canyon University Website. (2014). http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/nrs430V_timeline.php
GCU
Nursing Competencies
The first school of nursing in the United States was the Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing, founded in 1873. The Bellevue offered a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing with principles of nursing established by Florence Nightingale. In later years, the Associate-degree in nursing was formed by Mildred Montag, to help with the nursing shortages in WWII. “In the mid 1900’s an Associate-degree level nurse was thought of as a “technical nurse”, closer to the role of a limited vocational nurse; created to assist the professional Baccalaureate level nurse during the nursing shortages (GCU, 2014).”
The Associate and Baccalaureate degrees are still offered today. After receiving a diploma, …show more content…
both degrees sit for the NCLEX-RN. The National Council Licensure Examination is an exam that is pass or fail and if passed the graduate will receive a license to practice nursing in that state.
An Associates degree in nursing is two to three years of schooling. The ADN focuses on clinical skills but lack in a complete study of the field of nursing as a profession. An Associates degree has a 72 credit hour requirement where as the Bachelors degree requires 125 credit hours.
A Baccalaureate degree in Nursing focuses on a more complete understanding of the profession of nursing.
There is more education on community health, cultural nursing, and research within the four year program. With a BSN the nurse has more opportunities to advance in the field, as a managers or higher positions. The Bachelors degree also offers for progression in education, such as a master to receive your license to practice as a Nurse Practitioner or a Doctoral degree. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “the nurse prepared at the Baccalaureate level are linked to lower mortality and failure rates” (AACN, …show more content…
2013)
In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado a nurse with an Associates degree works at the bedside and performs tasks the same as the graduate of the Baccalaureate. New graduate RN with an Associate are hired only with the intent that the nurse will receive a BSN within three years. All employees who have an Associates degree are encouraged to get a BSN in order to have a nursing staff of at least 80% Bachelors. This is done in preparation to meet Magnet status for the hospital.
At the bedside of a Neonate an Associates degree nurse perform in the way she was taught by her preceptor.
The nurse may change a diaper, obtain a weight, and complete an assessment. She may give a med or change out fluids. In an emergency, she would achieve the steps of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). All of these extensive skills where taught in a year long orientation program for the NICU. The Associates degree nurse is task oriented and focused on clinical skill. The nurse lacks in the depth of education the Bachelors nurse has. She may not be as culturally competent in the bedside assessment with the family. The family whose new baby is in an ICU and isn’t born with the “perfection” they dreamed of. The family, who maybe doesn’t speak English, isn’t used to the way the hospitals are run in this country, and are scared. The bachelors nurse would have more knowledge of cultural nursing and may be a better fit for this family and their stay. The Associate nurse can perform the steps of NRP but may not have the research education to know more about the neonate and the emergency it is
having.
The field of nursing has earned and gained respect throughout this journey of becoming a profession. The nurses who work this job strive to keep that alive. Respect is built on the care given, the compassion shared, and most of all the knowledge obtained and performed. The recognition of this profession was first given to Florence Nightingale with her research and improved outcomes during the war. Her knowledge and teaching ignited the path to admiration for this career. In keeping this value alive the nurses of today need to also have passion in increasing knowledge and improving outcomes in their field. That can be obtained in furthering education of ones self. Every profession evolves and changes with the new research and ambition. It should be a desire for the nursing professional to obtain the upmost education. In doing so, the respect will with follow. References
American Association of colleges of Nursing website. (January 21, 2013). http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/NursingWorkforce.pdf
Grand Canyon University Website. (2014). http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/nrs430V_timeline.php