Compare and Contrast the Differentiated Practice Competencies between an Associate and Baccalaureate Education in Nursing

 

Nurses with Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) both practice as registered nurses. However, their competencies in practice vary significantly depending the variation in nursing education. The education of ADN takes a period of three years and it’s mostly technical. Moreover, it focuses on the clinical skills intended to enhance patient health status. The ADN scope of practice is usually task oriented and nurses are held responsible for their actions. ADNs are expected to have the ability of evaluating, planning, and executing proper patient care from the time patient visits to the triage until admission or discharge.

On the other hand, BSN connotes a four-year program that involves various nursing issues such as nursing roles, critical thinking, patient care, supervision, management, and community health. Regarding the scope of practice, BSN nurses should portray independent decision-making and ability of problem solving. The scope of practice also involves integration of intellectual, emotional, physical, and social competencies to improve patient outcomes (Rosseter, 2014). Overall, BSN-prepared nurses provide more holistic care as opposed to ADN-prepared nurses because they take care of patients in the entire time of patient care, which begins from pre-admission to post-discharge.