Running head: Associate and Baccalaureate-Degree Registered Nurses

Associate and Baccalaureate-Degree Registered Nurses: Differences in Competencies
R B S
Grand Canyon University: NRS 430V
10 July 2011

There are two ways to become a registered nurse: a fast track two year associate degree course or a comprehensive four year baccalaureate course. A graduate of both courses makes the student qualified to take the NCLEX-RN and get an RN license. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2010) believes that “education has a significant impact on the knowledge and competencies of nurses”. The healthcare environment and the nursing world today are constantly changing. The economy is
The charge nurse showed leadership by assessing the patient, reviewing the patient’s medication administration record and giving a patient a dose of morphine that calmed the patient down. Another example is where the ADN prepared nurse started crying and showing signs of panic when her patient suddenly stopped breathing. This shows a lack of maturity on the RN. Instead of calling a code blue and asking for help and assisting the code blue team by providing them with pertinent information on the patient, she put the patient in further harm by panicking. A more mature nurse would have followed the code blue drill as it was taught in the training. There are also many instances where ADN prepared nurses does show maturity in dealing with “difficult” patients and their family. Most end up arguing with the patient and would result in the patient calling up the charge nurse and asking for a different nurse. The charge nurse would end up apologizing to the patient and then would reassign the patient to a more mature nurse, usually a nurse with a BSN or an MSN. In today’s tough economy, a BSN degree can be regarded as a kind of safety net for your nursing career. A bachelor’s degree can provide the RN with the clinical and business management skills needed when making a career shift. Many hospitals require that pediatric nurses, case