Running head: Educational Preparation in Nursing

Educational Preparation in Nursing
Steven Justo

Abstract
The leaders of nursing throughout history have shaped not only the practice of the nursing, but also entrance to the profession via, Diploma, Associates Degree and Bachelors Degree programs. While multiple avenues exist to gain entry into the nursing profession as a Registered Nurse (RN), not all nurses are equally prepared for a professional career in nursing. An aging Baby Boomer generation entering into retirement relying more heavily on the healthcare system, will create a greater demand not only for Registered Nurses with Bachelors Degrees, but furthermore for those RNs with advanced post-graduate degree education to be
Associates Degree

Upon completion of an ADN program, students are also prepared and allowed to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. ADN nurses are technically prepared nurses able to provide direct care to patients with common, well-defined nursing diagnoses while also considering their clients’ familial relationships (Hood, 2010). At NCH, many ADN staff nurses follow clearly defined protocols and procedures when applying the nursing process to care for their patients. ADN nurses often use basic therapeutic communication skills with a focal client group and coordinate efforts with other health team members to meet client-focused needs (Hood). One example of ADN nurses following standard practice is with wound care. The standard practice at NCH for wound care includes basic wound assessment in terms of size, length, width, depth, color, exudate, drainage, odor, pain, etc. ADN prepared nurses are also technically sound competencied nurses practicing safe basic nursing care. ADN competencies tend to center around caregiver, counselor and educator roles (Hood, 2010).
Bachelors Degree
According to Hood (2010), the difference between the communication between a patient and an ADN nurse is that the ADN nurse recognizes the patient's need for information and modifies the standardized care plans for the