The Future Of The Associate Degree In Nursing

The associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) has become the standard credential for obtaining a nursing job for the last 40 years, but that is changing.  A small, but increasing numbet of U.S. hospitals have recently started only hiring nurses who have a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) or higher.  It is believed that majority small physician practices and hospitals will soon follow.

Difference Between Degrees

What sets a bachelors degree in nursing and an associates degrees in nursing a part?  To begin with, the quantity of material covered in a bachelors degree in greater than an associates degree.  A BSN program covers topics like social sciences, leadership, critical thinking, as well as communication.

The BSN takes longer to complete. An ADN is about 21 weeks of schooling, in the end of schooling you take an NCLEX examination. Pass this test, and you have earned your ADN.  The BSN is four years of schooling. Therefore, if you are a nurse with an ADN degree,  a BSN degree is just another two years.

Lawmakers Weigh In

New York lawmakers want to mandate that the hospitals employ BSN educated nurses only.  The state legislature has held hearings on a planned “BS at 10″ legislation, which might require nurses that do not have bachelor’s degrees to earn one within 10 years.  The lawmakers advocate that this is a way to elevate the skill levels of the nurse workforce of today.

BS at 10” legislation has the approval of several nursing institutions and health policy associations.  In 2011, when the BS at 10 proposal was introduced, a memo  was released citing a 2003 University of Pennsylvania study.  This study found that for each 10% increase in a hospital’s employees degree there were 5% fewer deaths during operations.

The American Association of the College of Nursing (AACN) backs BS in 10.  Dozens of additional state nursing associations and nursing colleges have voiced support for BS in 10, too.

The National Discussion

A nurse with an ADN can perform many crucial day-to-day tasks.  They can speak with the patients and jot down their symptoms, take vital signs, mentor operation patients about what to do following their surgeries, and educate all patients how to control their own illnesses and injuries improved.  However, hospitals throughout America are saying they need more help in their hospitals.  They require their nurses to carry larger and harder caseloads, which ADN’s are not capable to handle.

Making things worse, there’s a looming shortage of physicians.  Medical systems are feeling the strain for the past couple of years and have paid via “task-shifting”–with nurses taking some physician duties like writing prescriptions and a number of the more and more treatable instances.

The Future Worth Of An ADN Degree

In 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted around 582,000 new nursing jobs by the year 2020.  There’s no way that nursing colleges would produce that many BSN-trained nurses in that short time period.  Because of this, hospitals will need all of the competent nurse professionals they can get–even ADN’s.  Therefore, there is little concern about employment opportunities for ADN graduates.

The future of an ADN degree is not bleak.  There will be many employment opportunities; however, their may not be a variety of opportunities available.  The medical community is moving towards employing BSN degree nurses only in hospitals and many other medical settings.  It is best to work towards a BSN degree so that you are not limited in your opportunities.