I will also be using a clinical case scenario that will describe how nursing care decision making may differ based on the clinical decisions of an ADN and BSN. ADN LEVEL Associates Degree in nursing usually requires 2-3 years of study at a community college. It is an entry level practitioner, and is completed to practice as a direct care giver in many health care settings. They practice in the framework of the nursing process. Focuses on good patient outcomes.
Once you have all of that done you must apply to a nursing program and wait to be accepted in. Most nursing programs take about 2-3yrs to complete and you can then graduate with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and also with about 850 hours of hands on clinical experience. Upon completing the Nursing Program you must take and pass the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX). To practice as an RN in California, you must be licensed by the California State Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) and pass a criminal back ground check. Once all of this is complete you are free to start applying for jobs as a registered nurse.
However, once a student graduates nursing school as a registered nurse, “at least one year of critical care experience” is required before advancing to a master’s program, says Shirley Sopko, a nurse anesthetist of eleven years. In addition to work experience, a person interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist must take one of two tests: “the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) [with a score of] 850 or higher or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) [with a score of] 386 or higher” within five years before applying to graduate school (MSN). Acceptance into the anesthesia program also depends on if the student had a GPA of at least a 3.0 during nursing school (Nurse Anesthesia). Once a student is successfully enrolled into the anesthesia program, which has a “typical length of…around 28 months”, a student will spend at least 400 hours providing anesthesia “to patients undergoing various types of surgery” (Sopko; Shurr). Students must also complete a minimum of 200 hours in the classroom learning the ins-and-outs of anesthesia and its administration, how the body will react to the anesthesia, and the pharmacology of anesthesia (Shurr).
The next step to becoming a nurse anesthetist is to enter a program called the RN to BSN. This program brings me a step closer to my goal. The BSN is the Bachelor of Science degree, the time period for getting this degree is usually four years. After I have attained my BSN I will be able to then proceed to get my Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The length of time that it takes to get this certification ranges from two to three years.
There are RN to bachelors programs, 2nd bachelor degree programs, RN to master degree programs and the bachelors to master programs. An associate degree nursing program is concerned with teaching the student the technical facets of being a nurse providing direct patient care. Knowledge and proficiency are usually limited to hospitals and community organizations (Moore, 2009). An associate degree prepares the person to be a bedside nurse caring for the patient. An ADN RN addresses the patient’s immediate care needs, direct and hands on.
One of the largest differences in these degrees is the years of education required to complete the program and the knowledge based education taught. An associate degree in nursing requires two years to complete the program. A diploma in nursing can be obtained at a community college and the graduate is able to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse. The associate’s degree was founded by Mildred Montag due to a shortage of nurses following World War II. (Grand Canyon University, 2015) This program offered to reduce the shortage of nurses during war time.
When a registered nurse completes a two year community college and obtain an Associate’s Degree they are known as ADN. And a four year registered nurse with a Bachelor’s Degree they are known as BSN. Registered nurses can decide whether stay as an AND or BSN. One of the most important exam that registered nurse needs to take is the State exam. The State exam will confirm all your studies and receive a diploma as a registered nurse.
There are many colleges that train people to become nurses. One of then is the University of Utah. "The College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is approved by the Utah State Board of Nursing." (Keefe, 11). There are many differnt programs offered such as graduate programs, accellerated, and undergraduate.
For an occupational therapist: a Bachelor’s degree, volunteer internship, masters and/or doctoral degree, supervised fieldwork and NBCOT are required before you are able to obtain a license. A Bachelor’s Degree is required to be admitted into the OT program. Degrees such as biology, psychology, sociology, or liberal arts are all accepted. Volunteer internship requires students to have volunteered worked within OT settings before being accepted into the Master’s program. The volunteer work would be classified as a Level 1 Fieldwork.
Associate degree level nurses receive their nursing degrees in approximately 2-3 years and typically graduate from a community college. Their education includes a minimal number of additional classes related to math, science, English, and liberal arts. These nurses have been given clinical time to enhance the necessary skills and the classroom training to assist with critical decision-making. Baccalaureate programs are 4 years in length and are completed in the university setting. One difference between the associate degree nurse and the baccalaureate degree education is some of the classes outside of nursing such as additional science courses, statistics, liberal arts, and leadership.