Types of Educational Preparation for Nursing
There are different levels or types of educational preparation for nursing. The types of educational preparation for nursing can be summarized into three types of programs for nursing. The programs are Diploma in nursing education, the path of associate degree education in nursing, and the path of Baccalaureate Education.
Diploma Level of Nursing Education
The Diploma level of nursing education is the most basic level (Zerwekh and Garneau, 2012). The Diploma level of nurse training offers the basic knowledge about the practice of nursing. In some states, however, there is no Diploma training and nursing education starts from associate degree program.
The diploma training offer the learner the knowledge about delivery patient care, Diploma in nursing trains the learner on team working within the patient care/hospital environment. The training also prepares the nurse to offer midwife services, sharpens the learner’s language skills, and prepares the leaner for the next level of nursing education (PCT, 2014).
There are clear differences between a diploma nurse and nurses at the higher levels of nursing education. The first difference is on the nature of training and where the diploma nursing education is given. In the USA, diploma in nursing training is given in nursing schools that are affiliated to hospitals (Health e-careers website, 2014).
The diplomas in nursing students receive hands on training from the accredited institutions or schools of nursing. PCT (2014) explains that the training in diploma is given by instructors, and their aim is to prepare the nurse for licensure in Registered Nurse (RN).
The students who receive nursing education in Diploma have certain limitations concerning the areas of employment. The Registered Nurses practice at the entry level positions because higher positions, for example, nursing management, require people with higher qualifications (Zerwekh and Garneau 150).
Associate Degree in Nursing
It is an advanced level of nursing, and there are various reasons why it necessary that Registered Nurses with Diploma in nursing advance to the associate degree level. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) training is issued by community colleges and universities that offer medical training in the area of nursing.
The program for associate degree in nursing runs for a period of at least two years, and it combines coursework in science and nursing with clinical experience. Most of the new RNs, currently, have the qualification of ADN, and this is one of the reasons the nurses with diploma training should advance their training. Currently, 53% of the Registered Nurses have the ADN qualification (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).
The path of associate degree in nursing is necessary because health care delivery faces numerous changes. Today, nurses should have other qualification apart from the entry-level qualification. Besides having the basic qualification of understanding how to handle patients on the basis of their needs, registered nurses should also take part in leading inter-professional leadership opportunities that aim to improve the quality of care delivery (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).
Associate degree training prepares nurses to perform other responsibility besides offering the patent care services. Administrative duties, for example, the area of nurse manager, require someone with ADN qualification (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).
Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing
The educational level of Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing prepares the learner to deal with the emerging challenges in the healthcare environment. The demand for nursing services increases as the cases of chronic illnesses are on the increase. The number of nurses on the bedside also increases because of the growing demand for nurses and the increasing cases of illnesses.
Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing is a four years intense training that prepares nurses at the university level. Apart from understanding the clinical experience, the program also requires the student to take training in liberal arts, science, and Nursing course. The aim of Baccalaureate Nursing Degree is to prepare a wholesome individual who can deal with diverse challenges in the patient-care environment (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF, 2013) reports that the demand for nurses with Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing continues to grow, and today, 43% of nursing students are on the program for the degree.
Amos (2014) gives statics that show that currently, American universities have 674 programs for Baccalaureate Degree Educational preparation of nurses. The continuous growth in the number of people who are advancing to take Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing is an indicator of the growing demand for more qualified nurses who can deal with the emerging challenges in the area of patient-care. Also, Amos (2014) gives the statistical data from the American Association of Nursing colleges, indicating that by 2010, the total enrolment in Baccalaureate Degree of Nursing programs was 147,170, representing a tremendous growth from the past, where the enrolments were low. “The National Advisory Council on Nursing Education Recommends hat at least two thirds of the nursing workforce hold a baccalaureate degree or higher by 2010, compared to the current 40 percent,” Amos (2014) Explains.
It is, therefore, necessary that nurses should continue advancing their knowledge to higher paths of nursing education as this is the only way to prepare better-qualified nurses that can deal with the currently high demand for better medical services and the complexities in the care-delivery environment.
Advantages of obtaining a Degree from an Accredited Program
The term accreditation refers to, “A voluntary process in which the school or the program asks for an external review of its programs, facilities, and faculty,” (Amos, 2014). Amos states that accreditation is an important process, and it happens at two levels: First, there is the accreditation of the institution that delivers the nursing training. Secondly, there is the accreditation of the program that is used for training the nurses. Both types of accreditations are important. However, the student looks at the advantages of accreditation from the second type of accreditation- program accreditation.
The first benefit of an accredited program for training nurse graduates is that it remains relevant to the current needs of the field of nursing. Certain programs may train the nurses in a manner that does consider the current demands in the healthcare environment. However, program accrediting is an evaluation practice that accesses the ability and relevance of the program to prepare graduate nurses who can deliver the services that are on demand currently.
The second advantage of pursuing a degree in nursing from an accredited program is that it gives the student the opportunity to sit for the licensing examinations. In the USA, a graduate nurse cannot secure employment without the licensing requirement. However, the law stipulates that any student who qualifies for the licensing examinations must undergo training through an accredited program (Amos, 2014).
Another advantage is that it gives the student the opportunity to access the federal loans and grants. Amos explains that although program accreditation is a voluntary thing, the law stipulates that a student cannot access the loans and grants for his or her education if the nursing program he undertakes is not accredited (Amos, 2014).
Accreditation also reviews the facilities and qualifications of the staff that the program uses to train the students. The kind of facilities used for training nurses and the qualification of the personnel determines the outcomes of their education and their ability to deliver quality services in the healthcare setting. Some institutions may purchase low quality facilities and employ under-qualified staff, factors that affect the quality of training for the nursing students. However, program accreditation checks such limitations to safeguard the interests of the students (Amos, 2014).
Amos lists the two agencies that are recognized to accredit the programs for Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing. They are, “the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). It is important to consider that the program must receive accreditation of the right organization for the accreditation to be valid.
The implication of the requirement of accreditation is that students must be careful about the nursing programs that they register for, and they must ensure that the programs are accredited. A nurse graduate who receives his or her training from a program that is not accredited risks not getting a license for securing employment to practice the skills. It is also impossible to advance to the next level of nursing education if the student receives his education from unaccredited program (Amos, 2014).
References
Amos, L.K. (2014). “Baccalaureate Nursing Programs,” American Association of Colleges for
Nursing. Retrieved on December 6, 2014 from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/bsn-article
Health e-careers Network (2014). “What are the Differences between a Diploma Nurse and a
BSN Nurse?” Retrieved on December 6, 2014 from http://www.healthecareers.com/article/what-are-the-differences-between-a-diploma-nurse-and-a-bsn-nurse/158335
Pennsylvania College of Technology, PCT. (2014). “Nursing, RN Preparation,” Retrieved on
December 6, 2014 from http://www.pct.edu/schools/hs/nursing/nr.asp
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, RWJF (September, 2013). “The Case for Academic
Progression: Why Nurses Should Advance Their Education and the Strategies that Make this Feasible,” Retrieved on December 6, 2014 from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/issue_briefs/2013/rwjf407597
Zerwekh, J., & Garneau, A.Z. (2012). “Nursing Education,” Chapter 7. Nursing Today,
Transitions and Trends, 7th Edition. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|