Difference in Nursing Degrees, Essay Example

For this research project, I will examine the difference between receiving an associate’s degree in nursing and bachelor’s degree in nursing. Ultimately, the type of work done, salary earned, and career prospects will be different for individuals that are awarded either degree. While a bachelor’s in nursing is preferred by many, others believe that achieving an associate’s degree in the field is more realistic because it costs less money to accomplish in addition to requiring a smaller time investment. This topic will be examined by determining the pros and cons of achieving each degree with relation to the workers’ performance in the workforce.

To achieve this understanding, several different research articles will be used. The first aspect that will be examined is the hireability of nurses as it pertains to the degree received. “Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality” will be used to support the argument that nurses with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to be hired due to a common belief that they are better prepared to enhance patient care (Aiken et al., 2003). In addition, Drucker’s article will be used to discuss the changing workforce, which is creating a greater need for knowledge workers in society. As a consequence, individual’s with bachelor’s degrees in the field have a higher level of knowledge and are treated like knowledge workers, while individuals with associate’s degrees are treated more like wage workers due to the higher emphasis on their vocational training. Last, the benefits of obtaining a bachelor’s degree over an associate’s degree will be demonstrating by discussing the cost efficacy of hiring individuals with more advanced training and capabilities (Aiken, 2011).

The paper will discuss the relationship between a variety of factors that contributes to the ability of the nurses who receive bachelor’s degrees rather than associate’s degrees to be more effective at their job. This can be measured in terms of their performance and the diversity of work that they will be able to accomplish at their healthcare institution. Furthermore, this will increase their hireability as a result because it will allow health care organizations to save money because they will have to hire less individuals to complete more jobs. Because nurses with a bachelor’s education are required to do more work, they are often paid more as well. This allows them to focus more significantly on their work over their basic needs to survive.It is important to take a broad approach to understanding this topic because there are many factors that distinguish an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in the nursing field. However, each factor will be discussed in a manner that draws connections between one another in order to generate a more comprehensive understanding of these differences. Personally, I am in favor of the idea that nurses should have bachelor’s degrees because a high level of training is needed to be a successful nurses. Nurses are required to have a wide variety of medical knowledge and this type of training cannot typically be accomplished in a two-year program. Therefore, it is beneficial for nurses to receive a bachelor’s degree at minimum because this will improve both their personal lifestyle and the quality of care that their patients are receiving.

References

Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Cheung RB, Sloane DM, Silber JH. (2003). Educational Levels of Hospital Nurses and Surgical Patient Mortality. JAMA, 290(12): 1617-1623.

Aiken LH. (2011). Nurses for the Future. JAMA, 364:196-198.