Bsn Vs Adn

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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I am a student nurse in an accelerated BSN program. I have heard that people prefer Associate Degree Nurse graduates because they may have better clinical skills. I have also heard that BSN students understand evidence based practice which gives them an advantage in the long run. Is this true? Is better to have critical thinking skills or just hands on training?

Specializes in Med/Surg.

Hospitals prefer BSN graduates. The critical thinking skills you develop in a BSN program can not be taught at the bedside the way technical skills such as IV starts can. If you wish to further your education to the graduate level you will need a BSN. :heartbeat

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Don't believe everything you hear.

Nurse recruiters might have their own preferences, so it might be true from one place to another.

Both programs prepare entry level bedside nurses.

It's an old longstanding myth that ADNs get more clinical time and have more clinical skills than BSNs. Properly accredited schools have a certain amount of clinical time to graduate Registered nurses be they ADNs or BSN.

ADNs also have a pretty good grasp on evidence based theories and practice.

Diploma schools on the other hand have way more clinical time than either ADNs or BSNs.

You'll hear all kinds of things, but it tends to be regional. People tend to be more critical of BSN students for some reason. Here in this area we have both schools doing clinicals at my hospital and both BSN and ADN student seem to be pretty equal in their skills and critical thinking.

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