Nursing Degrees: The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Several mentally stimulating academic paths can result in a nursing diploma or degree. These pathways include the diploma in nursing, associate degree in nursing (ADN), bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), and the direct-entry master of science in nursing (MSN). This piece will explore the associate degree in nursing. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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Nursing Degrees: The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Registered nurses (RN), of which more than 3 million exist in the United States, are multifunctional professionals who have completed an approved nursing program and attained state licensure to care for patient populations across all stages of the life span. Some of the RN's duties and responsibilities include assessment, development of the plan of care, collaboration, patient advocacy, health promotion, disease prevention, psychosocial support, client and family education, documentation, evaluation, performance of procedural hands-on skills, and reinforcement of spiritual needs.

Persons in the US who want to become RNs have up to four intellectually stimulating educational paths from which they shall select. Pre-nursing students may apply to for admission to diploma programs, associate degree nursing (ADN) programs, baccalaureate degree (BSN) programs, or entry-level graduate (MSN) degree programs. Persons who successfully complete any of the four types of prelicensure nursing degree programs will need to pass the same national test, called the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), to receive licensing to legally practice as an RN.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Path

This piece will focus on the associate degree in nursing (ADN), which is the the most popular mode of entry into a nursing career in the US at the time of this writing. In fact, more than half of all newly graduated RNs produced by US schools of nursing every year possess various types of associate degrees in nursing. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) is very similar to the associate of science degree in nursing (ASN) and the associate of applied science degree in nursing (AAS) because the nursing courses and clinical practicum requirements are nearly identical. The defining difference between the three types of associate degree holders is the fact that nurses who possess AAS degrees may need to take more general education courses to to fulfill the core curriculum requirements for attainment of a baccalaureate degree in nursing at many schools.

In general, students who have earned the ADN have an adequate level of readiness to engage in safe nursing practice at the minimally competent level. Most associate degree nursing programs require an average of 72 semester credit hours prior to completion. Moreover, some of these credits might need to be earned as prerequisite courses prior to initiating the application process. Typical prerequisite courses that might need to be completed prior to applying to the school of nursing may include anatomy, physiology, English composition, Microbiology, speech, psychology, and lifespan growth and development. Some ADN programs enroll students once per year, whereas other schools admit a cohort twice yearly.

ADN Coursework

The nursing coursework is comprised of a conflation of theory and hands-on clinical practicum to sufficiently educate and train generalist nurses for entry level employment in all types of healthcare settings. The curriculum normally consists of subjects such as:

  • Dosage Calculations
  • Medical-Surgical Nursing (Adult / Pediatric)
  • Hands-on Clinical Practicum
  • Psychiatric / Mental Health Nursing
  • Pathophysiology
  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Obstetric / Maternal Health Nursing
  • Pharmacology
  • Gerontological Nursing
  • Nursing Fundamentals

Associate degree nursing programs were first created in the 1950s and are typically offered at community colleges, vocational schools, state universities and technical colleges. Numerous ADN programs have formed articulation agreements with an array of colleges and universities to facilitate smooth transfer of credits and enable enrollment in baccalaureate nursing degree completion programs.

What Jobs Can You Do With an Associate Degree in Nursing

Anyone with an ADN can find jobs in the following areas...

  • Doctor's Offices
  • Insurance Providers
  • Retirement Communities
  • Health Practitioners Office
  • Hospitals
  • Outpatient Centers

RESOURCES

VickyRN. (2009, July 30). Entry Into RN Practice (Part1): Associate Degree Nursing (ADN). Retrieved April 19, 2014, from https://allnurses.com/entry-RN-practice-part-associate-t290863/

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TheCommuter

About TheCommuter, BSN, RN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN, CRRN is a longtime physical rehabilitation nurse who has varied experiences upon which to draw for her articles. She was an LPN/LVN for more than four years prior to becoming a Registered Nurse.

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I'm entering the ADN program this fall and as I was hoping to possibly start working at a certain hospital and now I am hearing that this bigger chain hospital will not hire you unless you have a BSN. I originally did not want to do the bridge but times are changing and I guess I am going to have to suck it up and go for it. I just want to put it out there for any pre-nursing students. Do some research around the area you would like to work when you are done with school. I think the numbers are going to change fast in the near future towards people starting with a bsn, maybe. Thank you for the article.

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cee cee g said:
I'm entering the ADN program this fall and as I was hoping to possibly start working at a certain hospital and now I am hearing that this bigger chain hospital will not hire you unless you have a BSN. I originally did not want to do the bridge but times are changing and I guess I am going to have to suck it up and go for it. I just want to put it out there for any pre-nursing students. Do some research around the area you would like to work when you are done with school. I think the numbers are going to change fast in the near future towards people starting with a BSN, maybe. Thank you for the article.

Couldn't agree more. While the nursing profession goes through phases of hiring BSN vs. ADN and back and forth, one thing in for certain....we should always want the best for ourselves. An RN-BSN bridge or even an RN-MSN would be a great personal goal!

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ADN is best for students who don't have enough to support their bachelor's degree. It is also best for students who are not still sure about their nursing career.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

Enough what? I got an ADN because I already had a BS in Biology and didn't need any pre-reqs. I am working on my BSN, but it was a matter of timing. I missed an application deadline for an ABSN. Now that I have gone the path I have, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I am curious, Commuter, do you know the history of why both the ADN and the BSN take the same test. There is SO much debate about the inequality of the two degrees. Diploma nurses, too. I disagree that an ADN is "minimally" trained. I work along side BSN new grads and you could not tell us apart. In fact, most of the BSN nurses said they had less clinical hours.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
mmc51264 said:
I disagree that an ADN is "minimally" trained.

NOTE: I never once said that ADNs are minimally trained. In fact, I am an ADN holder.

I wrote that students who have earned the ADN have an adequate level of readiness to engage in safe nursing practice at the minimally competent level. All people who attend nursing school receive education and training that renders them minimally competent generalists, including BSN degree holders.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
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In general, students who have earned the ADN have an adequate level of readiness to engage in safe nursing practice at the minimally competent level.

This comment in the article did not delineate between the fact that all new grads are trained to be minimally competent. It sounds like, in this sentence, that the "minimally competent" only applies to the ADN nurse. Sorry I misunderstood.

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Specializes in ICU.

I got my first nursing degree in 1989. I went to a private 4-year university and obtained the ADN. The classes WERE THE EXACT SAME AS THE BSN classes. The only difference was the ADN was faster-paced, more intense, and you could get out quicker and start working. It was designed this way because there was a severe shortage of RN's during that time. Most of us already had a prior degree, thus already had the required pre-reqs. I do not understand why people think you can only get the ADN thru a "community or technical" college, because that is simply not true. As a matter of fact, you had to have a much higher ACT score and GPA to even get into the ADN program I went to! Some nurses went into the BSN because their scores weren't high enough to be accepted into the ADN program! The ADN in my area was designed to get RN's into the workforce faster. It was much, much harder and more intense than my BSN program. In my ADN program, you had to make a minimum of 84 on everything; one 83 and you automatically failed the program and were out. In my fluffy BSN program, a 70 was all you needed to pass everything.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
applewhitern said:
I do not understand why people think you can only get the ADN thru a "community or technical" college, because that is simply not true.

The last paragraph of my article lists all the types of educational institutions where ADN programs are typically offered.

Quote
Associate degree nursing programs were first created in the 1950s and are typically offered at community colleges, vocational schools, state universities and technical colleges.
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Specializes in ICU.

Oh, Commuter, I didn't mean YOU specifically! I was merely commenting about what "most" BSN's seem to think! I honestly wasn't referring to anything you wrote at all; I enjoy your articles and would never criticize intentionally. I was watching Dave Ramsey last night, talking about the enormous amount of debt college students are amassing these days, and I just get upset when I hear stuff about ADN's having to spend more money to go back to school, just to take a few extra classes. All the "theory" in the world doesn't help the nurse who has no clinical skills, which is what I see daily at my job; BSN's who cannot even start a simple IV.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatric Nursing.

I have a DIPLOMA. Actually, I have a certificate stating that I "satisfactorily completed the specialized program of study in Registered Nursing" from my community college in California. Note that the verbage above does not include the word "Diploma." When I tried to get licensed in another state it became a huge issue, because the degree requirements changed since I was awarded my certificate. I almost lost out on a huge opportunity because of it.

I graduated in 2008. Very few Diplomas are awarded anymore, almost everybody has an Associates or above. The new state didn't know what to make of me because it's not 1974 anymore and who has a Diploma now?

I can't be endorsed as a Q in my state because I do not have a BSN, even though I'm finished with all my 500-level classes on my way through the Masters program. I don't have a BSN, so that's the end of the road for me. Until I graduate, then I will be able to prescribe and diagnose. Funny how all that stuff works.

At the time I went through school I was told that because I had a previous Bachelors, that the BSN would not help me, and why should I bother getting an Associates when I already have a different Bachelors? Let me tell you guys something, go ahead and put those letters after your name. It will make a difference.

So today, I face another set of decisions. I can practice as a PMH-NP in my state with a Masters, but many states are phasing their Masters programs out and are requiring a DNP for this level of care. Do I dare continue my career with just a Masters and figure everything will work out for me, or should I blow another $60K and two years of my life on adding one letter to my credentials? Why is the DNP worth it? I almost feel like nobody knows why, they just know that if they put one more flaming hoop in front of me and I jump through it that I will FINALLY be good enough.

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Do 2 year nursing degrees have any value these days?

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