Assessments

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Specializes in critical care, med/surg.

Just making a comment about what I see occurring in nursing schools. When STUDENTS are asked to perform assessments on patients I get a varied response depending on the type of school ADN vs. BSN. Just remember that whether you are an ADN or BSN the initial physical assessment is a baseline for all that follows, make sure it is accurate and complete. Good luck out there!

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What do you mean by you get a "varied response depending on the type of school, ADN vs BSN"? What variation are you seeing?

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interesting. at clinical this week I shadowed an RN instead of providing any care. The RN that gave report to my nurse and myself did not assess the wounds and a few other things. After she left, my nurse said you have to do your own assessment each shift and reiterated the importance of it.

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Specializes in critical care, med/surg.

The ADN program I work for seems to focus on "tasks" that the students must do vs. doing a physical assessment and correlating that info with the dz process and how to care for the patient. The BSN program on the other hand emphasizes the importance of assessments from the get go.

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The ADN program I work for seems to focus on "tasks" that the students must do vs. doing a physical assessment and correlating that info with the dz process and how to care for the patient. The BSN program on the other hand emphasizes the importance of assessments from the get go.

Sounds like the ADN program your facility is working with is pretty bad! I asked you to clarify what you meant, because there should be NO DIFFERENCE in how these students learn in clinicals, and what they are taught in clinicals. Students in ADN programs are normally taught proper assessments, just as BSN students are.

I'd think there'd be some pretty upset ADN students, the ones who are learning what they are supposed to be learning and doing what they are supposed to be doing, if they think nurses are calling their clinical education into question because of some bad apples.

Seems this particular school leaves something to be desired!

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The ADN program I attend focuses almost exclusively on assessments -- mind, body, spirit -- in the first semester. I don't even know basic CNA tasks yet.

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Specializes in critical care, med/surg.

The school is working on national certification and this has been identified as a priority concern. I am semi retired and work for both places and hope to facilitate changes in some small way. The school actually has some pretty food NCLEX pass rates.

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The school is working on national certification and this has been identified as a priority concern. I am semi retired and work for both places and hope to facilitate changes in some small way. The school actually has some pretty food NCLEX pass rates.

Yep, I think I'd have concerns as well. Wouldn't put much stock in the NCLEX pass rate, as one can be lousy at assessments because of no practice but can know (in theory) how to answer the questions on the exam. Knowing what to do and being able to recognize the problem in the first place, well....students need to practice those skills, that's what clinical rotations are FOR.

Hopefully that school will either turn around its curriculum, or get out of the nursing business!

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
The ADN program I work for seems to focus on "tasks" that the students must do vs. doing a physical assessment and correlating that info with the dz process and how to care for the patient.

This seems to be an issue with this ADN program, not an ADN vs. BSN issue. I know that when I was in my ADN, basic head to toe assessment was a huge part of the first term, with more advanced assessments covered in each of the subsequent terms. After all, assessment is the first part of the nursing process, and assessment is the basis for every nurse diagnosis.

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Specializes in ICU.

At my ADN program, all we are focusing on this semester is assessments. I've performed 4 head to toes so far and several focused assessments. I think you just painted a very broad scope to ADN programs based on your one experience.

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Specializes in Psych.
At my ADN program, all we are focusing on this semester is assessments. I've performed 4 head to toes so far and several focused assessments. I think you just painted a very broad scope to ADN programs based on your one experience.

Agreed.

'The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.'

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

I'm in an ADN program and we're required to do assessments and show our instructor our thinking/judgment in our paperwork and post-conferences. When people complain about not getting to do a particular skill, we're always told "I'd rather you do a good assessment than (x) skill".

There should be no difference if it's ADN vs. BSN. Both will be RNs when done.

BTW, in my area, our ADN program has a better reputation for grad new hires than the BSN programs do. It's all relative to your particular area.

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