tonie

This is the second bulletin board I have read tonight, and they seem to have similiar themes. The first was "Why does nursing eat its young?" By the replys that are posted here, the answer seems to be obvious. Everyone seems to interested in the number of hours I have spent in school (yes, I am an ADN student scheduled to graduate in May), and not in the extent or level of skills that my education has generated. The point that we all have to take the same boards is relevant, but that isn't all. We are encouraged to continue our educations when we finish this program, but to expand our educations, not necessarily to improve our clinical skills. In my state, we are required to have the same number of clinical hours logged as our four year degree counterparts, so I believe that the additional courses have to be in nursing theory, not bedside care. When I started my nursing education, my goal was to take care of my patients to the best of my ability, and that is still my goal this close to graduation. If a four year degree will enable me to do that, then that education will come in the future. At the moment, I feel I can competently meet nursing standards, even if some have reservations about my degree level.

This is the second bulletin board I have read tonight, and they seem to have similiar themes. The first was "Why does nursing eat its young?" By the replys that are posted here, the answer seems to be obvious. Everyone seems to interested in the number of hours I have spent in school (yes, I am an ADN student scheduled to graduate in May), and not in the extent or level of skills that my education has generated. The point that we all have to take the same boards is relevant, but that isn't all. We are encouraged to continue our educations when we finish this program, but to expand our educations, not necessarily to improve our clinical skills. In my state, we are required to have the same number of clinical hours logged as our four year degree counterparts, so I believe that the additional courses have to be in nursing theory, not bedside care. When I started my nursing education, my goal was to take care of my patients to the best of my ability, and that is still my goal this close to graduation. If a four year degree will enable me to do that, then that education will come in the future. At the moment, I feel I can competently meet nursing standards, even if some have reservations about my degree level.

There seems to be a trend to these replys. The younger students are enrolled in BSN programs, and the "older" (I'm 29, and I guess I fall into that group!!) are enrolled in ADN programs. Any comments on the reasons?? ------------------