Journal of Nursing Education,
3-The capacity of a nurse to deliver quality care and safeguard the safety of a patient is dependent on the nature of training in nursing school. Anbari and Vogelsmeier (2018) explored the perceived benefits of Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) on the capacity of nurses to uphold patient safety in the course of service delivery. The duo engaged ADN-to-BSN graduates to find out the perceived implications on education on their capacity to promote the safety of the patients. Attainment of BSN qualifications expanded the nurses’ clinical reasoning, as they can approach care with a broadened scope as well as accept inputs from other people. Through the paradigm shift in the delivery of care, it can be argued that advanced training of nurses is instrumental in the enhancement of making decisions that conform to the needs of patients. In turn, this predisposes improved patient safety. However, some nurses believed that BSN is essential for career progression rather than improved their capacity to uphold patient safety.
From a personal viewpoint and based on my experiences, I consider BSN critical for the improvement of patient safety. In the course of acquiring the qualifications, nurses learn about new concepts in nursing and are exposed to approaches that may be helpful in the management of complex situations that may arise in the clinical setting. Through the learned concepts, nurses can significantly improve their clinical reasoning, as well as engage other healthcare professions. Through this, they are likely to apply evidence-based practice and limit engagement in behaviors that may adversely affect the safety of patients.
Reference
Anbari, A. B., & Vogelsmeier, A. (2018). Associate degree in nursing-to-bachelor of science in nursing graduates’ education and their perceived ability to keep patients’ safe. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(5), 300-303.
