Paper on Educational Preparation - Essay Example

According to American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2014), their differences in ability may not be evident in the early stages of nursing practice but are often pronounced as individual graduates gain confidence and experience in individual areas. This paper focuses on Differences in competencies between nurses prepared at the Associate-degree level versus the Baccalaureate-degree level. The baccalaureate graduate nurse is equipped with knowledge, skills and competence to practice with different patients including, groups, individual families, populations and communities across the lifespan and within the environment of healthcare.

In this regard, baccalaureate graduates do not only understand, but also appreciate possible variations of care, high level use of healthcare resources and high complexity which are vital in caring for patients. Associate graduate examines the underlying clinical nursing practice evidence with a view to change the status quo; provide new insights to improve care while questioning assumptions and improve quality of care for communities, patients and their families. On the other hand baccalaureate graduates are mainly evolving scholars who contribute a lot to the development of nursing practice as a science.

They are more competent in questioning and critiquing published research and findings of various studies. In this regard, they bring new knowledge into nursing practice by using current evidence as the start point to propose, innovative, creative and evidence based solutions to problems related to clinical practice. Wider approach to nurse education through baccalaureate degree improves professional growth of graduate nurses thus prepared them for a wider scope of practice. This is because courses are taught in depth in social, humanities, sciences, physical and nursing management.

The additional skills