Masters-prepared nurse verse baccalaureate-prepared nurse
Introduction
There exist numerous variance between the baccalaureate-prepared nurse and the masters-prepared nurse. The variance can be based on their nursing responsibilities, education system and their competencies and knowledge after their education.
Education system
Education period for the two nurses is the significant difference between them. The baccalaureate-prepared nurses are supposed to undergo two years of education to acquire and associate degree for them to become registered nurses. After obtaining the associate degree, the registered nurse has to work in health care facilities and be able to perform nursing responsibilities such as administration of medications to the patients and care of the patients at the beside. To become a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, the registered nurse with working experience can further their studies for another two years. Since having nurses with BSN degree enables a health facility to be considered magnet, the majority of the health facilities prefer to have the nurses with BSN degree. For an individual to become masters-prepared nurses, the individual should pursue an education on BSN degree. After completing the BSN degree, an individual has to pursue school completion, which takes another duration of two years (American Associations of Colleges of Nursing, 2017). Therefore, the difference between the two nurses is that master-prepared nurses have an addition of two years of education. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Nursing responsibilities
Baccalaureate-prepared nurses have different nursing responsibilities compared to those of the master’s prepared nurse. Just like a registered nurse, the baccalaureate-prepared nurses have the responsibilities of beside patient care, administration of medication. However, they can also play the role of being a leader or an educator, especially when they have the opportunity to offer health care services in public health. Unlike the baccalaureate-prepared nurse, the masters prepared nurses takes the nursing responsibilities but in the field of specialization such as Nurse practitioner, family nurse or any other area of specialization in the nursing profession (Scherman, 2018). An example of the master’s-prepared nurses is the Nurse Practitioner who is allowed to offer all the health care services that the physicians provide to the patients. There are numerous areas of specialization that a master’s-prepared nurses can venture to after the acquisition if the MSN degree. The areas of specialization range from leadership, patient care, education to community health.
Competencies and knowledge
Another difference between the two nurses is the level of knowledge and competencies that they acquire after their education. The master’s-prepared nurses acquire competencies in ethics, research, evidence-based practice, leadership and patient care. Besides, the basic knowledge that was building during the studies to accomplish the BSN degree such as basic pharmacology, human anatomy and pathology is further studied to acquire more in-depth understanding that enables an individual to offer health care services being offered by the physicians. Some of the knowledge that a master’s –prepared nurses to acquire focuses on clinical practices, evidence-based research and health care policies (American Associations of Colleges of Nursing, 2017). In general, an MSN degree provides more knowledge. It equips an individual with the in-depth competencies that allow them to serve the community just like the physicians that make master’s-prepared nurses more competent and knowledgeable compared to the baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
Conclusion
The variance between the master’s-prepared nurses and the baccalaureate-prepared nurse can be based on their nursing responsibilities, education system and their competencies and knowledge after their education. Masters-prepared nurses have more advantage compared to baccalaureate-prepared nurses because of the in-depth knowledge and competencies as well as the wide range of area of specialization. Although their education program is more extended by a duration of two years.
References
Scherman, J. (2018, October 09). RN vs BSN: Is There a Difference? Retrieved January 6, 2019,
from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/blog/rn-vs-bsn-what-you-should-know/
American Associations of Colleges of Nursing. (2017). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/MastersEssentials11.pdf