Contemporary Nursing: Evolution of nursing

CONTEMPORARY NURSING PRACTICE
STUDENT NAME
INSTITUTION OF AFFILIATION
Contemporary Nursing Practice
Evolution of nursing
Nursing has evolved greatly throughout history to become the recognized profession it is today. Traditional nurses were only intended to observe and take care of recovering clients, treat minor ailments, and assist patients who were not able to perform their day-to-day activities. In the present day, the nurses have greater roles in providing major therapy, counseling, and even involved in critical care.
In the past, nurses only learned their trade through apprenticeship. Florence Nightingale changed the whole outlook of nursing during the Crimean war. As the influential figure she was, she facilitated nursing by setting up the first school of nursing. The formation of the council for nurses all over the world has ensured some regulations govern nursing as a profession. Today, nurses have to undergo professional training to get the proper repertoire required in pursuing nursing as a careerCITATION Spe13 \l 1033 (Spetz & Bates, 2013).
Difference between practice competencies of an associate and baccalaureate education in nursing
Both the Baccalaureate and ADN prepared nurses to achieve the title of Registered nurse RN after qualifying in the same board examination. Both of the nurses perform the same patient care activities through the BSN are the ones allowed to perform advanced specialized procedures together with the physician.
The Baccalaureate education in nursing requires four years for completion where the holder gets introduced to all fields of nursing. The baccalaureate graduate gets specialized study on client care and all the required nursing courses. In addition to that, baccalaureate nurses have in their possession extra skills in management, statistics, sociology, computer skills, the legal aspects of nursing, research skills among others, which would give them a better awareness of patient health. This makes the BSN course technical in nature.
On the other hand, ADNs scope of practice is task-oriented and hands-on bedside patient care. This nursing course concentrates on the clinical skills that will help improve the health status of a patient. Since the ADNs are registered professionals, they have in their possession the ability to assess, plan, and implement care on patients from admission until they get discharged. Baccalaureates also must portray they can make decisions and solve problems independently, including the incorporation of emotional, social, and physical competency to ensure quality patient resultsCITATION Fri \l 1033 (Friberg, 2014).
Patient care situation
Considering both the ADN and BSN nurses, the BSN can perform more specialized tasks as they are more advanced Nursing Practitioners. The BSN is authorized to prescribe life-saving medication to patients and they even have the authority to perform intubation. The BSN has the legal mandate to perform life-threatening care such as palliative care regarding the ri...