In our national sample:
- 56.3% of RNs held an Associate degree in nursing (ADN) as their basic nursing degree compared to 39.5% with Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN).
- Within three years of initial licensure, 6.7% of BSN nurses earned a Masters or Doctoral degree.
- Within three years of initial licensure, 12.9% RNs with an ADN earned a BSN, and 1.4% earned a Masters or Doctoral degree.
Our data show that:
- BSN RNs report being better prepared to engage in evidence based practice, and patient safety – critical skills that are required of RNs working in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
- 61.9% of BSN prepared RNs compared to 49.2% ADN prepared RNs report being “very prepared” to use evidence based practice.
- Similarly, 73% of BS RNs compared to 69% of ADN RNs reported that they were “very prepared” in safety.
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