Nursing Team Communication/Collaboration Supporting Better Patient Care

Because BSN nurses have the experience of using evidence-based practice, applying nursing theory to clinical practice, and more intensity in their educational curriculum, they are usually regarded as better able to manage and lead other nurses. This is because they usually take leadership classes as part of the BSN curriculum whereas ADN nurses do not have the space in their tightly-controlled curriculum to take anything but the essential theory and clinical practice classes that are the bare minimum required to pass a nursing licensing exam. Because it is known that better communication among team members leads to better health outcomes for patients, BSN nurses are presumed to have better communication and collaboration skills because of their encounters with classes in this field while in college. Anbari (2015) points out that nurses who have gone on to get their BSNs after completing their ADNs find that their entire perspective changes. Anbari (2015) says, “After completion of the program, RN to BSN graduates notice improvements in their nursing practice. The BSN degree enhances the graduates’ assessment skills, improves their patient outcomes, and increases critical thinking skills. In addition, graduates experience improved communication abilities. Because of these benefits, RN to BSN graduates become better patient advocates” (Anbari, 2015, p. 8). Nurses all want to be the best patient advocates they can be, and having better communication and collaboration skills can help them to do this.

Conclusion

The goal for U.S. healthcare is to have 80% of nurses with their BSNs. Whether this goal will be realized is unclear, but nurses with ADNs know that their BSN co-workers are better trained, have better patient skills, make more money and have more advancement opportunities. Nurses with ADNs should go on to get their BSNs for their own sake and for the sake of their patients.

References

Anbari, A. (2015). The RN to BSN Transition: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 2, 1-11. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...

Nightingale College. (2017, January 31). ADN vs BSN Debate: These are the real differences Between ADN AND BSN prepared nurses. Retrieved from Nightingale College: https://nightingale.edu/blog/a...