Evolution of Nursing Practice Over Time

In the history of American civilization, family members, friends, and neighbors cared for the sick in communities. The 19^th century was the milestone of professional nursing practice in the United States because hospitals were established throughout the country, and nursing care became an integral part of healthcare (“Penn Nursing”, 2019). Different hospitals conducted their patient care independently, and there were no nationally agreed-upon nursing standards. As a result, nursing care varied from good to haphazard among different hospitals (“Penn Nursing”, 2019). The desire to improve it led to the establishment of nurse education in the early 19^th century, which improved nursing practice nationally (“Penn Nursing”, 2019). Nursing practice was confined to the hospital environment, but as the profession gained popularity, nurses began to diversify and acted as field nurses in the 20^th century. World War I marked the beginning of field nursing.

Modern nursing thrived in the late 20^th century, when nurses would carry out significant roles in patient care. Professional nursing practice climaxes in the 21^st century performing healthcare practices in line with set standards and regulations (“Penn Nursing”, 2019). Recent advancement has increased the role of nurses in healthcare, making it a crucial profession for ensuring national and global health coverage.

Comparison of Differentiated Practice Competencies of ADN and BSN Education

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) education equip students with the capacity to serve as registered nurses in healthcare practice. The differentiated competencies enable them to offer primary patient care and other technical diagnostic procedures. However, BSN practice competency differs from ADN practice. The ADN nursing education imparts clinical skills, and graduates serve as technical nurses. On the contrary, BSN education focuses on leadership, research, management, and clinical skills (Matthias, 2015). Therefore, the scope of practice changes from a technical role for ADN nurses to a professional role for BSN ones, where the latter perform higher roles in patient assessment, including diagnosis, prescribing drugs, patient health management, and nursing research.

Differences in Approach to Decision-Making Patient Care Between BSN-Prepared and ADN Nurse

A situation involving a diabetic patient who is admitted as a result of fall trauma invokes different approaches to patient care between a BSN prepared and an ADN prepared nurse. In the situation, a BSN nurse would evaluate all factors contributing to a higher risk of fall for the patient. The nurse would inquire about the residential environment, patient adherence to medication, exercise, and other diabetic management practices, then make the appropriate informed decision on how to manage the patient’s condition better. On the other hand, the ADN nurse would evaluate the current nature of injury and adherence to medication and address the case accordingly. The latter approach provides a short-term solution. The difference in decision-making approaches results in different training strategies (Matthias, 2015). BSN nurses make better decisions than ADN nurses, which contributes to competent patient care.

Significance of Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

Evidence-based practice is one of the fundamental principles of modern medicine. The practice dwells on current research findings to shape healthcare decisions and ensure the delivery of high-quality and safe healthcare (Fiset, Graham, & Davies, 2017). Such practice helps to improve healthcare outcomes through several approaches. For instance, research evidence links the hospital environment to infectious microbes that cause nosocomial infections. Working on this evidence, nurses adhere to the infection control protocol, such as cleaning and disinfecting hospital environment, use of personal protective equipment, use of barrier precautions, which aid to minimize hospital-acquired infections.

Role of Academic Preparation of RN-BSN in the Application of Evidence-Based Practice

The nature of training influences the uptake of evidence-based practices in healthcare delivery. The BSN education program incorporates scientific research as part of the curriculum. The course imparts knowledge of evidence-based practice in nursing, which increases the tendency of BSN nurses to embrace it (Fiset, Graham, & Davies, 2017). Besides, the course ensures that BSN graduates have an interest in scientific research, which forms the foundation for evidence in healthcare. Having research interest increases creates a positive attitude of nurses, causing them to embrace the evidence-based practice (Fiset, Graham, & Davies, 2017). Conversely, ADN training does not embark on research but concentrates on imparting clinical skills. As a result, ADN nurses lack the experience and motivation to implement evidence-based practices (Fiset, Graham, & Davies, 2017). Therefore, the incorporation of research in BSN course serves as motivation for BSN registered nurses to implement the evidence-based practice in healthcare delivery.

Interdisciplinary Communication and Collaboration of Nurses with Other Healthcare Professionals

The healthcare delivery system in the United States is complex and comprise of patients who need services from different professionals. As a result, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration play a critical role in high-quality healthcare delivery. The rising need for interprofessional collaboration in healthcare delivery shapes the healthcare delivery sector (Busari, Moll, & Duits, 2017). Nurses work in harmony with doctors, psychiatrists, pharmaceutical technologists, and other healthcare professionals in determining the best course of management for various patient cases (Vega & Bernard, 2017). Interprofessional collaboration ensures that nurses appreciate the complementary roles of other healthcare professionals, work cooperatively, and share responsibilities to ensure the development of robust problem-solving tools (Busari, Moll, & Duits, 2017). Interdisciplinary communication and collaboration ensure the delivery of timely and accurate medical intervention; hence, it promotes high-quality healthcare.

Conclusion The evolution of nursing over time has increased the ability of the healthcare department to manage and improve the health outcomes of the US citizens. The rising desire for more nurses has contributed to different training approaches, yielding graduates with diverse abilities. The ADN training provides trainees with technical skills essential for the clinical setup. The BSN training approach equips trainees with managerial, research, clinical, and leadership skills. The different training approaches contribute to differences in contemporary nursing practices. BSN nurses embrace evidence-based nursing practice better than ADN nurses and make quality decisions in healthcare management. The success of future nursing practices depends on the interprofessional collaboration between nurses and other healthcare professionals, which would ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare services.