The concept of Associate Degree nursing was developed out of innovative research done across the United States in the 1950's which showed that individuals could be prepared in two years to be competent and caring registered nurses (RNs) who would become "the heart of bedside nursing care." Hesston College still connects to this original mission of Associate Degree nursing by continuing an emphasis on "touching lives." The current purpose of the nursing program is "to prepare entry-level practitioners who view nursing as a service and are equipped to deliver direct, quality client care through nurturing the body, mind and spirit."
Over time, Associate Degree nursing has proven its merit. Each year, more AD-prepared graduates take the licensure exam than those prepared by either the diploma or four-year BSN educational routes. First-attempt pass rates of Associate Degree graduates on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam are typically equal to the rates for graduates from other educational routes. In the clinical setting, Associate Degree nurses perform a variety of nursing roles with competency and caring.
Advantages of the Associate Degree in Nursing
Students who choose the two-year Associate Degree for their nursing education experience the following advantages:
- An early opportunity to affirm career choice by beginning nursing experience already in the first semester of college
- Savings of time for those eager to enter the workplace
- Significant financial savings since programs typically only take four semesters to complete
- Access to exciting employment opportunities in a wide variety of roles and settings
- An opportunity to continue education while working at an RN wage
- Financial assistance with tuition costs (once in the workplace as an RN, many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for RNs choosing to continue their education for a bachelor's degree in nursing)
- Flexible options for RN-to-BSN study (many programs offer evening or weekend classes, on-line courses, and advanced placement for RNs who want to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing)
- An opportunity to bring actual employment experience to upper-level nursing college courses, resulting in 3-4 years of combined clinical experience in an academic setting
Job Outlook and Employment Opportunities
Hesston College Associate Degree graduates have a wide range of position opportunities open to them immediately upon graduation and licensure. Alumni typically are employed as staff nurses and charge nurses in hospitals, medical centers, extended-care facilities, home health care, clinics, and community health. Graduates can enter a wide range of nursing areas including medical nursing, surgical nursing, maternity care, pediatrics, mental health care, operative nursing, urgent care, and long-term care.
The current and projected job market for RNs across the United States is wide open with a great shortage projected into the next decade. According to a study published in the June 14 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, by 2020 the number of registered nurses will fall short of demand by 20 percent. "From children's hospitals to nursing homes, employers cannot hire enough RNs," says a DHHS report entitled "Hard Numbers, Hard Choices" from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The shortage of nurses is felt in the local Kansas area, across the United States and even globally. "For the first time in history there is a worldwide, global shortage of nurses," states Rachel Booth, dean of nursing at the University of Alabama-Birmingham ("Nursing Shortage: Not Cyclical This Time Around" in Medicine & Health, April 23, 2001, v55 il6 pS1).
Recent graduating classes from Hesston College have experienced no difficulty in finding employment in RN positions, either in Kansas or in other states. It is gratifying to know that, when students invest their time and financial resources in the nursing program, they have a marketable skill immediately upon graduation.