An associate degree in nursing (ADN) is a two-year college degree that meets the minimum education requirements to become a registered nurse. Students who complete an ADN degree are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), a standardized nationwide exam that tests the competency of nursing school graduates in the U.S.
For many aspiring nurses, an associate degree in nursing is the first step toward a lifelong career in healthcare. ADN programs prepare students for a professional nursing career with focused coursework in nursing theory, health promotion, clinical practice, and patient care. Earning an ADN also provides a foundation for furthering one’s nursing education and career with a bachelor’s degree in nursing or another health-related field.
The term “ADN” is an abbreviation for “associate degree in nursing.” In the United States, this type of nursing degree is typically awarded by community colleges, vocational schools, and some four-year institutions. The ADN is one of the most popular educational paths for prospective students seeking entry-level nursing positions due, in part, to the relatively short time commitment required to complete the degree.
An ADN program generally takes two years of full-time study, allowing students to begin working as registered nurses more quickly (and at less cost) than pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). This is a particularly appealing option for students who wish to enter the nursing profession as soon as possible.
The objective of an ADN program is to help students develop and hone essential nursing skills while also providing them with a well-rounded education in the liberal arts. ADN program curriculum typically begins with general education courses in the humanities and sciences, such as math, English, psychology, and sociology. These courses lay the groundwork for more advanced nursing theory and practice studies.
After completing the required general education courses, ADN students will move on to focused, nursing-specific coursework. Topics such as health promotion, nursing assessment, clinical practice, and patient care are covered in depth. By exploring these topics, students gain the clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and clinical competence needed to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered care for diverse patients. A typical ADN curriculum will focus on the following topics:
Nutrition and proper dietary choices are closely linked to overall health, well-being, and a patient’s ability to respond to injury or illness. According to the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS), up to 50 percent of hospitalized patients become malnourished while hospitalized, which increases the risk of complications, delays healing, and impairs their chances of survival.
In this light, it is clear how students pursuing nursing degrees reap the benefits of coursework in nutrition and dietetics. Understanding the science of how food and nutrition affect human health is an essential part of nursing practice. ADN nurses use this knowledge to conduct nutrition assessments, dietary therapies, nutrition support, etc.
A medical-surgical nurse is a registered nurse who provides care to patients with various medical issues who are typically preparing for or recovering from surgery. Med-Surg is the single largest nursing specialty in the U.S., making it one of the most popular areas of nursing for ADN graduates.
What distinguishes the practice of medical-surgical nurses is the breadth and diversity of experience they bring to the job. A medical-surgical nurse might care for a patient with a heart condition, a patient with cancer, or a patient who has just had surgery – all on the same day. The common thread is that these nurses are experts in caring for patients with a wide range of needs. In preparation for this role, a typical ADN program will prepare nurses to care for patients with a wide range of conditions, from the relatively common to the rare and complex.
Admission requirements will vary by school, but most ADN programs have similar approaches to prerequisites and admissions criteria. These requirements may include proof of prior education (high school diploma or college transcripts), prerequisite general education courses, pre-entrance exams, drug screening, and criminal background checks.
Listed below are the most common admission requirements for ADN programs:
While most ADN programs are still offered in a brick-and-mortar format, nursing schools are increasingly adopting more flexible course formats to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Blended and hybrid programs that incorporate face-to-face nursing classes and online instruction allow students to complete some didactic coursework online while gaining essential clinical skills and experience in a traditional classroom setting.
An online ADN program may be a good option for nursing students who need to balance work and school commitments. Students enrolled in an online ADN program experience the same rigorous curriculum as their on-campus counterparts and have the opportunity to complete clinical hours at local community colleges or healthcare facilities near their homes. This combination of traditional instruction and online learning is a powerful approach that expands access to educational programs while maintaining the quality of nursing education.
While an ADN and BSN are both degree programs that prepare students for careers as registered nurses, there are considerable differences between the two. The most obvious difference is the length of time it takes to complete each program. An ADN program can be completed in as little as two years, while a BSN program typically takes four years.
The difference in time commitment is significant because both degree programs prepare students for the same NCLEX-RN licensing exam. In other words, an ADN will not make it any harder to become a licensed registered nurse. But this is, perhaps, the least important distinction between the two degree programs. The more significant difference between ADN and BSN programs is the scope of the curriculum and the impact that content has on the nurse’s professional development.
ADN and BSN programs share the same core nursing courses that teach students the competencies to become registered nurses and the clinical hours required to obtain licensure. However, BSN programs typically offer a more robust and comprehensive nursing curriculum that goes beyond the minimum requirements for licensure.
For example, BSN programs offer some courses that ADN programs do not, such as leadership training, nursing research, ethics, informatics, and advanced nursing theory. These additional courses provide BSN nurses with a better understanding of complex nursing concepts and technology in the workplace – concepts and skills that are increasingly in demand as the healthcare system evolves.
The difference between ADN-educated nurses and BSN-prepared nurses is significant when it comes to professional skills and competencies. A growing body of research has shown that patient outcomes and quality of care improve with BSN-educated nurses. For example, the last ten years of research conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing shows a correlation between higher levels of nursing education and lower patient mortality, fewer medical errors, and lower hospital readmission rates.
This is not to say that ADN nurses are less capable than BSN nurses or that ADN nurses offer less care than nurses with a BSN degree. The ADN nurse is highly skilled and competent in the technical aspects of nursing care. BSN nurses are simply better trained and qualified to tackle complex patient cases thanks to the more comprehensive nursing curriculum of a BSN program.
While the associate degree in nursing is a relatively quick and affordable way to begin a career as a registered nurse, it has some disadvantages that should be considered before you decide. Some of the drawbacks to an ADN include:
ADN nurses have many options available to them after graduation, including many unique opportunities for their nursing degree. Registered nurses with associate degrees can work in various healthcare settings and complete additional certifications that add value to their degree in nursing specialties such as pediatrics, surgery, oncology, and geriatrics.
Here are five of the best-paying job opportunities for nurses with an ADN:
While it is true that RNs with an ADN tend to earn less than RNs with a BSN, the gap is much narrower than many people believe. A 2018 study of nursing salaries and benefits found that the median salary for an RN with an ADN was approximately 5% less than BSN-educated nurses. This amounts to an average annual salary of roughly $76,000 for ADN nurses compared to $82,750 for BSN-educated nurses.
The chart below provides a breakdown of the median annual salaries of RNs with an ADN versus their counterparts with a BSN in the ten highest-paying states for ADN-educated registered nurses.
STATE | ADN SALARY * | BSN SALARY * |
---|---|---|
Washington | $87,145 | $93,639 |
Maryland | $85,327 | $87,391 |
New York | $83,878 | $95,197 |
Nebraska | $83,617 | $86,072 |
Virginia | $82,521 | $84,944 |
New Hampshire | $81,100 | $91,773 |
Colorado | $81,070 | $81,538 |
South Carolina | $80,891 | $81,931 |
Missouri | $79,868 | $81,120 |
Delaware | $79,855 | $81,648 |
* Zip Recruiter, Average ADN RN Salary by State, October 2021 |