NURSES: It's the person, not the paper

This letter is in regard to an article in The Press this last Saturday. This article was regarding nurses… ADN (2-year degree) versus BSNs (4-year degree). This article stated that infections in the operating room and mortality on the nursing floors was due to care by ADNs. This is an appalling statement, especially when, until very recently, most nurses were ADNs. In addition, a lot of ADNs have gone back to school and gotten their BSNs. That didn’t make them a better nurse, just more educated on statistics and community nursing — not especially useful on the nursing floors.

If I understand this correctly, this conclusion was based on a study. One can find any study to fit one’s agenda, if you look hard enough. As an ADN for more than 30 years, I found the article extremely insulting to all the hard working, truly dedicated ADNs RNs I have worked with! I know that Kootenai Health wants an all BSN staff, slamming ADNs is not the way to do it! I am proud to have served my career as an ADN RN. I felt I was a good nurse and know that my patients appreciated me. It insults my professionalism that Kootenai now is blaming ADNs for whatever problems they have. I also served as a captain in the Army Nurse Corps during Desert Storm, and the Army seems to think my care was wonderful. I think this issue is very confusing for the patient, who doesn’t know the difference between ADNs and BSNs and probably never will now. BSNs study two years of non-nursing prerequisites; both ADNs and BSNs take the same State Boards to obtain their RN license.

To me, it is the person who makes a great nurse, not just the education.

DAPHNE GOODSON

Coeur d’Alene