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Essential Competencies of Texas Graduates of Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Programs

 Baccalaureate education, offered in university settings, provides students with a broad perspective and understanding of multiple content areas. The baccalaureate nursing program of study integrates approximately 60 hours from a variety of liberal arts and science courses and 60-70 hours of nursing courses. Community health nursing, research, and full length courses in leadership and management are content areas required in the baccalaureate curriculum and are generally not addressed in the preceding levels of education.

The baccalaureate graduates are prepared to synthesize information from various disciplines, think logically, analyze critically, and communicate effectively with clients and other health care professionals. Graduates are expected to demonstrate all the competencies (knowledge, judgment, and skills) of the preceding levels of education, but with greater depth and breadth of application. The focus of care includes not only the individual and family as clients, but also extends to aggregates, community, and society within the context of the environment. available resources and technology. Graduates also are expected to incorporate research findings into comprehensive long-term planning for the health of IFACS (Individuals, their Families, Aggregates, Communities and Society).

Graduates of baccalaureate programs are prepared to provide and direct care for clients who have complex and unpredictable health care needs in structured and unstructured settings. They routinely begin their careers in structured settings but may rapidly move into community-based settings and/or leadership roles. They also are prepared for entry into graduate nursing education where they may further develop their professional roles, preparing to become nurse educators, administrators, or advanced nurse practitioners.

Only the competencies of the BSN graduate which build upon other levels of nursing are listed.

Registered Nurses may receive their nursing education through two-year programs offering an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or four year programs offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Both programs lead to RN licensure after passing the NCLEX-RN examination. Both include courses in physical and behavioral sciences and nursing theory, as well as supervised clinical experiences. A BSN degree, however, allows the nurse more flexibility in nursing assignments, and is often required for advancement and supervisory positions. 

A summary of differences between an LVN, an ADN-prepared RN and a BSN-prepared RN are listed on the Educational Options Flyer

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