Comparing clinical competencies between nursing students with degrees and traditional students

Nursing students with second degrees have become the focus of great interest in the last two decades in terms of being an answer to the nursing shortage. They are thought to possess greater ability to critically think and engage in self directed learning behaviours, and possess greater motivation to master clinical skills. The purpose of this study is to compare differences in students ’ perception of clinical competency between BSN students with a baccalaureate degree and BSN students without a previous degree. The sample consisted of 134 undergraduate junior and senior nursing students enrolled in a traditional baccalaureate program in a large metropolitan university. The results yielded statistically significant differences on two of the 36 competency measures. Second degree students indeed are different in maintaining client confidentiality and developing appropriate, prioritised nursing diagnosis. Therefore, this study supports that second degree nursing students have greater clinical competency in professional behaviours of client confidentiality and critical thinking with nursing diagnosis. Interestingly, the study did not support second degree students as superior in mastering 17 basic nursing clinical skills