MAADND Position Statement on Associate Degree Nursing
The Maryland Association of Associate Degree Nursing Directors (MAADND) supports the concept of two professional levels of preparation for registered nursing practice. One level of preparation is the associate degree; the other level is the baccalaureate degree. Both levels prepare for entry into the profession of Registered Nursing practice.
MAADND agrees that there is a common core of knowledge, attitudes, cognitive and psychomotor skills, to meet the role expectations of a registered nurse. Associate Degree nursing programs include a balance of biopsychosocial and discipline specific courses which provide the breadth of knowledge necessary to provide excellent care to people of all ages. This common core of knowledge serves to prepare graduates to give direct patient care in hospital and community based settings as well as to provide a foundation for an effective educational ladder to facilitate career development for nurses.
MAADND supports the legal title, Registered Nurse, for the associate degree and baccalaureate graduate. The level of performance by associate degree graduates on the registered nurse licensing examination (NCLEX-RN) validates their ability to function as registered nurses, meeting all the role expectations associated with the title.
