Associate degree nursing education: challenging premonitions with resourcefulness.

The demise of associate degree nursing education is greatly exaggerated. Most nurses enter nursing through associate degree programs. However, external forces--including changes in the structure of healthcare delivery models, changes in practice settings, and the public's demand for decreased healthcare cost--are forcing associate degree nursing educators to provide a different type of product. The authors offer strategies for educators to meet the challenge of equipping associate degree nursing students with the skills needed for the 21st century.