Does an ADN look bad?

[bth44]

Hi everyone. I'd like to persue nurse anesthesia. I graduated from an ADN program in the spring of 2004, and I'm currently working on a 16-bed med/surg unit. I've taken a year off from school entirely. I've always had the intention of going back for my BSN, but I really wanted to focus on my first "real job" for a good year. This summer, I'm going to take some chemistry and math classes at the community college at which I went to nursing school, and I hope to start the RN to BSN program at Oregon Health Sciences University via their distance learning program. While I was in my ADN program, we had an instructor, a practicing nurse practitioner, who had the attitude that nurses shouldn't practice with "just" and ADN degree, and she had made comments that the more prestigious schools weren't impressed with applicants who earned an ADN. She pretty much made some of our class feel like scum because we attended a community college. We were baffled as to why she was there and continued to teach since she didn't believe in us...but whatever... That made some of me wonder if others within the nursing community felt the same way. It'll be a few years before I'll actually apply; I need more critical care experience, more certification, GRE completed, and, oh, my BSN. Heh. But at this time, the schools that interest me are Samuel Merritt and Columbia. Would earning an ADN from "just a community college" be a dealbreaker Columbia, as it's ivy league?

[BabyRN2Be]

No, I'm not going for my CRNA, but I was told just the other day by one of our nurses that I should go the ADN route. Why? One of the big universities offering the BSN degree has a VERY low pass rate on the NCLEX.

I'm not looking to get in to grad school, I just want to be able to get a job after I attend school.

[heartICU]

When people are talking about that ADNs have more clinical experience than BSNs... are they talking about they gain more clinical experience while they are in school or they have more clinical experience because they are working as a nurse while they go on for there BSN. I know primarly the difference between ADNs and BSNs but is there a big difference in the clinicals that they go through while in school. For example, if a ADN student and BSN student both graduated at the same time would the ADN have more clinical experience? I was just wondering because I've been hearing the thing with more clinical experience a lot and I did not know if they have more clinical hours while they are in school.

That depends entirely on the BSN program. People tend to generalize about one program or the other, but it really depends on the program. My BSN program had clinicals every week for all four years, and I graduated with more clinical hours than most ADN programs. However, other BSN programs are not like this. The main difference is that you get four years of education with a BSN and 2-3 years with an ADN. Quality of that education is entirely program dependent. Decide for yourself if that extra 1-2 years of education is worth it for you.

[meandragonbrett]

I find it absolutely amazing the variances that we see from program to progam. I"m not comparing ADN/BSN but ADN to ADN and BSN to BSN. I find it amazing how some ADN programs have pathophysiology courses and others don't. Also that some BSN programs require biochem, ochem, etc. One school around here requires Zoology in addition to A&P and Pathophys. Nursing education seems to be so disorganized when you compare program to program! My BSN program is two years of prereqs and the liberal arts stuff. Then two years of clinicals 2-3 days a week, didactic portions of clinical courses, and then theory and management courses. Our clinical days are normally 12 hours long. Am I the only one that's noticed the differences?

[sunshine9]

That depends entirely on the BSN program. People tend to generalize about one program or the other, but it really depends on the program. My BSN program had clinicals every week for all four years, and I graduated with more clinical hours than most ADN programs. However, other BSN programs are not like this. The main difference is that you get four years of education with a BSN and 2-3 years with an ADN. Quality of that education is entirely program dependent. Decide for yourself if that extra 1-2 years of education is worth it for you.

Thank you for letting me know that. I just keep reading all these posts that people have put with ADNs having more clinical experience than BSNs and I didn't know if I was going the right route by going straight for my BSN. Wasn't sure if I should be going for ADN and later getting my BSN. I know that I want that eventually so if I decide that there is something that I want to specialize in I already have that done.

[sunshine9]

I find it absolutely amazing the variances that we see from program to progam. I"m not comparing ADN/BSN but ADN to ADN and BSN to BSN. I find it amazing how some ADN programs have pathophysiology courses and others don't. Also that some BSN programs require biochem, ochem, etc. One school around here requires Zoology in addition to A&P and Pathophys. Nursing education seems to be so disorganized when you compare program to program! My BSN program is two years of prereqs and the liberal arts stuff. Then two years of clinicals 2-3 days a week, didactic portions of clinical courses, and then theory and management courses. Our clinical days are normally 12 hours long. Am I the only one that's noticed the differences?

It is kind of funny. I start nursing school in the fall and when I was looking at different schools to apply to I found the same thing. One place I was looking at didn't have pharmacology and I thought that was a little strange. I haven't seen pathophysiology in any of the ADN programs but that's one that I also thought should have been in there. I don't know if they just make up for it in the clinicals though. It is interesting how different they are.

[heartICU]

It is kind of funny. I start nursing school in the fall and when I was looking at different schools to apply to I found the same thing. One place I was looking at didn't have pharmacology and I thought that was a little strange. I haven't seen pathophysiology in any of the ADN programs but that's one that I also thought should have been in there. I don't know if they just make up for it in the clinicals though. It is interesting how different they are.

You will find that in some programs. My BSN program did not have a specific pharm class per se - pharm and pathophys was integrated with a two-semester long med surg class (worth nine credits each semester)! I have noticed that my program did end up separating out the pharm portion after I graduated though.