[txspadequeen921]

I guess you need to clean the sand outcha ears cause every other thread on this forum these days is about these very subjects.

Originally Posted by Tweety

I wonder if I live with my head in the sand because I've never heard anyone say they were a better nurse because they had a BSN or that they deserved more pay. Once, and only once did a coworker tell me he heard a nurse that float to our unit say "Anyone can put potassium in an IV, but it takes a BSN to know why". That is the only time I've ever heard of someone who heard someone put down ADNs.

[traumaRUs]

Tweety - I'm with you on this. I've been a nurse for 15 years and have never heard the BSN is better thingie out in the work world. What I do hear (and see) is that some positions require a BSN or MSN or whatever. There is nothing wrong with this.

And...I did the LPN to ADN to BSN to MSN to post-MSN certificate and boy do I wish that I had just gone straight to the BSN! Would have saved me a lot of time and effort.

[multicollinearity]

I was referring to what I read on this site. Also, I think this is something that students primarily obsess about. I suspect that those out there actually working as RNs could care less.

[lovegoddess1977]

Maybe I have just had some bad experiences. I actually had a nurse tell me that she would go and assess my patient because she didn't feel that my education (as an LPN) was concrete enough to make a good assessment. I was furious. By the way she screwed up anyway. She was an ADN nurse. Which really doesn't matter.

Also, a BSN nurse that I work with told me to my face..... Do not go to an ADN program. You will walk out of there not knowing WHY you do what you do. She told me that ADN programs just show you how to perform a skill but don't tell you why you do things. Then she told me to go and get my BSN because they are the only true nurses.

I was floored. I have actually had a few more experiences but those are the ones that stick out in my mind. I feel thats ridiculous.

I wasn't trying to get anything stirred up. Just expressing my anger about this.

So to answer your question...yes...people have actually said things like that to me.

I pretty much just ignore them. Sometimes its not worth it to get into a heated debate. Some peoples minds will never be changed.

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by traumaRUs

Tweety - I'm with you on this. I've been a nurse for 15 years and have never heard the BSN is better thingie out in the work world. What I do hear (and see) is that some positions require a BSN or MSN or whatever. There is nothing wrong with this.

And...I did the LPN to ADN to BSN to MSN to post-MSN certificate and boy do I wish that I had just gone straight to the BSN! Would have saved me a lot of time and effort.

I think I've mostly heard these things here on allnurses.

I too would have gone the BSN route - If I had been directly out of high school. I did go that route for a Social Work degree right out of high school.

I've mentioned before that my mentor suggested that I NOT take a CNA course or do the LVN program first - just go straight for my RN.

The only way to do that was a local CC. I had three kids and live 70 miles away from the CC and 3 hours away from the university.

steph

[TraumaICURN]

Originally Posted by SNKerri

I just have a quick comment...
It seems as though alot of times we dicuss the ADN who has "been around the block" and therefore is more mature and has life experience. The issue that I wonder about and have experienced is the ADN that was 17 right out of HS and got thier ADN and now are working on the floor as a 19 yo RN. This SCARES me...at 19 there is NO WAY i was ready to take on the responsibility to be an RN. I think there may be a few exceptions to the rule but i dont know many 19 yo's that are ready for that. I would not trust my health or that of my child in the hands of a 19 yo whether they were educated or not.
I experienced a group of 19 and 20 yo New Grads that came to ME when I was still a student and were asking me questions about med calculations and other things. It made me really nervous.
What do you all thing of the BSN in this capacity?(just out of curiosity)

I am a 20 y/o BSN-RN, and I have had a couple of patients tell me that they didn't feel comfortable with me being their nurse due to my age. One lady even requested a change of nurses, with a coworker. She had CHF and was taking Digoxin. Well, I walked in to ask my coworker if she had the PCA keys, and I heard her say "Ms. So and So, I've got your digoxin ready for you," and the lady's heart rate was in the upper 40's. I asked my coworker (in her 40's) if she was sure she wanted to give it, and she was positive. So I pulled her to the side and told her that it wouldn't be a good idea. So she asked every nurse on the floor....just to find out I was right. Just because someone is older doesn't necessarily make them a better nurse because they have more "life experience".

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by TraumaICURN

I am a 20 y/o BSN-RN, and I have had a couple of patients tell me that they didn't feel comfortable with me being their nurse due to my age. One lady even requested a change of nurses, with a coworker. She had CHF and was taking Digoxin. Well, I walked in to ask my coworker if she had the PCA keys, and I heard her say "Ms. So and So, I've got your digoxin ready for you," and the lady's heart rate was in the upper 40's. I asked my coworker (in her 40's) if she was sure she wanted to give it, and she was positive. So I pulled her to the side and told her that it wouldn't be a good idea. So she asked every nurse on the floor....just to find out I was right. Just because someone is older doesn't necessarily make them a better nurse because they have more "life experience".

That is amazing because one of the things POUNDED into my brain in school was NOT to give Dig unless you did an apical hr for one minute. Don't even open the dig. And when you go to chart, you MUST chart a heartrate.

Weird.

steph

[kstec]

I always enjoy reading the hierarchy of nursing forums. When I started my pre-reqs 6 years ago (one class at a time) when my youngest was 9 months old, I was so excited about going for my LPN. I know some of you are reading this saying "Well you do realize that your are at the bottom of the food chain". Well at the time I started LPN's were still in the hospitals and were tentatively going to be faded out. Well as time went on and money was short, I fulfilled my dream of becoming a nurse (LPN), we'll what used to be considered a nurse. Now from reading all of these forums I've come to the conclusion that alot of nurses tend to not be very nice and forget that not all of us had or have the opportunity to get our Bachelors or Masters, but are content with the fact that we went to school to help people. No I am not a RN, nor to I claim to be one, but I do have something to contribute to the healthcare field. I do believe in each tier there should be a pay difference, considering cost and knowledge, but to think that just because you have more letters behind your letter that you are better than me (LPN), you're not. Instead of having that mentality why don't RN's let LPN's assist and you mentor us instead of constantly belittling us. As for anyone who has a higher degree of education, I think it is wonderful and you deserve it for the sacrifices you made or didn't make, but for me the bottom of the food chain LPN, it just isn't presently in the cards and hasn't been in the past, so I will continue to be proud of my accomplishments and you be proud of yours (BSN, MSN).

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by txspadequeen921

I guess you need to clean the sand outcha ears cause every other thread on this forum these days is about these very subjects.

I'm talking about in real life.

But even here on this forum if you count the number of BSNs that put down ADNs by saying they are better nurses, compared to the overall number of posts, it's still small. Also there are an equal number of ADNs who put down BSNs.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by TraumaICURN

Just because someone is older doesn't necessarily make them a better nurse because they have more "life experience".

Agree. Sometimes new grads have such fresh and up to date knowledge, I pick their brains a lot. So many things have changed since I graduated.