[casper1]

When I first heard about this change I was not happy. I graduated from an associate degree progran in 1993 and have been working full time in a hospital since then. Over the years I haven't felt a BSN education prepared you any better for hospital nursing. Experience working in a hospital is the best preparation.

The hospital I work at recently became a magnet hospital. Their has been a push for Nurses to be BSN educated. Their are more opportunitys for Nurses with a BSN. I've started an accelerated RN to BSN program through my hospital. They have made it so easy. Classes are held at the hospital once a week. The hospital helps with tuition cost. The program in informative and interesting. Going back to school has helped me to renew my enthusiam for nursing. Exploring new ideas and concepts is exciting. I would recommend returning to school for any nurse who is feeling burned out with nursing. It really has helped me re-kindle my love for the profession.

[JoshuaC]

Maybe for a start they could just give more perks to RN's who have their BSN. Personally I'm going to school to get my ADN but then going right back into school to get my BSN. I have a pretty good reason: I get free tuition at a school my dad works for, but they only offer an ADN program (brand new actually). So I'm getting my ADN without having to pay, then going right back into school to get my RN-BSN. I wish I could just get my BSN straight through, but two years of college paid for, I can't pass that up.

I do feel for the people with only the ambition to get their ADN. A lot of factors go into education (time, family, money, ect..), so it's easier for students already in BSN programs, or going into BSN programs, or RNs who have already gotten their BSN to throw words around. Although that's how I feel, I agree that the BSN should be the entry level degree for nurses; nurses are the backbone of healthcare, and they need more empowerment.

I mean, think of what would happen if there were no nurses. The world would fall apart!

[fgoff]

I wonder???? If we think a BSN will equal more respect/empowerment and thus more money from hospitals: Where will the hopsitals get the money? Past it on to consumers? Lower the CEO's expense account???

Just wondering??

I have a BSN & it has opened more doors in nursing than what would have opened without it, for that I'm grateful, but I was never told that I would be paid more so I didn't expect it.

As noted by another poster (sorry forgot title) the USA is behind other countries in not requiring a BSN as its enter level. But I'm guessing that a good number of those countries have a very different payment system for health care.

[heehee61]

Does anybody wonder why so many hospitals are incouraging their ADNs to receive their BSN? I agree that 2 additional yrs of liberal arts are not going to make a BSN a better nurse than a ADN. But the reality is, internationally, higher education is always viewed as a positive advancement. Because it equates to more dedication, and willingness to do whatever it takes to get you to where you want to be. Whether that is true in every case is insignificant, the main point is that, that is the general thinking.

How many of us feel superior to a person who has a less than a high school acheivement? Be honest... In that sense, the more knowledge, the more empowerment.

Given the constant shortage of nurses, I don't believe the government would ever require all nurses to have a baccalaureate. In my opionion, that serves as a ploy to continue the low wages nurses are getting. In almost every other profession, one that requires higher education, salary is a matter of price and demand. The more demand the higher the wages, so why are nurses who purportedly are always in demand don't get the higher wages they deserve? I personally think it's because LPN and ADN are considered an occupation skill, not a profession. Thus, nurses don't receive the respect they deserve. Admittedly, I don't know the ratio of LPNs/ADNs vs. BSN. But I'd venture a guess to say there is a higher number of LPNs and ADNs than BSNs. If all it takes is a few more classes to help us get more respect and pay, why should we not be for it?

Please note that I haven't even started nursing school yet, but I decided to go straight for my BSN instead of ADN because my goal is to be a nurse anethesist or nurse practitioner one day and that would mean I'd have to have a BSN anyway. With that reason, BSN does indeed open more doors.

[Palmo]

Hi,
I have heard alot about this lately...
I am in a RN bridge program...which is ASN...
I plan to get my BSN but I also think that with the shortage of nurses these days... the whole thing is unrealistic...they have been saying this on and off for years...threatening to drop a ASN to LPN....but this to me can't realistically "fly"

[ZASHAGALKA]

It's not true that ADN is considered an 'occupation skill'. Nowhere but in debates here does anybody even realize there IS a difference between ADN/BSN. The doctors are mostly oblivious. Your administration knows, but doesn't care.

The ONLY place this has been actually tried is N. Dakota. And THEY repealed the law as unworkable.

That should speak volumes.

Rest assured that NY is aware of the failure in ND. This was on the drawing board in NY a few yrs ago, but the failure in ND has effectively 'tabled the motion'.

And if it somehow doesnt, real life experience in NY will force them to come to the same conclusion that ND did.

But in point of fact, this isn't new news. NY was considering this a few years ago and has simply failed to follow through on the concept.

~faith,
Timothy.

[nurse2be2008]

I just started nursing school on Monday and one of my instructors who has been a nurse for 20+ years mentioned that she was hearing that in the next 10 years or so the minimum educational requirement for nursing will be an MSN degree. What in the world?!!!!

[ZASHAGALKA]

Originally Posted by nurse2be2008

I just started nursing school on Monday and one of my instructors who has been a nurse for 20+ years mentioned that she was hearing that in the next 10 years or so the minimum educational requirement for nursing will be an MSN degree. What in the world?!!!!

I heard similar things, 15 yrs ago.

See, if THAT were so, those MSN nurses would need another license to fill in the supply and demand gap created by MSN-entry. A license to do actual bedside care. They'd have to CREATE a new job, something like a - now what's the word I'm looking for - think. . . . think. . . Something like a - RN.

You can't believe every bit of propaganda from the Ivory Tower.

~faith,
Timothy.

[RN34TX]

Originally Posted by ZASHAGALKA

I heard similar things, 15 yrs ago.

See, if THAT were so, those MSN nurses would need another license to fill in the supply and demand gap created by MSN-entry. A license to do actual bedside care. They'd have to CREATE a new job, something like a - now what's the word I'm looking for - think. . . . think. . . Something like a - RN.

You can't believe every bit of propaganda from the Ivory Tower.

~faith,
Timothy.

It makes me think of my old LPN instructor who graduated from the state's first ADN program back in 1972. Many told her that she and other ADN prepared RN's were destined to become technicians of some sort and would not be considered to be "real nurses" anymore in the near future.

34 years later, and who still staffs the majority of staff nurse positions?

MSN minimum entry is almost laughable because we can't even come close to a BSN entry anytime in the near future.
Talk about putting the cart before the horse.

[HeatherRN2006]

i went to pace university and majored in nursing. i received a bachelor of science... is that the same as BSN???