Anyone else in RN to BSN program?

MollyJ · Jun 9, 2001

Hi, I am a BSN completion (and subsequent MSN) "survivor".

The thing I will always remember when I went through (which was in the 80's, finishing in 1990. I worked fulltime, attended part time and did it 7 years--) was that it was really hard for all of us, be we diploma (as I am) or ADN, to admit that "something" was lacking and we wanted and needed the BSN. We were actually conflicted to be there, ambivalent, angry, defensive and I remember one teacher who was very matter of fact but allowed us to vent some of that so we could get on with the business of getting our degrees. Do RN to BSN students still feel that way?

I loved all my pre-reqs. That was almost fun and they did enrich my nursing practice. Probably the pre-reqs that I enjoyed the most and USE the most now are: Human Sexuality, an elective called Psychology of Health and Illness and Introduction to Anthropology. The way that pre-reqs enhanced my nursing practice convinced me of the wisdom of using the BSN as the entry level of practice because though I had been a very adequate nurse before my BSN, I believe my BSN course work helped me see the complexity of the human situations involved in nursing much better, which is a function of time and exposure to information.

Learning to think in a theoretical framework about nursing was the most challenging, because it seemed so frou-frou or extraneous. When I went to my BSN program, many BSN programs adopted a main theorist and used it as a foundation for teaching nursing and Wichita State's was Dorothea Orem. She seemed to have a hundred ways to state the obvious. But over time, I realized that Orem helped me to see nursing care situations in a new way and helped me perceive different ways of helping. Again, hard to capture what it is was that was learned, but it feels different and has changed my practice.

I salute you for doing the rigorous work of the BSN completion. Good luck.

ComicRN · Jun 9, 2001

MollyJ - thanks for your reply. Yes, I know exactly what you are saying about how the BSN helped you in your practice. I am so glad that I did not do a 4 year program initially. I think having already practiced for 9 years has helped me to understand and appreciate what I am learning now.

Interedting that you should mention Dorthea Orem. My thesis is on the importance of patient and family education and Orem's name keeps popping up in almost everything I read!!

I'm enjoying the course work so much it makes me want to be a student for the rest of my life. People look at me funny when I say that -- but I do enjoy learning. When I am finished with my BSN, I hope to go on and my certification in Geriatrics.

Thanks again for your reply.

gpip · Jun 10, 2001

Originally posted by ComicRN:
Hello, from Rochester, NY. I am in the 6th month of a 15 month RN to BSN program. It's ALOT of hard work, but I'm sure it will be worth it. I'd be interested in hearing about other folks who are going through a similar program.

I am in the last nursing class I have to take right now and it is difficult to focus. We are doing our community health rotation at an inner city elementary school and we are all out of our element plus the kids are done with school this thursday. I will have six co-requisites to go after this class and I never thought I would look forward to art appreciation, but I am. I took one full semester off after my ADN program before starting back. I am glad I went back it is the best thing I could have done for myself. It has made me an overall better nurse in my opinion. I e-mailed the National organization for ADN's about the percentage that go on and sadly it is only 16 percent.