Should BSNs be paid more?

Nurses General Nursing

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I know ADNs and BSNs both sit for the same NCLEX exam, both have approximately four years of education, and at best have negligible differences (over time) in their nursing skills. BSNs take courses than broaden their overall knowledge; however, ADNs have more clinical experience prior to entering the workforce. Should there be a differential for BSNs, or should the reward for obtaining a BSN lie in the ability to advance one's career?

I'm not trying to start an ADN vs BSN bashing, I'm just curious to see what you all think.

But of course they should!!!! They, the BSN nurses, label their IV tubing in such a fashionable manner. Give me a break with this nonsense!!!

If you look at that, all but one of those "additional educations" have nothing at all to do with the type of nursing program one attends. None of those skills has anything to do with the actual BSN. That was exactly my point. The BSN has little to do with actual skills that are aquired after the fact. Any type of RN can aquire any of those advanced certifications and they have absolutly nothing to do with a BSN.

So, why is there a BSN program at all? If it is of such little value to the profession, then why even include the option?

The answer is that a job can encompass more than the base skill set. While the ADN or certificate grads can gain this knowledge through experience, the BSN starts off with at least the theoretical knowledge. People understand this dynamic going into college/university courses. That's why they invest the time, money, and energy into the pursuit.

Also, if the information gathered at the BSN level is a prereq for master's level programs, doesn't that infer that there's something of value in that program? If not, then why not offer CRNA ect. at the BSN level and do away with master's level programs? The answer is self evident.

The part that I find puzzling is that this attitude that a BSN carries no additional value is self limiting to any ADN or certificate nurse currently in the field. In other professions, the differentials offered by the move from an AS to a BS degree are seen as a significant step toward career (and monetary) advancement. What do ADN degree grads gain by squelching the notion that additional education can equate to additional pay? If I were in hospital management, it seems that I'd want to discourage such an equation. Then there'd be justification for keeping wages depressed for ALL nurses, regardless of experience. Capping everthing at the ADN level just makes the nursing career self-limiting.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
Yes

Here it's part of our "pay per skill"..........4% for certification, 4% for ACLS, 4% for a critical care certification, 4% for doing charge,4% for reading and learning telemetry, 4% for precepting, 4% for a BSN. The more education and work experience you recieve the more you get paid. I like that idea.

That way you're getting paid for not only what you do. But also for education.

Dang. Wish we had that system.

Unfortunately, weird as it sounds, because I'm expected to have certain things, I don't get paid extra for them. OTOH, if I have things I don't need for my area, I still don't get paid extra for them.

Sometimes I think if I had a BSN, I'd probably have to pay the hospital instead of getting any extra pay for it. :chuckle

Can't win fer losin'.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Dang. Wish we had that system.

Unfortunately, weird as it sounds, because I'm expected to have certain things, I don't get paid extra for them. OTOH, if I have things I don't need for my area, I still don't get paid extra for them.

Sometimes I think if I had a BSN, I'd probably have to pay the hospital instead of getting any extra pay for it. :chuckle

Can't win fer losin'.

It's a nice system. When we went to this system lots of people got some nice raises like 3.00/4.00/hr at a time. I think it encourages quality.

(PLEASE, let's not read into this that I'm saying BSN nurses are better quality nurses. :chuckle )

I think that the number of ASN programs is diminishing. At least in my State we have gone from a situation where almost every University had an ASN/ADN program to a situation where there are only a couple which offer this option. I think that over time (within the next 20 years anyway) that the ASN/ADN option will become much like the diploma option which is to say rare. Keep in mind I'm not saying that this is because BSN trained nurses are any better than ASN/ADN or diploma nurses (indeed my gut instinct is that diploma programs with classroom augmentation probably produce the best trained nurses). Rather, I think that it is attributable to the same forces that I referenced in my first post within this thread.

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Yes, BSNs should be compensated for an expanded educational base, (that is nursing based). Same for a Masters. That said, I honestly do not know which of my coworkers have an AD or a BS, we all give excellent care. We only wear the RN on our badges.

My hospital pays a whopping 50 cents an hour for the degree, and 20 each for credentials such as ACLS (come on, its not a degree, its a 2 day course the first time). Those who put the extra effort into their own professional development deserve recognition for it. Whether or not you can "see" the difference on a daily basis is immaterial, the added resources are there.

As for the whole ADN vs BSN entry level debate, IMHO it has less to do with how well prepared a new grad is as it does with establishing nursing in the public eye as a profession rather than a "trade". Before any flames me, I AM NOT saying an LPN or AD-RN is a tradesman rather than a professional, I am saying that public perception of professionals requires a bachelor's degree. I can't think of another profession with as much responsibility as we have that has so many different routes into it. My personal opinion is that it would be a shame to do away with ADN programs, we are a predominantly female profession: there are too many excellent women we would lose if they could not do the "shorter" course, due to their circumstances in life.

To take it further, if doing the same work should always get the same reimbursement, what about FNPs and general practioner MDs? FNPs get 60-80% reimbursement from medicaid as opposed to MDs. My policies class debated this for quite a while. In the end, the higher degree gets held to a higher standard in a court of law.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Howdy, back from Church Camp. What a week!!!!!! Glad it's over!!!!!

For everybody saying 'oh no! not again!' - wait - this isn't that debate.

That debate is minimum entry BSN.

THIS debate is about salary differences.

My opinion might shock those that already know my opinion about mininum BSN entry (it's crap theory from ivory tower elitists with no connection to the real world - ok, now you can say 'oh no! not again!'):

I think BSNs should get 3-5 dollars more an hour. LOL. But it'll never happen. IT IS A MARKET FORCES ISSUE.

For those that believe in BSN entry, the demand for nurses will prevent that entry level as a legal mandate for at least another generation (it's already been an issue, or rather, non-issue, for at least a generation). If you want to move the 'profession' to BSN, the way to do it is by reward because a mandate is infeasible.

I've said before that, if BSN paid more, my bach would be a BSN and not a biology degree.

But. The only way to do that (actually see a BSN differential that's more substantial than credentials such as my CCRN) is for BSNs to band together, form their own organization (as if the ANA wasn't already the A(BSN/ANP)A ), and demand that differential.

But we have seen that nurses can't agree on anything, haven't we? So, as many have pointed out, because market forces don't recognize a difference, neither do paychecks.

I think that there should be a difference in order to voluntarily encourage what I loudly oppose should be mandated.

~faith,

Timothy.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Howdy, back from Church Camp. What a week!!!!!! Glad it's over!!!!!

For everybody saying 'oh no! not again!' - wait - this isn't that debate.

That debate is minimum entry BSN.

THIS debate is about salary differences.

My opinion might shock those that already know my opinion about mininum BSN entry (it's crap theory from ivory tower elitists with no connection to the real world - ok, now you can say 'oh no! not again!'):

I think BSNs should get 3-5 dollars more an hour. LOL. But it'll never happen. IT IS A MARKET FORCES ISSUE.

For those that believe in BSN entry, the demand for nurses will prevent that entry level as a legal mandate for at least another generation (it's already been an issue, or rather, non-issue, for at least a generation). If you want to move the 'profession' to BSN, the way to do it is by reward because a mandate is infeasible.

I've said before that, if BSN paid more, my bach would be a BSN and not a biology degree.

But. The only way to do that (actually see a BSN differential that's more substantial than credentials such as my CCRN) is for BSNs to band together, form their own organization (as if the ANA wasn't already the A(BSN/ANP)A ), and demand that differential.

But we have seen that nurses can't agree on anything, haven't we? So, as many have pointed out, because market forces don't recognize a difference, neither do paychecks.

I think that there should be a difference in order to voluntarily encourage what I loudly oppose should be mandated.

~faith,

Timothy.

I think this is an excellent post.....I agree. (and again, I am an AD nurse)

as an ADN nurse, I do agree!

Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

I strongly believe more education should = more pay. I think it's great that Tweety's organization pays for certs, too. Many of us get certs because it's required for our area, but more pay (even if it's token) would be an incentive for people to challenge themselves. Paying more for a BSN might encourage more people to go forward with their education who may not have wanted to before.

Specializes in LDRP.

I am an AD nurse.

Yes, BSN nurses should be paid more. If nursing as a profession values education, then why don't we reward that education? Education is always a good thing, no matter if it is directly affecting our jobs or not. (meaning-even if AD and BSN are doing same job functions, the education is still important)

We reward experienced nurses w/ increased pay. THe longer you work there, the more you get paid. So why not reward the experience of more education?

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
..................................Should there be a differential for BSNs, or should the reward for obtaining a BSN lie in the ability to advance one's career?...............................................................................

NO NO NO NO NO DIFFERENTIAL....NO...NADA!!! :rolleyes:

Education is a reward in an of itself. Having a diploma, an associate degree in nursing, or a bachelors in nursing does NOT a nurse make...........passing the NCLEX gives those grads the "priviledge" to be licensed nurses which affords them the right to practice nursing.

The choice or route of education is soley an individual choice based on what nursing goals each nurse may want to pursue. If a career choice requires a certain degree or certification.......then that's when it is necessary to meet "said requirements".

The End...............................................:cool:

Specializes in Med-Surg.

A facility worth working for should offer incentive pay for obtaining a higher level of education. My husband is a police officer. When you enter the profession in our state you do so at the 'basic' level. If you obtain a certain amount of training hours, years of experience, and college credit you may apply to the state for an 'intermediate' certificate and then with even more training, experience and college an 'advanced' certificate. The agency he works for offers extra pay per month for any officer that voluntary obtains a higher certificate. The higher the certificate, the more the pay. Yes, they're all doing the same job BUT incentive pay is offered for those who take the initiative to further their education.

IMO Facilities interested in recruiting and retaining an excellent nursing staff should adopt a similar plan: the more experience and education you have, the higher the pay.

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