I'm not going to lie...

Nursing Students General Students

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Some people genuinely annoy me on here, I'm ALL for furthering education but dreading those of us who choose to start with our ADN is complete disrespect.

Had my mother been healthier (she has RA and her pain is becoming unbearable.... she's a massage therapist ... her hands are her money makers) I would have gone the BSN route.

There's nothing more that I want than to retire my poor old mom.

Going the BSN route would have meant

a) A further drive... lets just say our vehicles SUCK! My community college is even walking distance .. need be!!!

b) I would have had to pay 25K for the BSN... my ADN costs 5K.

c) Graduating later...I need to retire my mom... NOW ... she's 57 ... has HTN ... she's already had 2 hypertensive crises. Her RA puts her in awful pain

I appreciate higher education. I know I will bridge for my BSN and I plan to obtain my MSN by age 24.

I'm currently 20 and in my second semester.

side note: I hope that after I obtain my BSN THEN I will be qualified worthy of obtaining a job in the ICU. I will apply everywhere either way....

what do I have to lose? My friend graduated with her ADN and received a position as a NICU nurse... as a new grad!

I'm glad to say that everywhere I go the nurses truly enjoy us... and tell as graduates from our college make some good nurses.

For a community college we've done pretty well. Recently spent millions on a simulation lab... new lecture rooms... ect. I personally am learning a lot here and he best part is that if I graduate with a 3.0 I AUTOMATICALLY am accepted into UTMB upon applying because my college has a deal with them.

Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

For me, I have a BA already. I am getting my ADN from a college that requires all the same pre-reqs as the local university BSN program plus FIVE semesters in the nursing program. IOW, there isn't that much difference between the programs for me except cost. And that's huge. I will bridge to BSN after I start working. I'm not interested in going into debt, unless someone gives me a better reason than I can figure right now.

OP, do what's best for YOU.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Infusion.
I know it's not a popular thought but....I am a firm believer that new entry to practice should be a Bachelor's. I have absolutely no problem with current ADNs; just change the entry of practice for future nurses.

I'm curious to know why you feel this way about ADN's. Is a new ADN graduate nurse somehow detracting from a new BSN graduate nurse or their education? If so how? I absolutely believe that getting a BSN, MSN and or becoming a NP is wonderful and truly elevates our profession. I plan on bridging and acquiring a BSN myself after graduation in a few weeks. If one chooses or has the option or funds to do so, it's definitely optimal for their career path to have the BSN, but when it comes to clinical hours and patient care, some community college ADN programs actually have more required clinical hours than some BSN programs from nationally recognized Universities. So there will inevitably be some Associate degree RN's graduating and entering the workforce with more clinical hours under their belt, than some Bachelor degree RN's. I do not however believe that means one is better then the other, just perhaps more prepared for actual patient care. Let us also try to remember that we are all in this together and it is not a contest between ADN's and BSN's. We all want to be, or all ready are RN's (or LPN's) and have a passion for patient care, or at least I know I do. I am a much older student than most of my ADN classmates and some of them are fabulous and very intelligent people. I'm also mindful that some of them will be taking care of me in 20 yrs ;) and I can tell which ones will be wonderful nurses and which ones even after their BSN's, I pray I never get as a nurse! I have personally had a few surgeries and there are great nurses, mediocre ones and some not so competent ones, no matter what their educational level. I believe that what she was trying to convey in her post, was that it annoys her to read how judgmental some on here are and I agree with her. It is unfortunate that some can't be more encouraging and not quite so judgmental. Nevertheless I think it is admirable that at such a young age she cares for her mother and seems to a have the right heart for nursing and she will most likely be one of those that makes a wonderful nurse whether she has an ADN or BSN.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
I agree. If you have the money, it's extremely easy to get a BSN at all these for profit online schools.

If we want the entry point to be BSN only, the quality of all BSN programs needs to be improved as well.

The problem isn't a multiple point entry. The problem is all these for profit online schools. This is what makes many people I know think less of the educational standards of nursing.

There are a lot of absolute true things here: there are same awful for-profit (and non for-profit) BSN programs out there, however, there are equally as many awful ADN programs. The bad ones of both need to go.

Nursing needs to (in my opinion) standardize nursing curricula nationally and this can't be done effectively with continued multiple entries.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

I'm curious to know why you feel this way about ADN's.

I absolutely believe that getting a BSN, MSN and or becoming a NP is wonderful and truly elevates our profession.

I do not however believe that means one is better then the other, just perhaps more prepared for actual patient care.

I don't feel this way about ADNs. I feel this way about nursing as a profession (at any degree level). I have many ADN colleagues I would trust my life to. I worry that if nurses are to continue being the most trusted and most essential members of the healthcare team, they need the education to support it in a changing base level of education in the general and medical population.

You feel the same as me: education elevates the profession. Shouldn't there then be some manner of standardization in education?

If you agree one may be more prepared for patient care and practicing to the full scope of practice, then that highlights the need to make a standardized entry point at the highest preparedness for the scope.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

.......

Specializes in Med-Surg, Infusion.

Reply to BostonFNP who wrote: You feel the same as me: education elevates the profession. Shouldn't there then be some manner of standardization in education?

If you agree one may be more prepared for patient care and practicing to the full scope of practice, then that highlights the need to make a standardized entry point at the highest preparedness for the scope.

There is a standardization, but it is different in each state and the BON's have not established a national standard as of yet. I think we all get the point that your opinion stated in your posts, is that you think we should have a national BSN entry level for all nursing programs across the board, but many of us do not agree. I also do not think the current climate of nursing with the shortages and projected ones for the next 5-7 years here in the US, supports such a change or is really feasible right now. To have the attitude that a BSN or MSN makes you more prepared to be a nurse is misguided and simply puts people off. Large nationally recognized big 12 universities in my state offer full online ADN to BSN and BSN to MSN degrees, so there is no way that can possibly prepare anyone to be a better nurse just because they have a BSN or MSN behind their name, when they can sit at home in their pajamas and write reports with the aid of the internet. Most only do it because it is expected of them or because of pressure from their current employer. I have also spoke with many ADN's on the floor who said they have no plans on getting their BSN because it is simply not doable for them for a multitude of different reasons. Everyone must choose their own path that is right for them. :yes:

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

To have the attitude that a BSN or MSN makes you more prepared to be a nurse is misguided and simply puts people off.

.... there is no way that can possibly prepare anyone to be a better nurse just because they have a BSN or MSN behind their name...

Everyone must choose their own path that is right for them.

#) To clarify, I do not have any attitude with the degree someone holds, I am simply talking about the future of the profession as a whole. It sounds like maybe you have an attitude with my pint of view, but honestly, I don't take any of this personally.

#) I don't love online programs, but they do provide education. You can learn a lot sitting at home or library reading a textbook. Do you feel you have adequate experience to so strongly say what it "takes" to prepare a nurse for practice?

#) I 100% agree that everyone needs to take their own path. My own path is not a "traditional"

nursing path; I get that.

Specializes in L&D.

You sound like you're trying to defend your decision to go to a community college. Why do you feel the need to defend it if you see nothing wrong with it? Nobody said anything negative about getting an ADN, and I surf these boards every day! If someone did say something, let me know. I have been known to be wrong at times. ;)

I think the whole BSN vs ADN thing is silly.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Infusion.

I suppose I do sound a little defensive and that was not my intention. I do however grow weary of nurses asking me what degree I am getting and when I'm tell them I"m graduating with my ADN, the first reply is are you going to get your BSN soon? Or begin telling my why I need to continue on for my BSN. It is rather frustrating to constantly be defending your choices when you actually feel quite proud of your accomplishment and all you want to hear is way to go from your fellow nurse. In one of the posts in this thread someone even went as far to say it was easier to get an ADN because it is faster, which is absolutely false. But we all know the saying about everyone having opinions among other things LOL, so point taken. I need to remember to lighten up :lol2:

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Why did you chose ADN over BSN? What do you tell people when they ask?

Specializes in Med-Surg, Infusion.

A whole host of reasons, but mainly because I have 2 children in college that we support, so it is not financially feasible.

Why did you chose ADN over BSN? What do you tell people when they ask?
I started out at a public university. My first year I didn't know what I wanted to do and got mostly Cs. Then I switched to nursing. I took all the pre reqs needed for the BSN program (including nursing research, a cultural nursing class, and a healthcare systems class) didn't get into the program. They only let in 24 a year and while my GPA had approved, I still had those grades from my first year holding me down. The only other BSN programs in the area were over 10,000 a semester and required another year of their own seperate pre reqs (which is why I can kind of agree with you about having a standardized curriculum. How silly is it that my classes from a state uni aren't good enough for another college....) I was able to get into clinicals at my ADN program, and after I graduate I only need 6-7 classes for my BSN through my previous university, ill have a BSN at the same time I would've had I gone and taken another year of pre reqs and for a lotttt less money. That's what I tell people when they ask too. However, where I live most of the nurses seem to have ADNs... So I don't really run into the "why aren't you getting a BSN?" thing.
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