I'm not going to lie...

[StudentOfHealing]

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.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Meh, I get where you're coming from but don't let it get to you. I just graduated with my ADN and passed NCLEX. I plan on going for my BSN as soon as possible. I'm currently a CNA and I wouldn't be able to discern between an ADN or BSN on the floor unless I asked them personally.

Our program (American River College) here in Sacramento, has an excellent reputation. Some of the best, most bada** nurses were ARC grads, I found out.

I think it's a personal decision whichever way you go about becoming a nurse. If someone has a problem with that, that's on them. You're still really young, don't worry, you've got plenty of time. It's never too late, IMO. It's your life, don't let other people's attitudes get to you. You know what you need to do so go do it! Good luck!

Just wanted to say...you're currently an RN working as a CNA . You deserve the title you earned it. :)

"No day but today"

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Many hospitals are going to be requiring it soon anyway. One local hospital told all their LPNs they had to go get their RNs within X amount of time or be demoted to some kind of administrative role. The same will hold true with the BSN. If you're an ADN they'll give you X amount of years to either get into a program or complete a program, or be demoted to a CNA status.

Licensing may or may not follow suit. Who knows.

Mine requires it now. New hires must agree to get it in 4 years and current employees can't transfer if they don't agree to get it in 4 years.

"No day but today"

[ComeTogether, LPN]

i apologize if i offended any ADN RN i didn't mean to i was just ignorant of the fact that one could go to college for 2 years and qualify to sit the same exam that BSN students take. And then be granted the same scope of practice with similar compensation. that doesn't happen in my country, an RN equates to someone who went to a university for 4 years period, 2 years of education equates to a "nursing assistant" who went to a community college. This is simply maintaining a high standard of a profession.[/quote']

A lot of the ADNs I work with are going back for their BSNs and the pre reqs required are ridiculous. Like music and religion. The nursing classes involved are not more than one or two semesters all together.

"No day but today"

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

This is mythology, or rather, part of the larger mythology ADNs have constructed for themselves.

The clinical hours required to sit for the NCLEX are dictated by the SBON. They are the same for both ADNs and BSNs, and they can't be otherwise.

Another favorite piece of this mythology is the idea you also repeat that ADNs are better at "bedside nursing" than BSNs. Not only is this not true, it's not even quantifiable (but then neither is that other idea that ADNs start faster but BSNs catch up in a year).

It's all nonsense.

^ Thank you for clarifying this myth...the clinical hours are set forth by the BON...there is no difference in clinical hours by which degree path you choose. This is used too many times, and it may be a comfort to some to believe in that "truth" but in fact, it's simply not true.

I went through something that was defined as an accelerated program (I was an LPN). It was 1 year less of time to do coursework...instead of 3 years of nursing education, it was 2 because we went through the summer. We had lab immersion, and were at area hospitals for Med-Surg, OB, Peds; we were able to rotate to ICU, ER, PACU for critical care; I was on a Stepdown Unit with Tele for my senior year. We helped with admissions, discharges, learned how to do a transfer report and a admission report.

Boston is correct; the way healthcare is rapidly changing, the ability to present the process if nursing care, compare trends, make up new processes and proceed with learning and helping contribute to the epidemics that our pt population is facing is done at the bedside. It is important to understand in depth how research is driven by Benner's theory or Watson's theory and how to apply it in terms if pt teaching and how effective your practice can be in those terms, and if your trend works, how important that can be implemented in all nurses in their practice...that's the beauty of nursing, and what I have learned in my BSN coursework.

I do not speak about ADN nursing, however, I feel that this information can be presented though nursing education courses at facilities; I'm not necessarily dismissing the investment hospitals may have to pump in with the additional information; although as a new grad I am fortunate to be at a facility that goes through a good orientation in seminars and classroom time about safety, ethics, advocating for yourself, transparency-a lot of humanities-based discussions and interactions in ADDITION to matching preceptorship and mentoring, and all new grads enter the residency program as well. We learn how to do reports documentation, etc...we went over the basics of what I learned in clinicals, and that is a requirement of preceptorship to learn all these aspects; regardless of degree. Even though they prefer to hire BSNs, regardless of the degree, we are privy to the same orientation program.

Again, I have to agree with Boston about sooner rather than later, the BSN will be relied on an entry level to practice. I am in an area where nursing research is happening all the time, and being used constantly, so it is coming to the bedside, as well as the ability for a lot of procedures that physicians are used to doing are being offered to the nurse. Our scope is expanding in our area, mainly because of the research nursing that is being done...expanding on the base of "what you know" is an investment, because our practice continues to evolve, and I at want to be prepared. I also think that regardless of what path to the RN, all nurses should have the opportunity to be prepared without breaking the bank either.

Something has to give...because the role of the nurse is changing, without a doubt.

[Stephalump]

The clinical hours required to sit for the NCLEX are dictated by the SBON. They are the same for both ADNs and BSNs, and they can't be otherwise.

It's all nonsense.

The MINIMUM number of clinical hours is set by the BON. It's entirely possible for one program to get more clinical hours than other.

Before the surge of BSN students came to town, the ADN programs far exceeded the minimum number of hours - almost double the hours BSN students were getting. Fewer hours in lecture left more time for the hospital.

Now everyone is fighting for clinical space and the scale is pretty even.

[Anoetos, BSN, RN]

The MINIMUM number of clinical hours is set by the BON. It's entirely possible for one program to get more clinical hours than other.Before the surge of BSN students came to town, the ADN programs far exceeded the minimum number of hours - almost double the hours BSN students were getting. Fewer hours in lecture left more time for the hospital. Now everyone is fighting for clinical space and the scale is pretty even.

I'd love to see the evidence for this

[Dembitz, APRN]

Everyone thinks of an associate's degree as a very basic, two year degree. In reality, that's not true, as the ADN takes more than two years when you consider the 1-2 semesters of prerequisites required. I don't think there any other associate's-level programs that are similar. So to start, I think the ADN label is almost somewhat of a misnomer in the nursing field, as ADN's have more credits than their fellow associate's-level educated peers.

But consider the degree level of every other non-MD/DO group working in the hospital. Physical therapists have a doctorate, and speech pathologists have a master's degree (referring to newer entrants into the field, not older professionals). From what I can see, respiratory therapy and radiology tech are pushing to transition away from the associate's degree to bachelor's or higher. I'm not going to argue that one nursing degree is inferior to the other, but I do think we should push for degree parity with these other professionals. What we do is just as important and requires just as impressive a knowledge base, our degree should reflect that.

[ixchel]

I'd love to see the evidence for this

I think she meant local to her, not on a national level.

[Anoetos, BSN, RN]

I think she meant local to her, not on a national level.

Nonetheless, I'd like to see the support.

[Stephalump]

Nonetheless I'd like to see the support.[/quote']

All you'd need to do is look at the website of a BON. There is a minimum, not a maximum. By virtue of that, you cannot accurately say it's impossible for different programs to have varying amounts of clinical time. So will have the bare minimum. Some will have more. The curriculum isn't that standardized (at least not everywhere.)

[BostonFNP, APRN]

All you'd need to do is look at the website of a BON. There is a minimum, not a maximum. By virtue of that, you cannot accurately say it's impossible for different programs to have varying amounts of clinical time. So will have the bare minimum. Some will have more. The curriculum isn't that standardized (at least not everywhere.)

I think he was referring to the sweeping statement about how ADNs have more clinical hours because BSNs are in lecture instead of clinical. Some programs may offer more clinic time ; some may offer more quality clinic time, and still others may offer more supervised lab and sim time.

Regardless it's a moot point.

[Stephalump]

I didn't make a sweeping statement. I used an anecdote, and I will not be submitting evidence to corroborate my personal experience in one tiny section of the world, because it isn't the crux of the matter.

The point was being made that Idea #1 (All ADNs get more clinical time) must be false because Idea #2 (All programs have the same clinical time) is true.

Unfortunately, Idea #2 is false. That doesn't mean Idea #1 is necessarily a fact. Just that no one has proved it to be untrue.

Anyway, it is a moot point, really.