Why do Nurses tell students to go BSN??

Nursing Students General Students

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I know this has been discussed before but my situation is a bit different. Quick back-story:

  • Wanted to do ADN '12 but CC lost paperwork so that was on hold
  • Applied and got into BSN Spring '13 while waiting on CC
  • Applied for CC summer '13 and got acceptance on Tuesday :) and clinicals start January
  • I asked a few RNs which to choose and they all say BSN

Our hospital has no preference or pay diff but I get that maybe they want me to get the BSN now vs RN then BSN because life throws curve-balls. Well life threw me one and that's why I applied for the CC...

Im 25, married, mortgage, and mom will have to come live with us until she can work so I have to cover her bills... so I wont be able to afford my BSN.

But why are RNs advising me to get into debt for school despite knowing my acceptance to a good school? (hospital has partnership with them). Im not in a BSN preferred area either and my hospital will pay 100% RN-BSN.

Am I missing something?

Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.
at some point you will need your BSN degree for that. And certain specialty areas of nursing request at least a BSN (flight nursing, for example).

Thats the point... I will so I dont get why it makes a difference how I get there.

I am not being dismissive, I am thinking rationally in the sense that either way I go, in 2016 I will have a BSN...

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Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.
Actually, it is true. The classic paper by Linda Aiken (remember that name).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2586978/pdf/nihms74339.pdf

.

Very interesting indeed... Thanks for sharing

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Thats the point... I will so I dont get why it makes a difference how I get there.

I am not being dismissive, I am thinking rationally in the sense that either way I go, in 2016 I will have a BSN...

The difference is that in a BSN program, you complete it and that's it - you got your BSN. In an ADN program, you're not done - you still have to go to another school and do more to get your BSN. I know you know this and it's common sense, but what I'm trying to point out is that it is harder for some people to go from ADN to BSN because at that point they're mentally exhausted from finishing their ADN program. Then they take the NCLEX and figure...I could get a job right now. In fact, I could just focus on work and not get my BSN - I could come back to it later.

Some end up going back eventually and others don't. Point is, it's just much easier to go to a school where you can get it done at once and never look back.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Quite frankly, you should get a BSN first because it's miserable to work your butt off in an ADN program, get a 4.0, and go job hunting only to be told repeatedly that you're not good enough because they only hire BSN's. look around here on allnurses... Even the BSN new grads are struggling to find work. Why put yourself at a disadvantage? Also, as someone who did the RN to BSN program, I can agree with Green Tea that it's REALLY hard to work full time as a nurse while getting that BSN.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

You also won't graduate tomorrow.

You know the hiring situation at this moment - you don't know what it'll be in 2-3 years. What you DO know is that at some point it'll change, because the change has already started. It's not just a rumor anymore.

When I chose my school, a few big hospitals were BSN preferred, but the suburban hospitals were all still primarily made up of ADN nurses. A few years later, I'm about to graduate and everything has changed. The situation isn't dire because WANTING to hire BSNs and actually pulling it off are two different things...but still, the majority of us won't be employed in a hospital an we're all registered to start our BSN bridges the month after we graduate.

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Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.

It is easier to get complacent than to go on which is soo true but Im not for that lol... Thanks for your honesty and concern btw

You guys are so smart lol

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Degree is only 36K because I did an Associates that covered my pre-reqs but I guess I keep thinking that it isnt financially smart to do so when I could do CC ADN for 7K and then RN-BSN for 12k... My RN friend that suggested staying in my BSN program said she dreads me getting prego after ADN and never going through to my MSN but I'd rather that "accidentally" happen in a cheaper program than in my BSN lol... Thats also not factoring my NP program which I'd rather use loans for (that Im aiming for)

This is a bit confusing -- you say that you already have a AA degree covering pre-reqs.. if that is the case then a BSN would not take you 4 years. You should be looking at 2 years to get either the ADN or the BSN.

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Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.

No I did an AA in Liberal Arts 2008 that covered pre reqs as I couldnt do nursing as an International student. I started the BSN this past January but the program is not formulated for outside transfer students; its a standard 4 yr but I got in so it would still be 4 yrs but I will be a part-time student until next Fall if I stay there and graduate 2016. The ADN is 1 1/2 years for clinicals.

The ADN is a better program and has a better rep with the hospital for hiring their grads vs the BSN school

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then that makes for an easy decision if i were in your same shoes.

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Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.

sorry for confusing you earlier lol

I have A LOT to consider

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Hindsight is 20/20, so here is some of mine. I did my prereq in a CC and got my AA-Liberal Arts. I was accepted into the same CC's AAS-RN program. I finished and have my license since July. I cannot get work. I am already doing my online RN-BSN, but I cann ve ot get work as AAS-RN. Nothing. Nada. Zip. When I started two years ago, the hospitals would still take the AAS-RN's with really good grades and references. I have both. Today. Nothing. Every day, my heart dies a little. I have kids, hubby, house, all need to have me making money. I am almost through my retirement savings from my previous 20+ years of working (not in medical field). I love nursing. Love it. My insides spark to life when I am doing it. My advice is if you can do it, blast through to your BSN, because you may wind up doing that anyway. Don't count on finding a nursing job unless you have a contract with a hospital already. Good luck with whatever choice you make.

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In your case, honestly, I'd go the cheaper route. And I had a similar decision to make and chose to go BSN first. But:

The ADN program would have been twice as long as the accelerated BSN I was accepted to

and

My area has a STRONG preference for BSN prepared nurses that predated my going to nursing school by several years

In your case, the ADN is shorter, cheaper, and currently you don't live in a BSN preference area. I'm not sure it's worth 30k to bet that by the time you finish your ADN your area will have such a strong preference that you can't get a job anywhere. Get your ADN, work your butt off, and get the BSN asap once you graduate.

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