Why is it that ADN/ASN nurses have difficulties obtaining, and maintaining jobs, wh

[Isis Phoenix]

From a discussion about the present status of ADN/ASN nurses, I understand that hospitals are reluctant to hire these nurses, preferring BSN as entry level nurses. If that is the case, why do colleges continue to offer AAS degrees in nursing? And how do we accommodate AAS nurses with years of experience who presently do not have the resource to obtain a BSN degree?

On the subject of hospitals not hiring ASN/ADN nurses; as per what I have gleaned from All Nurses comments, some hospitals hire LPN's.

"Kindred Hospitals hire LPNs, as does Norwegian American. Some hospitals will also hire LPNs but only in certain departments (Central DuPage, Provena, St. Alexius/Alexian Brothers) or in their outpatient/ambulatory care clinics (Loyola, Rush). If you have a hospital in mind you would consider working at, go ahead and check their website. They will usually have information on the site as to what type of nursing staff they hire."

The fact that hospitals are able to hire LPN's, who attended trade schools for ten to twelve months, they should also make accommodation for ASN/ADN nurses who have pursued college courses in addition to a two years clinical .Some ADN/ASN nurses also went into nursing with BA, BS, and Diplomas from other disciplines....which I think should be used as a bridge to the BSN program. If LPN's are being hired, and ASN/ADN are being phased out of the hospital, then that's an unfair situation which I think NYSNA, The ANA, and other nurses organization need to examine.....surely quite a few ADN/ASN nurses are finding it difficult to find a place in the health care arena. BSN in ten, or as the basic entry is good, but we cannot put nurses with years of experience out to pasture...they should be grandfathered into the BSN program....they need the assistance of nursing organization in order for them to stay in the field of nursing.

[Isis Phoenix]

Topic for discussion:

Why is it that ADN/ASN nurses have difficulties obtaining, and maintaining jobs, while some health care facilities readily accommodate LPN’s?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

multiple threads merged as per the TOS.

This subject has been debated FOR YEARS A simplistic answer is...because they can....and to weed out the senior nurses because they cost more. If they push for more and more education the academics have job security.

Is the RN--->BSN push a clever way to get older nurses out of the way

WHY do I need a BSN?

Local hospital now says "BSN or MSN preferred" for all bedside positions?!

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

As an ADN RN of 20 years, I have had virtually no problems whatsoever obtaining and maintaining jobs. In most of the units that I work, there are no LPNs.

I currently work on a mixed acute and critical care unit in a facility consistently listed among the top give in the nation.

I think that you need to reword your title.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

There are plenty of ADN jobs in non-acute settings. I'm sure that this is not going to change very much in the future - at least in my part of the country.

[Susie2310]

In my area ADN nurses are working in acute care and in all kinds of health care settings. The local community college ADN program has a very good reputation with local employers, and has a partnership with many local health care businesses. The ADN program has doubled it's intake of students in recent years.

[Isis Phoenix]

Sharing a reply related to this article....according to Sara

What is most disappointing to me is that I have found ADN graduated nurses to be more prepared to work in hospitals, where you will find the greatest numbers of employed nurses. I understand that we are trying to project a more professional appearance to the outside world, and hopefully by virtue of education will gain a more professional standing, but nurses need to have strong clinical skills, something not emphasized in BSN programs. I was originally an ADN prepared nurse and went back to school later to earn my BSN. I found clinical skills to be glossed over and instead theory and nursing history was focused on along with writing research papers. I have precepted many BSN new grads that had had so little clinical experience that they had no idea how to take or give report, give meds or do any of the common simple clinical exercises that make us nurses and is required by their new profession. In fact they thought (and had been taught) that this was beneath them, because they were going to be managers….I don’t know who they thought was going to do it? Our profession should demand that clinical skills be more clearly a part of the BSN nurses education if we truly intend to phase out the ADN Nurses… Our patients deserve it.