ADN vs. BSN

Nurses Career Support

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In May I will be graduating with my bachelors in biomedical sciences (my school's pre-med track). I have been working at a hospital for the last 2 years and have decided that I would rather go in to nursing school than to medical school. I am wondering if it is really worth getting my BSN. At the school that I am attending the hard core science courses the BSN students took were less advanced versions of the classes that I took. For example I am right now in the process of taking a masters level pharmacology class while the nursing students take a much less technical version of the same course. Same thing goes with microbiology, physiology, anatomy, etc. I have also compared the local BSN nursing school's curriculum to the 2 year programs and most of the key differences in the course work appear to be in these type of classes. So my question is: will my employers recognize my biomedical sciences degree in conjunction with an ADN as being similar to a BSN or will I need to actually have the BSN for them to notice my level of education in teh medical field? Do you think I would be considered for positions where a BSN is wanted with the Bio-med/ADN combo? I intend to further my education in the future but as of right now I am a little burnt out. If having the BSN is very important then I will probably just wait and do pharmaceutical research for a few years until I can get the energy to go back for my masters but if a ADN with my B.S will get me recognized as a well educated employee I would enjoy going that route.

I forgot to add that I am very new here, so thank you to any one who can/will help me and I am sorry if this type of post is seen often.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

You probably have a lot of courses behind you that you can easily get the BSN in the same amount of time it would take you to get an ADN. Depending on what you're getting your Masters in, if it's in nursing, then you're going to want to have the BSN.

Good luck to you.

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You'd definitely want to go into a BSN program.

Good luck.

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All of your classes would transfer to the BSN program, and you would probably end up only needing to take some prerequisite nursing classes, and then going right into the last 2 years of clinicals.

I also have a Bach. Degree and got a BSN simply because it was a faster route (Wait lists at the community college were long). Now I am looking to get my PhD and I am extremely happy I did get a BSN, rather than the ADN.

Only for this reason.

A degree different from a BSN will not recognized as "Equivalent" )It might be but it will not be recognized for pay or for some schools.

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My problem with getting a BSN is that it would end up being more expensive and take longer (3 years for the BSN at the university near me no matter what) than just getting my masters in biology or going to PA school. At $3,500 a semester on top of the $15,000 of debt I already have from my first bachelors it would be really hard. If I went to the BSN I probably woundn't be able to afford a graduate degree at all. A 2 year program at a community college I can afford, but do you really think that I will make enough more as a BSN than as a ADN to justify the $130 more a month I would have to pay back in student loans (on top of the $150 I will already be paying) for the next 15 years?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Skippitb - You are right - probably in your area there is no difference in pay for an ADN versus BSN. However, that done and said, the opportunities are better for a BSN. The other option would be to go to a direct-entry MSN and skip the BSN/ADN part. This would get you a masters degreee in nursing and also the RN. Hope this helps.

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The other option would be to go to a direct-entry MSN and skip the BSN/ADN part. This would get you a masters degreee in nursing and also the RN. Hope this helps.

I have never heard of that. That does sound very interesting, thank you. Do you know where I could get more information on a direct-entry MSN program?

Eddited to add: I found some info but the closet school to me that offers such a program is over 2 hours away. I will keep this program in mind, I am not sure that I am ready yet to move from the job and home I love, but I am always happy to be able to see all fo my options.

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