BSN Required or Not? Share your job search experience please

Nurses Job Hunt

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Dear All

I am still in school and hear conflicting stories from different people about BSN vs AS RN. Some people say that hospitals DO NOT hire Associate degrees any more and require BSN. Other people, in particular some doctors I spoke with, said that their hospitals do hire AS degrees, as long as you have your RN license.

Please share your Job Search and interview experiences in this regard.

Thank you for those replied. I am skeptical about online BSN, not sure if they get hired at all....

My RN to BSN is online and is fully accredited and recognized by both my State BON as well as being accredited by ACEN (aka NLNAC). Everyone that has graduated fromm the program is recognized as being a BSN and all have been hired as such.

What I think you may be mixing an online RN to BSN up with is a fully online BSN which is a horse of a different color. An RN to BSN online course is for those nurses who are already licensed as RNs with associate degrees to further their education and become BSN RNs. I don't know of any online BSN program that is just for those who are starting out who are not currently licensed nurses.

As for your original question, ADN/ASN nurses are still being hired in acute care hospitals (I am one such example as are all of my cohorts from my graduating class) however it does depend on the hospital and the area. Around here (Northeast, Southern New England), while associate degree RNs are being hired, many (if not all) of the hospitals are requiring a BSN for certain departments as well as many are requiring all new hired associate degree nurses to enroll in an RN to BSN program within a certain time frame and graduated within a time frame. Many of the job postings either say BSN required or BSN strongly preferred.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.
Thank you for those replied. I am skeptical about online BSN, not sure if they get hired at all....

It depends on the program. I know that my university (a state university) offers a bridge program that is almost entirely online, and is very reputable. Do your research before jumping into a bridge program.

I agree with what people are saying- most hospitals either require a BSN or for you to be enrolled in a bridge program. There are other positions that will hire ADN/ASNs. I just started at a freestanding birth center, and the owner said straight up in the interview that BSN is important to her. It's really just going to depend on the facility.

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Specializes in Med-Surg and Neuro.
Florida: Majority of my peers with ASN found jobs fairly quickly in all types of specialities (ER, L&D and ICU included. Took me 6 months. I have an ASN degree. I agree with above posters that said as long as you plan to start or you're already in a program you can still get hired in some places.

What part of FL? This isn't true for the Tampa area.

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Thank you for those replied. I am skeptical about online BSN, not sure if they get hired at all....

It depends on where you go, as others have stated brick and mortar schools often have unadvertised online RN to BSN programs. I know A LOT of nurses who did University of Phoenix. I have heard Grand Canyon and South University's program encouraged as well but I can't personally speak to either. I did attend South for my pre-reqs though and was happy.

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I work in upstate NY, one of the main hospitals here requires a nurse to have their BSN in order to be considered for a job. While down the street, a teaching hospital have no problems hiring ASN. In my opinion, getting a BSN will save you the headaches in the long run. I'm working with nurses that has their ASN and are now required to go back to school for their BSN. It's a lot of work.

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I am applying for jobs in NC All of the hospitals I have applied to state that you must have or be enrolled into a BSN program within a year of hire

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Hospitals at my location in Indiana will hire an ADN as long as the nurse signs a contract that he/she will obtain a BSN within five years of hire.

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