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.

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I think it depends on where you are. Bigger cities are more likely to require you to have your BSN than smaller more rural communities. I live in a city the west, where I am hospitals want BSNs. ADs can easily find jobs at Dr.s offices, SNFs and LTCs though. The best way to get you an answer for where YOU are is to look often in the jobs postings of hospitals in your areas. They will either say BSN required or they won't and then you will know for sure.

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Specializes in MedSurg, PACU, Maternal/Child Health.

BSN is becoming the "norm" throughout the US. Areas where there are a lot of candidates per position definitely require BSN degree. ASNs are having very difficult time in finding jobs and occasionally nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities and clinics hire ASN, but most ASNs remain jobless until they go through an RN to BSN program and then their chances improve.

ASNs get hired only if they have significant experience then they are hired and advised to start a BSN program. A way for ASN with no experience to be hired is to know someone high up in the hospital administration or to go to a rural area where not many people apply hence a real "nursing shortage" for example Montana, North Dakota, and border towns in Texas are quite new grad friendly and more likely to give ASNs a chance. With the shift to most employers requiring BSNs, i wonder how ASN schools still exist, likely b/c students are not informed that an ASN is no longer enough to get a job and complete BSN while also working as an RN and having a paycheck. And of course ASN schools do not tell students the reality of the job market b/c then no one would sign up for their school. It is unfair to the students but that's how the schools do it, profit is a main goal.

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You can still work with a Asn however the writing is on the wall; plan to get Bsn soon. My school offers Asn but just implemented a partnership with allowing is to start rn to bsn online. Has a nice discount rate too

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

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I'm also skeptical - that physicians are even aware of nursing qualifications. IMO, they have no idea what is included in our educational programs nor are they interested... they only want someone available to do what they want, when they want it done. :sarcastic:

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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.

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

I live in the northeast and almost all hospitals are requiring BSN, if they aren't they are requiring you get it within a certain time span.

HPRN

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

California: my hospital has mandated all BSN staff by midnoc 2019. All ADN/ASN RN's have been informed that they will be terminated unless they posess a BSN or higher degree starting in 2020.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Recovery.

South mississippi, I work with just as many (if not more) ADN prepared RNs as BSN.

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Specializes in N/A.

I agree it's all about where you happen to be. I live near Nashville, TN and ADN vs. BSN doesn't seem to be a big deal. The people that I speak with (both BSN and ADN) seem to have about the same difficulty finding a job. The further you get from the "big city" the less they seem to care. I personally chose ADN because I am paying out of pocket for school and schools offering ADN are much more prevalent in this area of the country. Good luck-I say make the big company you work for pay for your BSN ;)

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Specializes in N/A.
California: my hospital has mandated all BSN staff by midnoc 2019. All ADN/ASN RN's have been informed that they will be terminated unless they posess a BSN or higher degree starting in 2020.

Just out of curiosity does your hospital offer tuition reimbursement? A friend of mine is in a similar situation (as a Medical Assistant, not a RN) and her company is paying for everyone to be educated/licensed.

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