ADN...is it worth the time? - Page 2

When ADN schools close, start worrying about hospitals not wanting to hire them. Some won't, (or they claim), stay away from them. Remember it is the same NCLEX for everyone to pass, some need a couple of years to do this some need 4....Working along side ADN, BSN, MSN, is not detectable...same work and usually the same pay....More education only helps advance your career and gives you something to talk about and be proud of too! Getting your foot in the door is the main thing!

Hello there Gina,

I do not currently have a degree but I was hoping you might want insight wherever you can get it. I have been to the children's ER 3 times for my infant. Since I am*pursuing*the career * *myself I thought it would be wise for me to get as much quick opinions that I could while I was there ( didn't bother the nurses who were extremely busy, btw). Many of them told me to just go straight for the BSN and I was really convinced that the BSN route was calling my name at that point. However, I never mentioned in my questions that the nearest school for a BSN was about an hour away in downtown ATLANTA!!!! This is obviously not very practical for me, and that was without mentioning the horrific traffic and it being an unsafe area for*defenseless*young women.... The irony to all of this is that there is a school with an ADN program not even 5 minutes away from my house, which for me screamed my name, lol. Now, considering that you feel that the ADN route may be your only option, the same case for me(for now), I kept asking on this blogging site and included all of these parts of my situation to get better feedback from other nurses and students. Many told me that if I was concerned about getting a job, to check all of the possible hospitals or other facilities I would*pursue*a job in and check what their graduate/experience requirements are to get a better idea. Many mentioned that a BS was "preferred", but not required. Along with that is the years of experience and so forth, and many ADN/ASN nurses have been deemed really good caregivers for bedside. Other places, RN=RN. I think that you should have a good shot at getting a job if you can even make it through the program. I have yet to hear of a nursing program that is 'easy'. Make a good impression in your clinicals, and wherever you did them, they might just offer you a position for after graduation. Good Luck to you and I hope this was of some help!

I changed careers. I have a BE-EE (Bach in Engineering-Electrical Engrg). Anyway, I went the ADN route because it was the least expensive way to replace a large portion of my income. (I was making $75K++/yr). I have had been able to get jobs in FL and SC. One LTC and one Med/Surg.

I will be starting an RN-MSN program soon.

What you choose to do should be based on what you can afford. It doesn't make a lot of sense to go $60K into debt when your paycheck is going to be about the same as the BSNs. Another thought.....the statement that soon all nurses will have to have BSNs has been flying since my MOTHER became a nurse (diploma) in 1958! IMHO, when the economy recovers and the baby boomers start retiring in droves, we are once again going to have a "nursing shortage" that will forego all the BSN hype. In some states like NY, they are already requiring BSNs......it will be interesting to watch what happens when they can't get them. Just my .02

I currently have my ADN and have since june of last year. I live in Wisconsin and had a job up until October but was laid off due to the LTC facility needing to decrease workers due to financial strains. I of course was low man on the totem pole . I have since tried to find a job using my ADN and found that because I am not experienced enough and do not have my BSN I am not as an attractive candidate say like someone fresh out of school with their BSN. So I am returning to school for my BSN which I should have done in a year. Good Luck!!!

I am an ADN student in North Carolina. I often wondered the same thing, however, financially, my options were limited. In my area, many hospitals are no longer hiring ADNs or are hiring but giving a time frame for them to complete their BSN. My understanding is that once you've completed your ADN, you can continue to your BSN ONLINE. This includes only one year of theory classes that are almost ALL available online- at most schools. Not to mention that several hospitals in the area are providing satellite classrooms for nurses at the hospitals, to make it more convenient for them to obtain their BSN. (some are even providing it for free!).
My best advice, and what I decided for myself, was to obtain the ADN, pass the NCLEX and find a job. Maybe not my dream job, but a job that can financially support me while I obtain my BSN online. There are a lot of options for jobs, and to those concerned about not looking like an "attractive candidate," after minimal experience and loss of a job d/t economic issues in your town, YOU'RE GOING TO BE 'CHEAPER LABOR' (unfortunately) than a nurse with 20 years experience. So it is not all a negative. Just keep your head up and eyes open for opportunities, think outside of the box, there are so many opportunities for nurses, ADN or BSN!

Hay NeoNatMom where are you going for your nursing. I see you mention Atlanta. I have applied to Gwinnett tech and I'm about to take my entrance exam tommorrow as we speak. I'm not from their but will be relocating if I get in. I was just curious to see what college you were at.

I'm sorry antobias but I have to disagree....I live in an extremely small town and far away from a bigger city so others do look more "attractive" than I with their BSN. Just stating what I have experienced.

Really though...it's tough no matter what degree you have. Sadly.

I would highly suggest a BSN program right off the get go. However, that is not always possible.

You can always do ADN, then BSN.

The BIGGEST thing to consider is the accredidation status of the school/s you attend.

Many state run BSN programs will not accept ADN's from for profit schools such as Galen, ITT, Kaiser, etc etc etc,

caveat emptor