Almost done with RN-to-BSN. Very disappointed.

[Kosmonavt]

I'm in a third and final semester of RN-to-BSN program. Today I had another class of "Community health nursing". It was so boring that most students were falling asleep. I don't understand what is a purpose of BSN degree if the only difference from ADN is that you have to take a whole bunch of useless classes that have nothing to do with the art of medicine. So far I took six so-called nursing classes and did not have to open a book to get through. All the used book at the campus bookstore look like new which means other students did not touch them either.

I will list classes that are required for BSN degree at my university:

First semester:

1. Professional nursing.

2. Health assessment.

3. Transcultural nursing.

Second semester:

1. Issues facing profession.

2. Nursing research.

3. Leadership and management.

Third semester (currently taking)

1. RN-BSN seminar.

2. Community health nursing.

3. Community health (practicum).

I can't say much about community health practicum so far, but I'm telling you the other classes (except for the health assessment and research classes) is a waste of time and money. The majority of my classmates have the same opinion.

Yes, I will have BSN after my name, and I will be able to get international experience in other Westen countries (which I'm looking for), but it does not give me any advantage teaching me new skills or giving the knowledge that is valuable in clinical settings.

I would like to hear opinions of others currently enrolled in RN-to-BSN program or who have already graduated.

[queenjean]

Almost every other associate degrees are "two year" programs, whereas nursing ADNs are practically BSNs, without the BSN.

True, true, and I see your point. I would have preferred to go the BSN route, but I went the ADN route even knowing what you say is true. If BSN programs would be more accommodating in their scheduling, if they would recognize the outside committments of nontraditional students and try to work around those, they might get more students like me.

[Farmer Jane]

True, true, and I see your point. I would have preferred to go the BSN route, but I went the ADN route even knowing what you say is true. If BSN programs would be more accommodating in their scheduling, if they would recognize the outside committments of nontraditional students and try to work around those, they might get more students like me.

This is such a huge issue, and IMO it's a glaring oversight in BSN programs, not to mention the ivory tower in general. In a typical BSN program a full time student will have class every day, at spotted times throughout the day. That's great if you're a traditional student, not so much when you're working a more traditional job and need to put food on the table. There are many things that could be done to increase the accessibility of BSN programs, but they would require a significant change in how traditional universities view education. Technical colleges have certainly carved out a niche and rightly so. Universities would be wise to look to the techs for advice, but I suspect they think it's beneath them.

[queenjean]

This is such a huge issue, and IMO it's a glaring oversight in BSN programs, not to mention the ivory tower in general. In a typical BSN program a full time student will have class every day, at spotted times throughout the day. That's great if you're a traditional student, not so much when you're working a more traditional job and need to put food on the table. There are many things that could be done to increase the accessibility of BSN programs, but they would require a significant change in how traditional universities view education. Technical colleges have certainly carved out a niche and rightly so. Universities would be wise to look to the techs for advice, but I suspect they think it's beneath them.

Spot on.