Is an Associate's degree a waste of time?

[grantchatt]

Hi,

I have read many posts from working nurses telling about how their employers are almost mandating that all 2-yr nurses have their BSN and the employer will even pay for the schooling. This leads me to belive that the days of getting a job with a 2-yr degree in nursing are quickly coming to an end.

I am set to start a 2-yr program Fall of 2013 and will graduate Dec 2015. In your opinion, am I going to be able to get a job with that or will a BSN be required for mostly all entry level positions in nursing?

I have other degrees and I know that there are many Accelerated programs that award a 2nd degree/career BSN in as little as 11-12 months, but right now that is not an option for me. (I have to stay employed during school)

Please advice!:)

[grantchatt]

Chattanooga tn

[sbostonRN]

I don't recommend that anyone get an ADN anymore. Especially if you live in a high-demand area with a lot of hospitals or nursing schools.

I had a previous degree in Biology and thought that my BS+ADN=BSN, at least for a little while to get me a job when I graduated. Not true. Even the hospital that I worked at while in school, and who paid for my nursing education, would not hire me as a nurse without a BSN. It took me 3 years (with prereqs) to finish my ADN and by the time I was out, I was so burnt out from school and didn't want to immediately enroll.

Yes, I got a job after graduation (at a SNF, and then a LTAC hospital), but I had to settle, and now I need to go back to school for my BSN anyways. I wish I had just done it from the start. All I want is to start a family with my husband, as I'm almost 30 now, and I have to continue school in order to be competitive in this market. Unless you live in the middle of the country and have rural hospitals who are willing to hire ADN nurses, I wouldn't bother.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I graduated with an ADN and didn't find a job for 8-9 months because of it. Everywhere I applied wanted BSN nurses. I finally got a job at a smaller community hospital that was still hiring ADNs. I'm now working on my BSN so I can hopefully get on at a bigger hospital some day! But even the hospital I work at now is encouraging ADNs to get their BSNs.

Most of the new grads (all BSN or even MSN) I worked with in my MSN practicum were looking for work for a year or more as well, so it isn't limited to just ADNs.

[BunnyBunny]

I think it depends on where you are looking. I live in LA, and almost all applications say BSN. Now and days with so many nurses looking for jobs, hospitals can be picky on who they want.