Can an RN Get a job in a hospital with out a BSN.

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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I work only as a nurses aide right now in a nursing home and really thinking on continuing on to be an RN. I was thinking about going for an LPN but after hearing that they are being limited to just nursing homes I kind of changed my mind about that. I do not how true it is since I gained that information off the internet. I also hear that hospitals prefer RN's with BSN. I know it is what they prefer but is it possibly to still get a job in a hospital with even a diploma from a hospital program or even an ADN from a community college. I know a bunch of people I work with who are nurses aides that are doing their RN at community colleges or even hospital based programs. I mean you are a registered nurse whether you have a diploma or a 2 year of a 4 year degree. If there is a nursing shortage wouldn't you want to hire as much nurses as you can and not limit them. That is how I see it but I am still undecidable if I want to continue on with this. I really enjoy being a nursing assistant right now. I live Pittsburgh Pennsylvania by the way. I am also brand new to this site this is my first post or thread made ever.

Specializes in Hospice.

Fortunately I live in a rural area with two hospitals in a fifty mile radius and only one community college (and no universities). I am hoping I will get hired at one of them right after I graduate in 2015. I am planning on getting my CNA after my first semester so I can get hired as a CNA and have my foot in the door. But there is no nursing shortage nationally. Not from what I have researched. I do have a friend who did his externship in a burn unit in Virginia Beach area and he was hired straight out of school to the ER. He had his ADN, not his BSN. That is what is keeping my hopes up!

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It depends on where you are, but if there's a BSN program, an ADN program and a Diploma program in the area, they'll probably prefer the BSN or ADN graduates. The diploma graduates would be restricted to the hospital they got their training from, but that's not a definite.

It's not a definite because it's not true. Diploma school nursing graduates pass the same NCLEX-RN and therefore are eligible to work in any State that they find employment.

Whether the BSN, ADN or Diploma grad is preferred really DOES depend on the area, the job opening itself, and the competition.

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Wow. That long. Is it because nursing is in such high demand
Re-read what Crunch said. It takes that long to find a job because there is little to no demand for nurses! Competition is high, openings are few.
I presume that what s/he meant is demand for nursing jobs... competition, that is.

It sounds as though his/her native tongue is something other than English.

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I graduated last spring from a community college with my ADN. I live in rural MN. It took me 5 months to find a job as an RN and then it was only a casual position. I am greatful for it. It is in a hospital. I have been told I will be given a point union position soon. I got the job because I had some nursing home LPN experience, 11 years of phlebotomy experience, and I graduated with high honors. I had to stand out. Many of my friends are still stuck in nursing homes and frustrated. The hospital I work at as a phlebotomist for 11 years would not hire me as an RN because I didn't have my BSN. I now drive 45min to a neighboring, smaller rural hospital. There is no nursing shortage at the moment, that is true, but if you are called to nursing, the Lord will place you where you need to be. Maybe you won't even like the hospital. I am considering trying other avenues. Sure you make more in a hospital, but money isn't eveything, and you would certainly be making more money than you are as a CNA even if you do stay at a nursing home.

Things to think about...

Good luck

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Yes! There are a lot of RN's in my hospital with their ADN. I do remember management saying that by 2016 they would like to be 80% BSN and 20% ADN. Just remember that having a BSN gives you a little more of an advantage when it comes to the hiring process.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Short answer: yes, non-BSNs can get hired in hospitals.

Longer answer: depends on the trends in the region you're searching in as well as the hospitals' hiring policies.

RumwynnieRN: diploma grads aren't restricted to the hospital they're trained at...however, such hospitals usually have a strong preference for hiring their own grads so a lot tend to stay there. In fact, it's one of the few times that a non-degree RN has the edge in being hired over an ADN/BSN.

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Specializes in ccu.

Yes, you can, but it is definitely dependant upon where you live.

One of my nursing school friends (we got ASN's at a community college) is working in the ER of a major university in Chicago (he did have ER experience in a smaller hospital prior). I live in the 'burbs and am working at a much smaller hospital.

Point is, yes, you can work w/an ASN.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Wow. That long. Is it because nursing is in such high demand
No it's because there are many applicants for one position....and hospitals are just not hiring
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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Answer to question posed: Yes.

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Anything is possible depending on where you live and what types of candidates are available to the hospitals but not having a BSN does not make it any easier. Here in NY there are so many BSNs that ADNs find it very difficult to gain employment (even if they work as aides in the same hospital). Because they are required to get their BSN within 5 years of their employment start date, the hospitals do not want to waste their time or tuition reimbursement when they have a saturated candidate list filled with BSNs. As well, LPNs only seem to work in the LTC settings and not in the hospital.

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Specializes in ICU.

Yes. ADNs may need to look further out in more rural areas, but there are jobs out there. Good luck.

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