Does the BSNs get paid more than ADNs hold true across the board mostly?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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I'm wondering if the small differential for having a BSN vs an ADN is more common in the acute setting or is it the norm everywhere?

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
*** Interesting since there is nothing about obtaining Magnet certification that requires the hiring of BSN RNs as staff nurses.

In order to achieve Magnet status, a hospital has to have a certain percentage of BSN nurses. Over 50%, at the very least. (I want to say 80% of staff nurses must have a BSN but I could be making that up.)

Specializes in Critical Care.

Usually a BSN doesn't get you any more money, the exception is the VA hospital system and some hospitals that require a BSN to climb the ladder. But a BSN probably gives you more opportunities outside of the hospital and makes it easier if you want to advance to a MSN or NCP so I would recommend getting it sooner than later. Once your out of school and time passes it can be harder to go back to school, you have other bills maybe a mortgage, car payments, student loans from the original degree. It is better to go back to school when you are young, you can get at least some tuition reimbursement from the hospitals, plus have more time to pay back student loans before retirement and before you have competing bills like a mortgage.

Given the stressful and oftentimes dangerous nature of bedside nursing especially re back/neck injuries I would recommend getting your BSN and having a Plan B before you find yourself in chronic pain or disabled. Don't think it can't happen to you, I believe injuries are only a matter of time in bedside nursing and sometimes it happens in the beginning so you need to try to protect yourself every way you can, that includes a plan B and education to facilitate that, emergency savings and disability insurance. If anyone needs disability insurance its nurses on the front lines, don't count just on hospital insurance, because if you lose or job or quit you lose the insurance. Get your own when your young and healthy, it really is a necessity in this field. You don't want to find yourself injured or disabled and worried about keeping a roof over your head.

Specializes in kids.

got mine last year...completely on line 9- 4 credit classes! it took 18 months.

as i am in a school system, and am paid on teacher track, it made a big difference for me....the only disappointment for me was there was not as much emphasis on medicine/health care as i had assumed. even though i looked through the course design/syllabus, it seemed as though the work would be based on health care issues. some was, but not as much as i had hoped for. oh well, it was a personal challenge/goal and i did it!:yeah:

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
In order to achieve Magnet status, a hospital has to have a certain percentage of BSN nurses. Over 50%, at the very least. (I want to say 80% of staff nurses must have a BSN but I could be making that up.)

*** Do you have a sourse for that? Do you mean 50% of staff nurses? There are requirements for nurse leaders to have degrees. I sat on two hospitals Magnet comitties during their "journy to Magnet" and never saw any requirment for staff RNs to have BSNs.

*** Do you have a sourse for that? Do you mean 50% of staff nurses? There are requirements for nurse leaders to have degrees. I sat on two hospitals Magnet comitties during their "journy to Magnet" and never saw any requirment for staff RNs to have BSNs.

I have never seen a requirement for staff nurses to have BSNs either, the educational requirements were always focused on nursing leadership.

Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

All the magnet hospitals around here want you to have your BSN. They won't even look at ADN and require their ADNs that were grandfathered in to be going for their BSN. They have a certain number of years to get it. Not sure what happens if they refuse to pursue.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
*** Do you have a sourse for that? Do you mean 50% of staff nurses? There are requirements for nurse leaders to have degrees. I sat on two hospitals Magnet comitties during their "journy to Magnet" and never saw any requirment for staff RNs to have BSNs.

You might be right. I was tired last night and possibly confusing what is technically expected from Magnet and what was arbitrarily set by the hospital as a goal to help achieve Magnet cert/re-cert. I do know that the hospital I work for has gone to a no-ADN hire policy as of this year and the expectation is that all existing ADNs will get their BSN by a certain date.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
All the magnet hospitals around here want you to have your BSN. .

*** That is no suprise. Both are indicators of a certain managment frame of mind. One that values apperances over substance. Magnet doesn't require BSNs for staff nurses. However the same people who would be interested in Magnet are the same people who think all RNs need a BSN to be effective nurses.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
i'm in ky ky is changing their requirements to be an np or a nurse midwife from having a master's in nursing to a doctorate in nursing. if you aren't planning on getting your doctorate, and you don't want to be a nursing instructor, the bsn is pretty much a waste of time & money, as far as bachelor's degrees go....imho.

*** so i have been searching for anything that would confirm this statement. nothing on the kentucky board of nursing web site indicates this. i did find this from northern kentucky universities dnp web site:

"no, nurses with master's degrees will continue to practice in their current capacities. requirements by the state boards of nursing and the certification organizations have not changed their minimum educational standards for practice."

and this:

"4. is it the intent of the dnp to further expand the legal scope of practice for aprns?

no, transitioning to the dnp will not alter the current scope of practice for aprns. state nurse practice acts describe the scope of practice allowed, and these differ from state to state. these requirements would likely remain unchanged. the transition to the dnp will better prepare aprns for their current roles given the calls for new models of education and the growing complexity of health care.

4. is it the intent of the dnp to further expand the legal scope of practice for aprns?no, transitioning to the dnp will not alter the current scope of practice for aprns. state nurse practice acts describe the scope of practice allowed, and these differ from state to state. these requirements would likely remain unchanged. the transition to the dnp will better prepare aprns for their current roles given the calls for new models of education and the growing complexity of health care.

http://healthprofessions.nku.edu/departments/advancednursing/programs/dnp/faqs.html

i would think that a state university offering a dnp program would know if their state was changing their requirments for apn education.

It is eventually going to change. I just checked into NP, and the school told me it will change within the next few years, but they aren't sure when.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
It is eventually going to change. I just checked into NP, and the school told me it will change within the next few years, but they aren't sure when.

*** What is going to change? The school is going to change to DNP for APNs, or the state is going to require DNP for APNs? I can see no reason for the change. The push for DNP is only from the AACN (nurse haters) and colleges of nursing (who stand to make a lot more money).

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

When I went to nursing school, the rumor was that in a couple of years only BSNs would be able to become nurses. That hasn't happened, although it's still pushed-for. I don't see how a DNP can be required to be an advanced practice nurse, given how much APNs are needed. That would be the profession cutting off it's own nose!

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