Have bad attitude- RN to BSN programs

[anon456]

Nursing was a second career for me. I have a previous 4 year degree and had a career in that area. Now I'm middle aged, 3 years out of nursing school with ADN, almost 3 years of experience in critical care peds.

I'm being strongly encouraged to get my BSN. They will not fire me if I don't but I won't be able to transfer within the hospital very easily and my prospects should I seek employment elsewhere are probably not great.

I am, with much reluctance, applying for some on-line programs. I am just resentful that I will be writing papers and spending precious time away from my kids, my personal time, and I am a very busy mom with the family activities. Frankly I'm burned out with school. Have a bad attitude about going back.

So if I am to do an online program that takes things slowly, say one class at a time, how many hours will this require per week? How much will it take away from family? I would like to hear from those who are in a similar situation.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Oh, one other point I had is if you spent $200,000 on any degree, it better pay at least that much a year starting and be begging for help.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

It was a NY times article about women heading off to school rather than staying in bad jobs and the woman was Laura Baker at University of Denver for a MA in strategic communications. It was slanted as if women were smarter than men by doing this rather than working a dead end job. She will end up poorer than if she had just stayed a Starbucks barista!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Physical therapists require a PhD, and they do not have near the amount of responsibility as a nurse.

I think PT only requires a Master's

[klone, MSN, RN]

It was a NY times article about women heading off to school rather than staying in bad jobs and the woman was Laura Baker at University of Denver for a MA in strategic communications. It was slanted as if women were smarter than men by doing this rather than working a dead end job. She will end up poorer than if she had just stayed a Starbucks barista!

That's because DU is a private school and seriously expensive. She should have gone to CU instead.

Public university, folks!

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

The whole point of the ADN was to get nurses into the workforce faster, at a time when registered nurses were in short supply. The classes are pretty much identical; very little difference.

[Gentleman_nurse, MSN]

I'm sort of in your predicament. Second career RN with a prior 4 degree than isn't recognized. I decided to pursue an MSN instead.

[guest699183]

I don't think ADNs can't be professionals, but let's face it: compare to other healthcare professions, the amount of education nurses receive is small. Physical therapists require a PhD, and they do not have near the amount of responsibility as a nurse. Occupational therapists require a master's. Most social work jobs require a master's as well. Do you see where I'm headed?

DPT isn't the same as a PhD... They aren't writing a dissertation. It's a 3yr program (vs 2 yrs for the masters) Most PTs I have spoken with complain they've spent more money on their education but haven't seen an increase in their pay.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I thought everybody knew a communications degree was pretty much useless. It is also one of the easiest degrees to get, but not much in the way of jobs. I really feel sorry for the people trying to go to college these days. Tuition is absolutely ridiculous. Years ago I felt that college tuition and healthcare should be free for all~paid for via our taxes~ but people said that was socialist. Now look at us. Having to borrow money for tuition, and many people still can't afford health insurance, even with Obamacare. In some other countries, college is only 3 years, and some even receive money to live on each month while they are in school. It might make sense if nurses were paid more, but sadly, many of us are making less money than we did just a few years ago.

[Rebeccabencze]

I think ADNs need to band together for a class action lawsuit! BSN nurses took THE SAME NCLEX as ADN or diploma nurses. Why not do hospital positions based on test scores? My daughter did her ADN, worked and did her BSN online. She was already a RN working in an ICU. Her courses for the BSN were, per her, "busy work" that did NOT increase clinical skills one iota. It was focused on research methods and more business or paperwork oriented knowledge. She called it her "Bull S*** Nursing" degree. She used it to leap frog into a nurse anesthetist degree. But she still contends a BSN is not more advanced clinical skills.

My personal experience is that college degree nurses don't really want to do direct patient care. They don't LIKE taking care of patients but are using the degree to get away from direct patient care and aiming for administrative, "leadership" roles. That's a joke because theses BSN grads enter "leadership" roles without any long term experience caring directly for patients. The best care comes from the ADN/hospital diploma nurse who had strong focus on clinical education as opposed to the theory approach of BSN.

I find it offensive that a BS or BA in another field who has an ADN is not yet a "qualified BSN". USE THE COURTS folks!

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I think ADNs need to band together for a class action lawsuit!

USE THE COURTS folks!

Who are you suing again? The hospitals? Which ones, just the ones that are giving preference to BSNs? The colleges and universities? Which ones? The ANA?

I'm just unclear. I mean, I understand the anger. I felt cheated that I put in what I considered an unreasonable amount of effort and education to wind up with "only" an associates degree.

Thankfully I was able to work for many years with that degree but I think I would have been happy to put in another semester or two back in the day and get the BSN over and done with. Especially if I could have gotten it at $50/credit hour like it would have cost back then.

[lilcyn, BSN, RN]

I know exactly how you feel. I started working on my RN to BSN 2 years ago and I complained for the first year!! Now Im almost finished. Two classes to go. You can do it and you will feel much more educated in the end.