How difficult would you personally rate your RN to BSN program?

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2014

So far my RN to BSN program at OU is more on the easy side. However, I did it right after graduation. I'm into my fourth and fifth classes out of the 9 RN to BSN ones that I have to do. It's not bad. We even did "research."

I have a few more questions that people should consider answering:

How long ago did you graduate with your ADN/Diploma?

Was it a ADN or diploma based program?

Was the ADN or Diploma school ACEN or NLNAC accredited?

Degree inflation is nothing new. Five years ago my friend was told that his mom's friend wouldn't hire him for a job at Pizza Hut because my friend didn't have college experience or work experience. My friend was 18 or 19, just fresh out of high school. The man said that he had people with bachelor degrees trying to get a job at Pizza Hut.

klone, MSN, RN · Jul 11, 2014

I went to WGU. I wouldn't call it fluffy, but I did not find it difficult. But I am a strong writer, so that's probably part of why it was easy for me.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2014

No chemistry? This is why I don't see how an ADN to BSN program can be considered superior~ I had to have chemistry classes for my ADN program. I keep hearing nurses say they didn't have to take chemistry. I find that strange. I had to do 180 hours of clinicals for my ADN to BSN program, back in 1994. And why do people assume only community colleges offer the ADN? I got my ADN from the same 4 year university that I got the BSN from. There are quite a few 4 year schools here that have the ADN program. All the theory in the world won't help you if you don't know what you are doing at the bedside.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2014

@Applesxoranges: I graduated with an ADN in 1989; the BSN in 1994. The ADN program was at the same university as my BSN. It was NLNAC. At that time, the ADN was designed to get nurses out of school and into the workforce faster; there was a shortage of RN's during the 80's. The admittance requirements and grade requirements were much more stringent for the ADN program, than the BSN program at the same school. The ADN program required much higher GPA and ACT scores than the BSN program. We had to make 84 and above on everything; an 83 was automatic failure. A 70 was passing in the BSN program. You could make only a measly 16 on the ACT and get into the BSN program! This is why I don't understand why people say patient outcomes are better with a BSN prepared nurse; I don't get that at all. I don't think it matters much that you are familiar with community nursing and more theory, if your patient is crumping and you don't know what to do. Oh, another thing. I had to take 3 research classes for the BSN. I think both ADN and BSN programs have been made easier over the last few years. They seem to have taken out some of the important things, claiming "you will learn that on the job." I work with new nurses who don't know how to manage a chest tube, art-line, and other simple nursing procedures.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2014

I went with a traditional B.S. in nursing (not a bridge) and it seems like two very different programs at my school. Some of the classes were the same, like the intro to research, geriatrics, leadership, but then there were a bunch that were totally different. I think mainly because the bridge is all online? In my program, I had 90 hours of community clinicals the bridge students don't have to do. We had a class dedicated to working in groups, again, the bridge doesn't have to do this one... A few other differences I guess is just the difference between doing nursing school in an ADN program and a BSN program in general. A lot of the ADN programs here don't do full semesters in ICU and OB like we did.. and none have a full semester of community with 90 clinical hours.

HNR83, BSN · Jul 15, 2014

Mine is all fluff. I have my ASN and RN and I am now working on my BSN. I wanted to learn about hard science but it is all soft skills and junk. I do not want to pursue my MSN because I hate my current program so much.

unicoRNurse · Jul 15, 2014

Moonchild- I think the differences you are noting between the bridge program and BSN are due to the fact that the bridge students are already RNs -- so they have already done the clinical hours that the BS students have to do. I would think the bridge students would have to meet the same degree requirements that BS students do, in order to get the same degree from the same institution (which is subject to the same state BON regs). Bridge (or access, or whatever your school calls them) programs are designed so RNs don't have to repeat requirements they've already met.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2014

@Applesxoranges: I graduated with an ADN in 1989; the BSN in 1994. The ADN program was at the same university as my BSN. It was NLNAC. At that time, the ADN was designed to get nurses out of school and into the workforce faster; there was a shortage of RN's during the 80's. The admittance requirements and grade requirements were much more stringent for the ADN program, than the BSN program at the same school. The ADN program required much higher GPA and ACT scores than the BSN program. We had to make 84 and above on everything; an 83 was automatic failure. A 70 was passing in the BSN program. You could make only a measly 16 on the ACT and get into the BSN program! This is why I don't understand why people say patient outcomes are better with a BSN prepared nurse; I don't get that at all. I don't think it matters much that you are familiar with community nursing and more theory, if your patient is crumping and you don't know what to do. Oh, another thing. I had to take 3 research classes for the BSN. I think both ADN and BSN programs have been made easier over the last few years. They seem to have taken out some of the important things, claiming "you will learn that on the job." I work with new nurses who don't know how to manage a chest tube, art-line, and other simple nursing procedures.

Very true! We didn't learn about managing art-lines in nursing school since they viewed it as a specialty area that primarily ICU and maybe stepdown patients would have them. Chest tubes we learned about briefly.

Moonchild- I think the differences you are noting between the bridge program and BSN are due to the fact that the bridge students are already RNs -- so they have already done the clinical hours that the BS students have to do. I would think the bridge students would have to meet the same degree requirements that BS students do, in order to get the same degree from the same institution (which is subject to the same state BON regs). Bridge (or access, or whatever your school calls them) programs are designed so RNs don't have to repeat requirements they've already met.

That's one thing that causes issues. What do you teach someone who is already a nurse and only needs a handful more credits in order to get a BSN? Community, leadership, and gerontology they can get away with because not all ADN and diploma programs covered it throughout the years. Physical assessment is also standard as many MSN programs want a stand alone course. Diversity is good! Everyone loves diversity (I haven't taken the class at OU yet, but a lot of the diversity texts I have seen border on stereotyping cultures).

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2014

The programs all seem to be so different. I had to take an entire semester of physical assessment in my RN to BSN program, and perform it for the instructor, pass or fail. This included several different types of hearing tests, palpation, and such. I already had this in my ADN program. That class and an additional pathophysiology class was probably the only ones I would consider being worth the money. The rest, no. I took several research classes, but they were basically just researching what somebody else had already researched; no time in one semester to do anything of real value.