How much difference in pay do two year rn's get than four yr??

BigRussKCMO · Jul 8, 2009

Good chance I will just debating my options in my head before I make a firm decision on what's next.

jdub3 · Jul 8, 2009

25 cent more here.

cursedandblessed · Jul 10, 2009

question hoping for an answer. i have a bs and a mba. looking at nursing or respiratory therapy. layoffs killed me in corporate america. would my previous education with an associates in nursing (rn) be pretty strong for advancement if what i'm reading an adn and bsn do not have to many classroom differences. please advise. thank you!

with your background you should be able to get into an accelerated bsn program. my step-sister decided to do that (of course after i'd started my adn program). and she'll be finishing the same month i do, next may.

i have to say, i don't know which one is better, everyone takes the same nclex. but, i can't imagine the bsn program being any harder than my adn program. i don't know how they'd do it, our pace is so fast sometimes i wonder who the heck i am.

it does seem that our local bsn programs have a higher standard for admissions. we've lost about a third of the students that started when i did, where my step sister's class has only lost about 10%.

Southernurse · Jul 10, 2009

what most people don't seem to realize is that the educational difference in the diploma, associates, and bachelor's degree in nursing is that diploma and associates degrees are highly specialized to nursing. bachelor's degrees include liberal arts courses. the diploma and ad grads have had all of the science, nursing, and leadership courses that bsn grads have had. and the diploma and ad students were having clinical experience in patient care while the bsn students were in music appreciation and english lit classes. this is simple fact, not judgement. there is never anything "wrong" with pursuing any educational path you choose, but on the other hand it also never gives you moral superiority over someone else because of theirs.
to answer the original question, there is generally no difference in pay for a diploma, ad, or bsn graduate in the same position at the same level of experience.
and i'll throw my own 2 cents in here... monetary compensation is not a good reason for becoming a nurse via any degree.

there seems to be such an underlying sense of one-upmanship that pervades the nursing/medical fields. "oh, you're an lpn? how nice for you...when will you get your rn?" when the rn is achieved, "oh. just an rn? why not seek an advanced degree?" now there are doctorate degrees in nursing. well, why not be a doctor? well, why not be a specialist? good patient care takes a team. if everyone is at least a bsn, can you imagine what healthcare costs will skyrocket to? cna's phased out, lpn's phased out, adn's phased out. is this the future of nursing? i hate to say it, but i let this thread make me feel a bit ashamed to still be an lpn.

CRNAbound-klown · Jul 12, 2009

I often forget that this website is available to the public, which certainly includes young students, transitioning career folk and lots of other interested parties.
Since that's the case, I try to remember to preface declarative statements like the above with a healthy dose of "In my opinion...."
As a Bachelor's degree is considered the base educational standard for professional careers in the United States, well, except for nursing, I would hate to dissuade a young student from pursuing this path based on an outdated view of the degree and its value within nursing.
To the OP, the BSN is what you might want if you desire a well rounded, pre-professional curriculum that will both enhance your career as a nurse and also afford you additional options in the wider professional world should you choose to pursue something else at a later time.
When i hear complaints about the additional costs of a 4 year program I am always reminded that what you are actually paying for are more options.
Options give you power.
In the workplace and world.
In my opinion....

This is probably the best reply to the OP in this entire thread. Good job. I agree 100%. :yeah:

Ryan

jimg5151 · Jul 24, 2009

In my opinion, there are many people out there with the titles BSN, ADN, LPN that only got them because they were good at retaining high levels of information that an instructor threw at them, and they were able to spit it back out at least 75% correctly on a test. By having a title behind your name in most any position does not make you an expert in your field. I'm sure most of you can think of instances where an ADN could have, or has done, a far better job than an RN, and vice-versa. What really should be said here is that you need to figure out what it is that you want to accomplish and then get the proper education for it. If money generates your enthusiasm for education, than perhaps the BSN program will be a stepping stone to that goal. With that being said, it's saddening to see that what was once a mission of mercy has now become a mission of money.

Emilynn09 · Aug 20, 2009

I'm not quite sure how to word this to make any sense but, I will try. :)

In this thread there has been mention of a few cents difference in pay for BSN v. ADN Nurses. I was wondering does this pay difference affect people who hold a BS degree in another field, that hold an ADN?

I ask only because I am curious. I hold a BS in Business Management and have recently decided on going back to do nursing. I am currently pursuing an ADN degree, simply because I don't feel the need to go get ANOTHER Bachelor's Degree because I already did. I just want to be a nurse and the ADN degree will get me to my goal. I suppose if I wanted to progress into administration my BS in Management will get me there.

So, what I am really asking is in the nursing field will holding my BS plus the ADN affect me positively or just not at all?

BSN_after_40 · Aug 20, 2009

There are so many different perceptions to the question of should I go for the 4 year BSN or be happy with the 2 year ADN. There are advantages to earning a 4 year but one should have a goal and a clear understanding of why they desire that advanced degree. When I worked at a hospital, there was only a .25 cent difference in pay for two more years of school. But, if your goal is to teach or be a Public Health Nurse, the additional 2 years can be worth it. I went back a year after taking an ADN program and board exam. I now work as a Public Health Nurse and part time LPN instructor, both of which require the BSN level of nursing. Many more doors open up to the higher degree. I loved the BSN program, much less stress than the ADN program. I guess I did mostly for myself and don't regret any of it. :nurse:

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · Aug 20, 2009

My husband and I are both RNC's and work in Louisiana. I am an ER nurse and dh is a nursing supervisor and has been for years. We are both ADN's and there is NO difference here in ADN vs. BSN, whether in promotions or advancement, pay, or anything else.

Anne, RNC