Need a BSN for what again?

Students ADN/BSN

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I am having trouble understanding why an ADN RN needs to go back to college for a BSN? I've heard because there is a lower mortality rate with BSN nurses because they have higher critical thinking skills...Really? Basic RN's, wether ADN or BSN, were trained the necessary skills to perform at the bedside and to pass the NCLEX required to become and RN. So why all the critical thinking skills that are required all of a sudden? The duty of the bedside registered nurse is to assess and prove assessment feedback to the physician. He or she said physician is to analyze the data provided by the RN and give further direction from that point. There is no further obligation in the nursing process that states we must recommend to the physician what medication the patient needs to be prescribed as we have absolutely NO prescriptive authority OR obligation. We nurses are furthermore not obligated to formulate a diagnosis for the physician which would be beyond the scope of practice also. The scope of nursing actually ends with assessment and reporting to the ultimate responsible authority. The nurse then is to carry out the specific orders provided by the physician. I can already hear you diva's saying, "but your the pt advocate", and yes we are but we have limitations. Once we hit our limitations it is the responsibility of the physician to do his or her job and stop trying to force everything on the nurses. Nurses are not here to take up the slack of the physician. The physicians need to become the professionals they claim to be and stop forgetting orders and hospitals stop forcing the nurses to catch the mistakes of a physician because the hospital can't get the physician to comply.

All in all, there seems to be a stretch of nursing to become the physicians...well where is the pay and title change? Every order that a nurse corrects should be noted and send to the medical board. If a nurse was to make mistakes it can be reported to the board...Physicians should be held accountable at the same level.

So my take on the BSN requirement is BS.

Anyone else know why we must have a BSN? Why is it that a ADN can no longer fit the position?

elkpark

14,633 Posts

Welcome to allnurses. There are a number of studies that have shown a correlation between higher numbers of BSN prepared nursing staff and lower mortality rates, and there are plenty of criticisms of those studies. The bottom line is that it's becoming a requirement because employers can require it. Since the economy tanked, employment is a buyer's (employers') market, and, with the abundance of RNs looking for jobs, they can be as picky and choosy as they like. There are still plenty of places in the US that employ ADN-prepared RNs, but there are also many parts of the country in which it's extremely difficult to find employment without a BSN. People are free to make their own choices about continuing their education, but it may mean having to relocate.

I don't think one has to be a "diva" to feel that there is a lot more to nursing practice than providing assessment info to the physician and carrying out physician orders. That is a quite limited view of nursing, and I'm surprised that someone within nursing is actually proposing that. Or are you intentionally being provocative?

Libby1987

3,726 Posts

Your post supports the need for additional education on the scope of today's nursing except I know ADNs have a better understanding than you are demonstrating.

ModernRN

25 Posts

I am a nurse and chose to go to nursing school for my career. I have no desire to be a physician otherwise I would have gone to med school. I agree that going above and beyond is nice and feels great to be able to provide quality nursing care. But what about those nurses who stress that their license is gonna be taken away and or be disciplined at work over issues that the physician is dropping the ball on? Its not fair as this can cause increased nursing anxiety which can lower the nurses threshold to stress and decrease the ability to provide quality nursing care and may even be a big cause of nursing burnout. Why is no one supporting boundaries between the professions?

Libby1987

3,726 Posts

A BSN does not and was never intended to correlate with the scope of a physician. Your premise is non sensical. This type of illogic is what generates the monkey comments and is detrimental to our reputation, so no I'm not taking a hike.

allnurses Guide

BostonFNP, APRN

2 Articles; 5,581 Posts

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
So why all the critical thinking skills that are required all of a sudden?

1. Because research has shown better outcomes are associated with BSN+ degree RNs.

2. Because of the nursing surpless, employers are afforded the ability to be picky about who they hire and have started to prefer it.

3. Because of Magnet status. See 1 and 2.

Why do you all of a sudden bring it up?

NotYourMamasRN

317 Posts

Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.

I wanted to reply but I think I might be here typing for a few hours if I do, so I am just going to leave it at, "What everyone else said".

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

Depending on where you live and work, it may not be necessary to get your BSN. In other places, no one will force you to do it, but that leaves you with nothing to do but complain about it to that brick wall, while the "divas" get all the plumb jobs.

datalore

100 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac/Tele.

OP states BSN is BS, without offering any specific argument as to why BSN is BS. The ideas about what the scope of nursing is or isn't is tangential to why a BSN is or isn't necessary. Think about what is actually included in BSN coursework and whether that is relevant to the scope and practice of nursing, then you'll have my listening ear.

Julius Seizure

1 Article; 2,282 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

This post certainly traveled far. We started with "why get a BSN?" and ended with "Nurses shouldn't have to make sure that MDs write for DVT prophylaxis."

Both are worthwhile topics to discuss, maybe, but I'm not sure they fit into the same post.

Kate_Peds

2 Articles; 35 Posts

The nursing process actually includes "diagnosis" and "intervention." No, you do not have to prescribe the medication or diagnose the actual illness. But tell me, if you walk into the room and see the patient struggling to breathe, are you not going to elevate the head of the bed? That is a nursing diagnosis and intervention. No order required (in most cases). The profession is evolving. I don't think any ADN should feel less about themselves because they didn't get the BSN. You don't have to get it if you don't want to, just know that you may not have the advantage when applying to Magnet designated health centers.

Yeah well, tell all that to the powers that be. The fact is, a BSN is now required for entry level positions in many facilities.

Why? Because they can. They have many nurses applying for a position, they will go for the nurse with the highest degree.

Physicians have nothing to do with this process.

P.S. I have an associate's degree. I make a boatload of money with it.

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