Professional Nurse: BSN VS ADN... need help...

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Hi,

I am working on an assignment for school. I am in my last semester of an ADN program.

The assignment is to think about my definition of what a Professional Nurse is and how the current nursing image is impacting it.

I was wondering what everyone thought of BSN and ADN educations. The reason I ask is that I found an ancient article on professional nursing that stated that an ADN is a technical Nurse and the BSN is the professional Nurse. I thought, what does it matter? both are held to the same standards of practice, the same workload, responsibilities ect. How can one be professional and one just be technical?

I would appreciate any thoughts on this as it will enhance my response assignment.

Thanks

Kristie

I do not understand how the two are different, except that the BSN has more stuff for community based nursing in it and the ADN is focused mostly on Hospital based nursing.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I think that there are ways to say things and ways to say things.

I agree and not everyone who advocates for BSN to be the minimum standard states it eloquently.

The ANA has advocates for that standard and states their case very "professionally" in my opinion. Yet many ADN grads refuse to join ANA because their refuse to support an organization that deems them less of a nurse than a BSN.

It is very very difficult to say "the BSN should be the minimum standard for entry level RNs", without insulting someone. No way around it. So I still say if that's your opinion you're just going to have to say it and accept that someone is going to immeidate chime in with the old "what makes you think I'm less of a nurse than you" "a BSN doesn't make you a good nurse or a better nurse than me, I've seen plenty of BSN nurses who weren't good nurses"....well you know the drill. So sometimes it's not the post from the advocate, but the responses afterward that get the thread shut down, but the mob (and sometimes the mods) are quick to blame the BSN advocate for not stating their case in a manner that isn't inflammatory when that is nearly impossible to do.

That's what I was saying.

(I once vowed to stay out of these types of discussions too, but can't do it. LOL)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER.

What ever! An RN does the exact same job as a BSN except the BSN had to take a few more classes like an extra history, maybe an art class, another english, then they only go one more year and learn how to do assessments and write papers. And for what? If it is to get paid more I say HA HA because you'll only get 1.00 more for that BSN degree!

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BSN's have to take more NURSING classes also, not just Gen Ed classes to get the BS. But for many of us it's not about the money. I get paid the same as ADN's. I'm committed to excellence in my studies, my practice and in life. Others who feel the same way are outstanding nurses, whether BSN or ADN or MSN-prepared. I'm told that there is research that shows that BSN-prepared nurses have better outcomes. I haven't taken the time to look for it because changing others' opinions on this issue isn't high on my priority list. However, I'd be curious to hear others weigh in on the research to this effect.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Since there is no standardized entry educational requirement for RN's - we will always have this discrepancy. In the end, its our patient care that matters. The research study about BSN RN's providing better care was flawed at best because the researchers didn't look at nursing ratios at the hospitals, just the educational requirements of the institution.

This leads me to believe that if nursing ratios are LOWERED, the nurses (be they ADN's, BSN's, or diploma grads) will ALL be able to provide better care.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
What ever! An RN does the exact same job as a BSN except the BSN had to take a few more classes like an extra history, maybe an art class, another english, then they only go one more year and learn how to do assessments and write papers. And for what? If it is to get paid more I say HA HA because you'll only get 1.00 more for that BSN degree!

Everything else aside. I'm in an RN to BSN program that was fully 16 courses, including patho. pharm., leadership, research, assessment, stats, etc. etc. BSN.

The value in the degree is not just the $1.00 per hour. It's having options in various fields of nursing.

It's not for everyone, and many ADNs advance far in a wide variety of jobs.

However, it's more than a "few". :monkeydance:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
BSN's have to take more NURSING classes also, not just Gen Ed classes to get the BS. But for many of us it's not about the money. I get paid the same as ADN's. I'm committed to excellence in my studies, my practice and in life. Others who feel the same way are outstanding nurses, whether BSN or ADN or MSN-prepared. I'm told that there is research that shows that BSN-prepared nurses have better outcomes. I haven't taken the time to look for it because changing others' opinions on this issue isn't high on my priority list. However, I'd be curious to hear others weigh in on the research to this effect.

There have been one or two studies, but they were very flawed and the data proved unreliable, so it's an urban legend that BSNs have better outcomes for now.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

whimsie:

check out ojin (online journal of issues in nursing) 2002 series of articles:

entry into practice: is it relevant today?

[color=#6f6f6f]includes: education for entry into nursing practice: revisited for the 21st century

has many articles and info links you need for a good paper.

woops....see you posted this in march 2006 so guess your paper's well over. closing thread as question answered.

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check the facts/stats....ADN nurses are better prepared as far as skills and bedside nursing are concerned. BSN new grads will admit to that. Whether its ADN/BSN/diploma.....most facilities dont give a pay differential..we are all making the same hourly rate regardless of adn/bsn. We all take the NCLEX. Its more what fits your educational goals. Why get your BSN if you dont plan on going into management or on to a masters? You arent going to get any monetary incentive and just put yourself into more debt. :bowingpur

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
WTG, stepping right into the koolaid with your first post.

A batchelor's degree does NOT make a person a professional. Professionalism does. You would do well to keep that little fact in mind.

So the guy at McDonald's who has professionalism should be called a professional?

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
What ever! An RN does the exact same job as a BSN except the BSN had to take a few more classes like an extra history, maybe an art class, another english, then they only go one more year and learn how to do assessments and write papers. And for what? If it is to get paid more I say HA HA because you'll only get 1.00 more for that BSN degree!

I resent that remark, we do more than just take a few extra history classes...and that extra year is not spent learning how to do assessments and write papers....we learned how to do assessments in the first 6 weeks of school and we have been writing 20 page papers all along, your sadly drastically misinformed! (let alone we have higher math, chemistry and English requirements to even apply vs. an ASN) I will graduate with my BSN with 132 units, taking no extra classes. If I had gotten my ASN I would have done it in 74 units...those fifty-eight units are not spent writing fluffy papers and taking an extra art and English class, they are spent taking ACTUAL nursing classes, as well as classes that make us well rounded. I am not bashing the ASN route, but I am tired of people bashing the BSN route, saying how we wasted our time and how we will make the same amount as ASN nurses.....yes, in bedside nursing...I could go on but I will stop before I say something that can be misconceived.

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As an ADA nurse I also felt angry and insulted at times at the insinuations that we are not "professional nurses". At this time in my life ( I am 49 years old), I do realize how much more I could have grown in my profession if I had obtained a BSN. The education and knowledge helps us expand and grow. This enables us to care for others in a much more compassionate and enlightened way. I have not nursed in almost 2 years, and this past year I took a nurse refresher course. I have applied for reinstatement and when I am reinstated I

will continue my education and earn a Bachelor's degree and I dream of the possibility of a Master's degree! There were so many updates in my refresher course I was really glad I took it!

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I'm almost done with my BSN and not feeling any more professional. I think the BSN is a good thing to have and I'd love to see it accessible to all, but it is not what makes me a professional nurse. That happened when I earned a license and began taking responsibility for the lives of others. It is our judgment, our actions, our responsibility that makes us professional nurses.

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