What's REALLY with the hospitals using Magnet as a cover for wanting BSN only nurses?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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I'm in an associate degree RN program. I have a previous BA in Psychology and just finished up my last two classes online to also get my BS in Business Administration. I have worked for over a year as a PCA at a local hospital and also work as a supplemental instruction leader to help incoming nursing students do better in their first and second quarters. Yet all the nursing recruiters at the hospitals I'm looking at say that without a BSN, none of that will matter and my odds of getting hired are slim to none since I am competing with 4 well respected BSN programs.When asked why, all the hospitals said it is a requirement for Magnet status. From what I can tell, the requirements in terms of degrees for Magnet status are:

1. The CNO must have at a minimum, a master's degree at the time of application. If the master's degree is not in nursing then either a baccalaureate degree or doctoral degree must be in nursing.

2. Effective 1/1/2011 - 75% Nurse Managers must have a degree in nursing (baccalaureate or graduate degree)

3. Effective 1/1/2013 - 100% Nurse Managers must have a degree in nursing (baccalaureate or graduate degree)

4. Effective 1/1/2013 - 100% of nurse leaders must have a degree in nursing (baccalaureate or graduate degree)

By the AANC's definition, most nurses don't fall under any of these cateogories. A nurse leader is a nurse with line authority over multiple units that have RNs working clinically and those nurse leaders who are positioned on the organizational chart between the nurse manager and the CNO. A nurse manager is Registered Nurse with 24 hour/7day accountability for the overall supervision of all Registered Nurses and other healthcare providers in an inpatient or outpatient area. The Nurse Manager is typically responsible for recruitment and retention, performance review, and professional development; involved in the budget formulation and quality outcomes; and helps to plan for, organize and lead the delivery of nursing care for a designated patient care area.

There are NO requirements or recommendations stated for the vast majority of nurses - the ones doing the bedside care on a daily basis. So why are all the local hospitals hiding behind Magnet as their reason for only wanting to hire BSN nurses when that's not true at all?? I do plan to get my BSN and my MSN, but I need experience first and nobody will apparently hire me when I graduate! I also cannot afford a RN-BSN program without a job that will help me pay for it (all these hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for RN-BSN programs) because I am fresh out of undergraduate loans.

So what's the deal and what do us associate degree nurses do!?

Specializes in Infection prevention and control.

REALLY??? Seriously???? Unbelievable....I love the part about increasing foreign student rates for money....oops I mean grants.

Hospital hires me. Pays me my salary. Hospital hires ADN that plans on using tuition reimbursement. Pays him/her salary PLUS tuition. Which is better for the hospital?

Sorry you used up your undergrad loans on other degrees, but that's your problem, not a hospital that can hire you or a someone that already has a BSN that they won't have to pay for.

Hospital hires me. Pays me my salary. Hospital hires ADN that plans on using tuition reimbursement. Pays him/her salary PLUS tuition. Which is better for the hospital?

Sorry you used up your undergrad loans on other degrees, but that's your problem, not a hospital that can hire you or a someone that already has a BSN that they won't have to pay for.

Yeah...same thoughts here.

Specializes in Infection prevention and control.
Yeah...same thoughts here.

You're not saying that to me are you, I hope not!? I was responding to the link with the bill about foreign over US nurses....I am a little high strung these days tho.....just checkin.

Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.
i personally am not a fan of the Magnet facilities. i've spent a decent amount of time in both Magnet-certified & not and frankly they are pretty much the same: both obsessed with the bottom line rather than quality patient care, both chronically understaffed, both underhire, Magnet is just another useless organization with a bunch of rules that usually just overly complicate things. i will probably get the BSN but frankly it's not worth much, the only classes i lack are management classes which are completely useless to me as i have no plans EVER to manage.

so basically i will get the cheapest BSN out there and have the dumb piece of paper, god forbid i spent my classroom time on things that will actually help the bedside nurse like cardiophysiology or something like that...

It's not a dumb piece of paper. I worked my but off for it. And while I have no doubt that you worked hard as well for your AD, I do take exception to your comments. You have not completed your BSN, so don't run down something that you do not know everything about. I won't run down the MSN or DNP programs because I haven't been through that program! It offends me and I'm sure it will offend plenty of other great nurses!

P.S. I did spend plenty of time studying bedside nursing "things" like cardiophysiology as well as the rest of my classes!

Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

My choice was easy as I already have an AD in practical nursing. I've been an LPN for about 15 years and when I looked at the CC for the ADN program it was 4 semesters. BSN program was 5 semesters. The ADN program had over 400 applicants for 60 spots and the University admits LPN's into the program as long as your GPA is over 3.5. the BSN program allows LPN's to challenge up to 15 credits.

Specializes in Emergency.

Fragmentation is not the answer, unity is. Nurses hire nurses not hospitals. Nurses drive change within hospitals. Nurse requiters are instructed to hire BSN only. It is good for the profession and for an individuals future not to mention the publics perception. In the words of Nike..."just do it"

Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
So what's the deal and what do us associate degree nurses do!?

This is a drag. I happen to work for a magnet hospital that happily hires ADN grads.

Specializes in icu/er.

i dislike the idea or requiring to have a bsn in order to do work a asn can clearly do. however, from a pure financial reason, i look forward to the day when it is required that you have a bsn in order to sit for the nclex. unfortunatly this will cause the closing of many 2 yr/cc programs ( over 15 in my state). however this should thin out the rising tide of nurses that are pouring into the market and hopefully place the balance of a shortage in our favor.

Specializes in LTC.
It's not a dumb piece of paper. I worked my but off for it. And while I have no doubt that you worked hard as well for your AD, I do take exception to your comments. You have not completed your BSN, so don't run down something that you do not know everything about. I won't run down the MSN or DNP programs because I haven't been through that program! It offends me and I'm sure it will offend plenty of other great nurses!

P.S. I did spend plenty of time studying bedside nursing "things" like cardiophysiology as well as the rest of my classes!

You are so right !!! I see this often... CNAs running down LPNs,LPNs running down ADNs, ADNs running down BSNs, BSNs running down MSNs.

Instead of running down someone who has a higher education it would be more practical to either go back to school or shut up and stop complaining.

Yes it sucks that some hospitals won't hire new grads, but that is not in our control. As for me I plan to get my BSN and possibly masters to make myself more marketable.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Degree inflation is a fact of life these days.

Is that like member envy? :D

I'm worn to a fray by all the emphasis on education over actual nursing competence. I have spent thousands on useless graduate courses that only serve to pat advanced degree nurses on the back. The magnet facilities where I have worked were no better than non-magnet when it comes to how they treated their nurses although the magnet facilities will fall over themselves to hire Elmer Fudd as a clnical leader provided he has a MSN and no nursing experience. :rolleyes: The quality of nurses on the units are less experienced and of the mindset that their advanced education in some way negates the need to learn how to actual nurse. It is living hell for the experienced nurses left to toe the line on the floor when these new graduates are counted in the staffing pattern. In my experience in general ADN new graduates are far more competent and better to work with on the floor. I probably just need to join ANOTHER committee or maybe do a poster presentation, lol.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
It's not a dumb piece of paper.

My BSN was. There weren't any classes that I really feel assisted my practice and I would have been as well equipped, and far wealthier, if I had been able to skip it. Just my :twocents:

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