When attending a traditional BSN program, are students told they're better than ADNs?

Nola009 · Mar 7, 2014

Has anyone here not been able to get the RN job that they wanted (being realistic) because they only had RN on their name tag? I'm kind of at this crevasse between the two and the [i']realistic [/i]and fundamental differences between the two. And while I'm in NC, I'm likely to want to relocate, so does this ADN/BSN issue vary greatly between states and regions?

In my area (northern middle US), metropolitan area hospitals want BSNs or at least RNs who are commited to pursuing their BSN within such and such a time frame from the date of hire.

In the more rural area hospitals, ADN-holding RNs are just as accepted as the BSNs.

The odds are high that you will want to go back for your BSN if you want to ever work as a supervisor or outside of a LTC facility.

I am a new-grad ADN holding RN who is working at a LTC/SNF and in the process of going for the BSN. I need to work as I make my way through my schooling, so this route was best for me.

If you can go ahead and go straight for the BSN degree, I would recomend doing that, as it will likely save you a lot of time in the long run.

Best of luck to you !

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 8, 2014

I'm in a BSN program. We aren't told that we are better, but our new grads are definitely at an advantage compared to the ADN-new grads. Certain hospitals in my location already have posted "BSNs strongly prefered" or "BSN only." But I don't think one is "better" than the other.

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Mar 16, 2014

I completed my nursing education in a BSN program. I made the choice that was right for me at the time. There were many factors. I was 17 when I was making college decisions. I thought I wanted to do nursing, but what 17 year old has any real idea? My reasons for choosing the institution (and therefore degree program I did) had to do with financing my education, being able to keep my health insurance, and the ease of getting through a degree program as seamlessly as possible (ex. the school I went to only admits X students to the nursing program per year, and all X number of students are guaranteed seats in nursing and co-curricular classes so long as academic and clinical eligibility is maintained). The fact was that the ADN program at the community college near where I attending my BSN program had an average degree completion time of 4 years, and my BSN program had a 4 year rate, provided you maintained your GPA and clinical eligibility. Why wouldn't I just, as a traditional aged student, complete the BSN and get it over with?

There was some attitude given about degree superiority while I was in school. I don't think many of my classmates bought into it, and it was only a specific few of our professors who preached it. The one who was the most adamant about it was also adamant that only about 5 members of our class would actually graduate and of those five only 1-2 would manage to pass NCLEX...the rest of us were far too insignificant and unable to do anything. Which I think should tell you what most of our class thought about that professor at all.

The thing that was somewhat better (and meaningfully) articulated to our class was that with the way healthcare is moving it would make us more easily employable to be a BSN grad. That we would not have tom go back to school for it later. And that most (all) of the hospital systems in our area were requiring it as a condition of employment.

It wasn't so much school that pushed the superiority on us. I would say my employer at the time was more adamant about it than my school was (by a ton). My employer when I was in nursing school (I worked as an assistant, and for a well known, well ranked, academic medical center) would not hire anything but BSN grads, and would go so far as to hire non-BSN students for their assistant jobs and tell them flat out, regardless of whether you performed your current job well, you would not be considered for a nursing job unless you were a BSN grad.

The joke was on me (and many of my classmates) though. Jobs were harder to find than we thought they should have been. I moved to take a job that sucked (was not remotely safe). My second job wasn't much better. My third job, most days I love. Some days still sucks (as is the nature of it being work, which is compounded by working in healthcare).

I would also argue that not all BSN programs are created equal (just as no ADN programs are the same, etc). My program had an amazing nursing program and honestly, our school had a great core curriculum which was required for all students. I see it now better than I did as a student, some of the classes that didn't seem pertinent actually are useful. Maybe not to clinical nursing, but my job is not just my skills I learned in school (it would be silly to settle and accept that - we should strive to do better and grow always). There are skills I have learned since school (my specialty is often skipped entirely by nursing programs except to say it exists). Working involves being part of a team, and also committee work and many other things.

I have said it before, I have worked with non BSN grads that scare me. I have worked with BSN grads that scare me. Similarly, I have worked with nurses that are excellent with many different academic backgrounds. I don't actually think it's the academic background but how one chooses to practice. And that says considerably more about an individual than it does an individual's education.

BlueDevil, DNP · Mar 16, 2014

To answer the OP, yes, we were told that, very matter of factly. The faculty certainly believed it to be the case, we students liked believing it, lol. I was also told that Pluto was a planet. I was told a lot of things that may or may not be absolute truths.

And your colleagues may, in fact, believe they are better nurses than you are. So what? You apparently don't believe it, so it is no skin off your nose. Just do your job and forget about it. Let it go.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN · Mar 16, 2014

I did a LPN-BSN program, and was never told this. I was told as a LPN who was "task oriented now needs to look at the big picture, and ask who, what, when, why, and how, because that is what you do as a professional nurse". I have BSN in my name because I worked and paid for that degree, and I am proud to hold that degree. Took me a long time to even decide to go back and get it! I was also told we sign our name with the higher degree first, so I sign my documentation "CB, BSN, RN."

ADN, BSN....we all took and passed the same NCLEX. If you have an ADN and want to think you are better, go for it. The thing that bothers me is that LPN's aren't considered "professional" nurses. LPN's are "licensed"......and THAT is a whole other topic.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2014

Honestly? I am glad that my work place does not add excessive initials after ones' name. You're your title. If you're a LPN, you're a LPN. If you're a RN, you're a RN. Doesn't matter if you have a ADN, BSN, MSN, or PhD. If you're a NP, you're a NP.

RunBabyRN · Mar 23, 2014

We've never been told that we were better than ADN-prepared nurses. We have a higher degree, and have learned more about theory, research, leadership and public health. It doesn't define me as a nurse, or make me a better nurse than an ADN-prepared coworker.

NurseGuyBri · Mar 30, 2014

I think that anyone saying a BSN is "better than" someone else is r/t poor personality. :0) I also think that the wrong word choice can really muck up an idea. I believe, having been a CNA, LPN, RN-ADN, RN-BSN that a BSN does provide you a plethora of extra tools in order to be a better nurse, but the only "better than" you can be is better than yourself. When I was a CNA, I thought, "Well, LPN's just sit around, there's no difference, we do all the work." I was a jerk then. Then I went to LPN school and said, "Oh my God, this is hard." When I got my first job I thought, "Holy crap batman, this is so difficult, I wish I had never down-talked LPN's!" I still hadn't learned my lesson though. The next thing I said was, "Man, RN's sit around all day, they have it easy!" Still a jerk. So, I went to RN school, then I thought, "Holy crap, batman, this is a lot of responsibility! I wish I had never down-talked RN's!" I think you get the point. Now, as a BSN, I realize that each step has its purpose, and the BSN is definitely needed, even in bedside nursing. It changes the way you think. We need not to keep saying which one is better and just say these two things: 1) everyone is different, and 2) Lets all work towards higher education. It's the right thing to do.