Hiring outlook for ADN vs. BSN in your town?

U.S.A. Texas

Published

Hey y'all,

I am wondering what the job outlook is like in your town for an ADN vs. a BSN. Are hospitals still as willing to hire ADNs? ADNs, how fast were you able to find work when you graduated? Where are y'all located? I am in the Dallas, TX area and would love if anyone had any information on this area specifically. I am getting ready to apply to school (I will probably apply for an ADN program and a BSN program to cover all my bases)... I've read more than once that BSN is really the way to go in Dallas and need some feedback! Thanks!!

I'm near Chicago. I'm not a nurse yet, but most all of the hospitals are going magnet therefore you need a BSN to be able to even apply.

My advice to you: with all of the people going back to school for their nursing degree nowadays, you will most likely get hired with a BSN over someone with an ADN. Get your BSN. I'm sure you won't regret it!

Having your BSN is not a requirement for being hired at a Magnet status hospital. Whether you have your Diploma, ADN or BSN you can still obtained employment at a hospital. Whether it be Magnet status or NOT. I work for a Magnet status hospital and I am a LPN, and currently working to obtain my ADN. If money and time is not an issue for you then, obtaining your BSN may be the best route. Having a ADN, is perfectly fine as well !!! You will have no trouble getting a job and you can always go back and get your BSN later. It does save time and money especially those who have families. Good Luck with your endeavors !!!!

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It doesn't matter if you have an ADN or BSN. The chance that you have a job depends on how much connection you have with that hospital (where you apply). If you work as a Nurse Partner or CNA while you are in nursing school, the chance of getting a RN job at your hospital is almost guarantee ! Or if your references currently work in that hospital, you have a really high chance also !

If you have to move to a completely new area (to another state for example), then your chance is higher if you apply to "less desirable hospitals"

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Specializes in Utilization management, psychiatric-mental health.

It shouldn't matter but unfortunately it does. I mean, for a person who doesn't have any connections to the hospitals, have bachelor's degree from a different field (like so many others) and who decided to volunteer at a hospital to get more exposure and develop connections, my chances seem pretty difficult now. To move out of state would be a hectic because I have to think about my family (my husband and son) so for me, it's hard. It shouldn't matter whether you have your ADN or BSN but when you have so many hospitals telling you the only way to get in is with a BSN, then I can't think of any other options. I mean, I wish I knew someone who worked in a hospital but I don't. I feel like I may have to get a regular job in the meantime and after I obtain my ADN, I will go straight for my BSN. I haven't been working for almost a year and a half it has been financial struggle for us. At least nowe, the reason is school but to go longer without working (even the time I graduate) I just can't afford it.

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I live in the suburbs of Houston, TX. My 2 daughters graduated their ADN, one finished her BSN after working in the hospital for 2 years. Both did not have any difficulty finding jobs as RN. I graduated my ADN when I was 53 years old in December 2005, applied for a job a week before I took my NCLEX in Jan 2006, got hired the same day I passed it. I worked in the hospital for 8 months and found out it was just too stressful for me and went to work in dialysis and has been working in this field for 5 years. You can go with ADN and most hospitals and big dialysis companies pay for their nurses to get their bachelor degree. I have not met any ADN yet that did not find work as a RN. Nursing field is very broad and rewarding. Once you passed NCLEX, you will be able to work in different state that is part of the compact states if you find it hard to get a job in Dallas. Good luck.

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As far as I've seen, the big hospitals in the Dallas area, like Baylor Dallas, only want BSNs now. Considering your situation, I think that your best bet is to secure a job as a nurse tech while completing your ADN. You may not make as much as you are now, working two jobs, but you won't have time for that anyways while your in nursing school, so you might as well work to gain experience and make connections in a hospital environment while having a source of income. Also, then you won't have to fret over those loans for the BSN, because most of the bigger hospitals, minus those affiliated with THR and the Presby's, provide tuition reimbursement for your RN-BSN bridge! Overall, this is also a great way to make sure that nursing is really something that you're interested in.

I'm graduating from El Centro's ADN program this May. I applied for GN internships at two hospitals, Baylor Dallas where I've been working part-time as a nurse tech, and Parkland, because I've loved all the clinical rotations I've had there. Blessed as I am, I had offers from both hospitals between the medicine floor I was working on, and Parkland's ER. When I interviewed for Parkland ER's GN internship, I was told that of 400+ applications, only 80 were selected to interview, and 10 were going to be accepted of those 80. I don't have any connections at Parkland, but I landed the internship and am sure that one of the only reasons I was even considered for an interview in the first place was because of my nurse tech experience. As for the rest of my graduating class, everyone that I know who was also working as tech throughout school, currently has secured a job/GN internship, even if they were only working PRN, once a week. That, or they established a good relationship with the floor they precepted on for their last semester. Good luck to you in your final decision!

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Thank you Vitalsmiles! It is especially good for me to keep in mind that THR and Presby don't offer tuition reimbursement! That is definitely good advice, and I do plan on getting a part time job as a nurse tech while I'm in school (I always said I wouldn't get a job when I went back to school if I could help it, but it definitely makes sense to get some experience under my belt). It's also reassuring to hear that El Centro's program is doing such a good job getting their students ready for employment! I'm applying to Brookhaven for the Spring 2012 semester... are their rates similar or does El Centro have a big advantage by being downtown near major hospitals?

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Hmmm I don't really know how it's going for Brookhaven students, although I did have friend who graduated from Brookhaven last May, and she got a job on a tele floor at Baylor Plano without any tech experience. Also, for my L&D rotation, I remember meeting a GN from Brookhaven who was completing her L&D residency, and she landed 1 of 5 spots at that time.

I'm not sure where they do their clinicals, but it seems like El Centro has consistently rotated their students through some of the big hospitals downtown, partially due to some of the instructors that have been around for so long. For example, over the past semesters, some hospitals that have usually been consistent options for clinicals are Parkland, Methodist hospitals, VA for your 1st sem., and Scottish Rite for Peds. For the most part, except for the last semester of precepted clinicals, our options for clinicals at El Centro were usually between big hospitals in the dallas metroplex, but it really varies between semesters.

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Also, it's not so much the school getting you ready for employment as it is being aggressive, putting yourself out there and seeking employment or externships early. I'll still be graduating with a number of students who don't have jobs lined up yet, and most of them are either going to re-apply for jobs after passing N-CLEX, or are going to go straight into bridging for their BSN. Nowadays, El Centro is partnering up with UTA for this RN-BSN bridge program as well.

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Good point. Thank you for sharing real, relatable information - I really do appreciate it! I didn't know El Centro was partnering with UTA - that's awesome that schools are doing that! I know quad C partners with TWU and Brookhaven partners with Texas Tech so I'll hopefully be doing Tech's online RN-BSN bridge once I'm done at Brookhaven.

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Specializes in Stroke.
Sugar, that little "issue" about all that money is a big one!

I know many who are in the hole right now. It is a huge shame, and they are in financial ruin. Thing is, nursing employment is so bad right now with the back log of newer nurses that it can't turn around. The only advice I can give you is if you have a way of meeting and really getting to know a DON as well as experienced nurses at a hospital near you your chances are better. Your connections need to be of this kind. I routinely advise against nursing to highschool juniors and have given parents the "tools" to check things out, and this has changed what major their kids will follow for bachelor's degree. If you want to do nursing in these times, I'd work, and do an ADN. That way you can pay off your debt, and it might buy you some time to see what happens with the economy. But as I've said the US is saturated with nurses, and so many are in line ahead of you working ridiculous jobs in healthcare -- but they will no matter what be ahead of any new grads come any large scale upward economic change for nursing in this country.

I wish I could put up a banner somewhere so I could stop the innocent from being hurt, LOL.

Hey onaclearday! I happen to agree with you. I will be graduating a 1 yr. LVN program in August and although I have signed up for Fall courses to complete my prereqs for the ADN bridging program, I am truly concerned as to whether it will be worth it to invest the extra time & money into getting an RN. I am an older student and wouldn't even consider an RN program except that the field does offer more options for older nurses. However, I am concerned that being older and being a 'new' graduate is seriously going to hurt my employment chances. I've been hearing that the market is flooded w/new graduate nurses right now & depends on where you are located & who you know as to whether you get hired. I am a licensed CNA and haven't been able to get hired at the local hospitals.....nursing homes yes, hospitals no. What do you think? Should I invest the extra year or try to find work as an LVN? :down:

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Specializes in home health- pediatrics.

SugarMagnolia, we meet again! I will be graduating before you join BHC's program, bummer. We did just find out last month that Texas Health resources hospitals are not hiring ADN's- that means no Presby. Like VitalSmiles suggessted, your best option for getting into one of those facilities (or any for that matter) is to get some experience as a tech, or even a volunteer in a hospital. Many hospitals hire techs, and a few offer nurse externships (like an internship during school). Baylor is starting to get pretty picky and they "say" they won't hire ADN's, but a friend of mine just graduated in May and was hired by them on the condition that she have her bachelors degree within 18 months. The issue with the ADN is that DFW hospitals are trying to gain magnet status. Magnet status is basically an elite status that hospitals acquire by meeting certain standards that go "above and beyond". One of those standards is having a ratio of advanced degree nurses, in this case Bachelor's and above. Magnet status means they get more federal money, and usually more patients, because they want to go to the best facilities. The debate of ADN vs BSN will continue, and in this economy either route will be just fine. You will be able to find a job as an ADN, though you may have to search outside of your desired specialty or radius. Experience, including grades in school is ultimately what gets you the job in DFW nowdays. And you live in Rowlett, right? You should look into TWU's online one year bachelor's program. The curriculum is strictly online, though you can opt for a partial-campus based program. There are two options for this: CCCCD (Collin County) has a new Higher Education Center and they host TWU classes, or you can attend TWU's nursing campus downtown adjacent to UTSouthwestern/parkland/Children's. I went there last summer for Patho and it was great! TWU is the least expensive university in north Texas for Nursing. I made the choice to go ADN so I can work and get experience for a year while I complete my bachelor's, then get a raise after a year of experience and completion of my degree. Also, most hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for you continuing your education. As far as El Centro getting clinicals at big hospitals, their campus is closer to many big hospitals. Schools tend to rotate in their area so they are not fighting each other for space. This semester BHC rotates through Methodist downtown, and in the fall we will have spots at Parkland for OB and psych. Like VitalSmiles said, network with the nurses that you learn from, and make all your clinicals a working interview. You never know who will remember you when you need them most...

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Thanks Sweetpea!! You have been so helpful here and with all the Brookhaven info and I appreciate your insight! :)

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