A little frustrated/confused about BSN/ADN

Malenurse1235954 · Jul 28, 2016

From what I have seen, BSN is almost always listed as the prefered degree in job posts. In AZ new grad jobs are competitive (1:10 acceptance rates). In my class (ADN) mostly current PCTs were hired as new grads in the hospital. The best hospital in town didnt even look at a new grad ADN unless they were current a employee. Many of my class went to nursing homes, home health, psych (or relocated), then transitioned to the hospital later as an experenced RN.

If you can do the BSN straight off that would be best, but you will get a job as an ADN.

ap_ns · Jul 29, 2016

Hey there. Don't be too discouraged. You have a good plan in place. Earning your BSN online through a bridge program is totally fine. When you start applying for RN jobs after passing the NCLEX, just ask about their requirements. Some may ask that you earn a BSN within a certain amount of time, but they're usually pretty reasonable - and there are lots of online options that you can complete in a year - sometimes less! (here's an article about "Why the push for BSN" from UTA - as some of the others have mentioned, it's because of a report from the IOM (now Academy of Medicine). Why the push for RN to BSN? | UTA Online

EstelaAnnSteele · Jul 29, 2016

I do believe that policies vary from state to state and from facility to facility. ADN's continue to be employed in most areas of healthcare. Some hospitals require that you hold a BSN or MSN for certain perceived higher seats (such as supervisory and teaching positions). As hospitals try to elevate their status, more hirelings will be BSN or required to become BSN within a time frame. I suspect that much like LPN's the ADN RN will continue to be used in certain positions for a long time to come (such as nursing homes).

kubivern · Jul 29, 2016

I have educated in both ADN and BSN classes for a number of years. The ADN path is an excellent path for an individual who wants to become a nurse. Yes, there is a large push to get RNs with an ADN to continue forward to get his or her BSN. Like any profession, the more education you have, theoretically the better you will be prepared to handle whatever comes along. Just like when a car repair shop sends a professional mechanic to additional training to be able to handle more work. For RNs, that additional training is the BSN.

ADNs will never become obsolete. It is the less expensive path to becoming a RN, and with college costs so dang' high, it is sometimes the only way to become an RN. But you can probably count on most facilities wanting you to get your BSN within a couple of years after you get hired. It is expected by the number of reports and studies that other posters have cited. There are a zillion ADN to BSN programs out there, as you know, so it isn't a big deal. Many facilities will even reimburse you the costs of the transition. And it usually only takes a year, part-time. And the courses aren't near as hard as the original RN courses.

y2dave13 · Jul 29, 2016

By 2025, I'm sure they will begin "phasing out" BSNs to make room for MSNs and MPHs.... By that time, doctors will be scratching their heads wondering if they will be next... ðŸ˜•ðŸ˜³

CacaoHeart · Jul 29, 2016

I graduated in May from an ADN program, having gone with the view that associates programs were cheaper and that I could go back and get my BSN online quickly after getting a job. While that is true for many people, if I were to do it again I'd try harder to get into a BSN program from the beginning.

Where I am, two of the BSN programs are affiliated with major hospitals and they get 1st pick at ICU clinical rotations, so many of the people that get ICU jobs had multiple ICU rotations while out of my class of 70, only 2 students spent time rotating through an ICU.

Of the several local ADN programs, about 50-75% of people that start the nursing program graduate, while of the local BSN programs ~97% that start finish. Having graduation delayed or having to start a new program can make an ADN program more expensive. Eight months from graduation I switched to a different ADN program because of serious issues with the first one and graduation took me an extra 2 years and $20,000 as a result.

On the bright side, 100% of my graduating class passed the NCLEX on the first attempt, most with only 75-80 questions, and as far as I know everyone is now employed, with the exception of a couple that delayed applying for travel/moving out of state. I'm very glad to now be working as an RN on a good hospital floor with supportive coworkers and management. I'm applying to online BSN programs now and in ~2 years hope to be where I may have been 2 years ago had I started with a BSN program. Of course, BSN programs have limited space, and for many an ADN or diploma program may be the only option, in which case I'd say make the most of it, but definitely try for the BSN.

Kindnessecity · Jul 29, 2016

One thing to find out is if the area you want to work in will hire you without a BSN. For the last few years it has been close to impossible to get a hospital job without this degree unless you are lucky enough to land a spot in a residency program. It is getting a little better right now, some of the hospital now have jobs listed as "new to the field" or "new grads may apply". By the time you graduate things might have changed again. All hospital nurses are supposed to have a BSN by 2020, that's the goal. So the guy was incorrect with implying that there is a difference in scope of practice. You can absolutely start working with the ADN and work on your BSN at the same time. I think its a great idea and often way more cost-effective.

hellfirecat, LVN · Jul 30, 2016

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate your insight and advice.

kiszi, RN · Jul 30, 2016

I didn't see an answer to your other question about ADN vs. BSN responsibilities. An ADN nurse and a BSN nurse have absolutely no difference in scope of practice and will have the exact same responsibilities in a job, all other things being equal.

allnurses Guide · Jul 30, 2016

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate your insight and advice.

Best wishes to you, and be forewarned that your experience may (probably will) occur again-- same insecure people with their un-researched proclamations, plug in the circumstances. You want to work in a certain specialty, they picked a better one, etc. I say this so you can start to grow your thick skin or your ducky feathers to let it roll off. :-)

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Jul 30, 2016

I didn't see an answer to your other question about ADN vs. BSN responsibilities. An ADN nurse and a BSN nurse have absolutely no difference in scope of practice and will have the exact same responsibilities in a job, all other things being equal.

Exactly what I was going to say. I will add that management positions may require a BSN as opposed to an ASN/ADN. That's where you will find a difference in responsibilities. There are even some threads here on allnurses where ASN/ADN managers were told to get the BSN or vacate the positions after having held those positions for years.

Extra Pickles · Jul 30, 2016

Hi everyone,
I'm a little frustrated, I was speaking with a fellow student in one of my classes (non-science pre req) who is also a pre-nursing major. Upon hearing I was intending to go the ADN route he proceeded to tell that 1) ADN's were going to be meaningless and obsolete by 2020 (okaaaay) and 2) you won't have the same responsibilities as someone with a BSN. I was always under the impression that we all took the same exam to get our RN license and thus were essentially certified to do the same things. I'm totally open to the possibility that I may be dead wrong about how this and told him so. He seemed to become almost hostile and insisted he was right and I was wrong. I started to think I may be wrong and decided not to pursue the matter any farther. Guys, am I wrong???? I plan on getting my BSN immediately afterward anyway so it doesn't make much of a difference to me, I just figured I'd save a whole lot of money that I can't really afford to part with right now. I was planning on trying to get a job after passing the NCLEX and doing an online bridge to BSN while working but now I'm a little concerned.

it's always interesting to hear what rumors and myths are out there from time to time. your classmate thinks that RNs who hold different degrees have different responsibilities (in the same job) and he is dead wrong. what he doesn't know about the Nurse Practice Act is enough to make me wonder what he think nurses do in the first place! A floor nurse who has a BSN has the identical responsibilities of a floor nurse who holds an ADN. One isn't a Super Nurse and the other a Junior Nurse lol.

finding employment is a different issue than which education has more responsibilities or duties. your classmate is clueless.