AAS vs. BSN

KatieBell · Oct 28, 2005

Employers usually do not care- but I know that BSNs were hired preferentially for the new grad programs in the critical care units...After I became a nurse with experience no one has ever asked me in a job interview about where I went to school. They are most concerned about my last job.

Now, as far as transferring- I think you find that the Community College programs are just as, if not more stressful and competitive. They are not Nursing program Jr, or Nursing program lite. They are usually more difficult to get into because they have more applicants (because they are more affordable, not because the standards are lower). I imagine it will be easier to have a spa day evry once in a while to reduce stress, rather than try to transfer.

I say all that, but I should probably reveal that I went to a BSN program.

Best wishes in your endeavors:specs:

RNSuzq1, RN · Oct 28, 2005

Hi Wildman, If you hate school and think transferring to a community college for your RN will be less competitive and will get rid of your stress, think again!!! When I applied 2 years ago, there were almost 500 applicants with only 40 open slots - lots of competition in the community colleges. I'm in my last year with 6 months to go and honestly, my entire class is so stressed out - we need to be patients ourselves. :coollook:

Besides our regular Nursing classes, our clinical hours were doubled this semester (with all those "fun" care plans to work on late into the night). I haven't had more than 4 hours of sleep a night for the last month - the stress and lack of sleep will destroy you... Just wanted you to know that going the community college route is certainly not the "easy way" by any means. A 4 year school is 8 semesters - our 2 year school is 5 semesters (we go straight through the summer with only a week off in July). In those 5 semesters, we have to learn everything necessary to pass the same National Nursing Boards that the 4 year students take - so it's very fast paced and if you can't keep up - they kindly show you the exit door. We started with 42 people last year, half of those people are gone and we still have our final and most difficult semester to go.. All Nursing Programs are stressful and as hard as it is to get into one - please think carefully before you leave the one you're in. Best of Luck, Sue

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 28, 2005

Yup, I'm going to have to agree with the other posters, the ADN route is "not the easy route". My school is tough to get in to, it's tough to stay in and it's more demanding than most of the BSN programs in this area (in regards to work required to pass the class). We have more clinical hours than BSN students in this area and our clinicals are tough. Oh and then our instructors...wow...our instructors are hard, demanding and tough on us. We are just about to finish our 2nd semester and our class size is about to dwindle to 1/2 of what we started with....I don't think our ADN program is "easier" than the BSN program down the road......

I think the stress of transferring (assuming you can get in, our school has over 400 applications for 52 spots each year) along with coming into an already formed class would just intensify your stress. You would be starting all over again...wow...talk about stress.

Stick it out with the program you are already in. It's only a couple years of your life and then your done and you move on. If you hate school, figure out a way to make it bearable, suck it up and get through it one day at a time.

Good luck

pricklypear · Oct 28, 2005

In addition to what everybody else here says about the difficulty of most ADN programs 1) You won't get priority over anybody else when it comes to the waiting list if you transfer. You'll have to get in line like everybody else and start over- which will set you back possibly years. 2) Most BSN programs (the actual core nursing part) are 5 semesters - ADN programs are 4. You'll only save yourself 1 semester of workload. Is that worth it? You're over the hard part - getting in, stay where you are and just get it over with. Professor/student politics are going to exist ANYWHERE you go.

sunnyjohn · Oct 28, 2005

The ADN route is not the easy route and you will have to deal with nonsense and politics wherever you go.

HOWEVER, you may be in a toxic program and it might not be a bad idea to investigate alternatives (BSN and ADN).

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2005

Many jobs are BSN preferred. However, most entry level bedside positions hospitals don't really require a BSN.

You can always get into an RN to BSN program later. Good luck.

LWildman · Oct 28, 2005

Hey thanks everyone, you made some good points I hadn't thought of. I got some good news-that next semester I have my clinicals with my friends so that gave me a boost to continue this semester out and into the next. Thanks! I'm going to stay where I am for now.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2005

I'm glad you decided to stay.

AAS (or ADN) is very stressful to even get in. In fact, I didn't get accepted with a 3.77, the school I applied to for Spring '06 only accepted the first 100 out of 115 applicants that had 4.0's!

That meant 15 applicants with 4.0's didn't get accepted!!!!!

I am working on my BSN classes while waiting to get into the local community college's ADN program. If you are already in the BSN classes, I would find it beneficial to you to go for the BSN. It's only 4 years and you're already in the program.

Like I said earlier, I'm glad you decided to stay, I'm sure you'll be glad you did when it's all said and done.

Good luck! :)

jezabel1961 · Oct 28, 2005

it probably depends on what you want to do in nursing. if you are interested in management, by all means, stay in the bsn program. myself, i prefer the hands on care, and i am quite happy with the available employment opportunities and wages. having minimal student loans to pay off was an extra perk. on a sour note, i read an article recently that stated that hospitals employing a larger number of asn degreed nurses had higher mortality rates. unfortunately, i dont remember who/what organization performed the study......

KatieBell · Oct 28, 2005

on a sour note, i read an article recently that stated that hospitals employing a larger number of asn degreed nurses had higher mortality rates. unfortunately, i dont remember who/what organization performed the study......

I'd be curious to see how the study was performed and if they controlled for physicians and management. There's so many aspects contributing to mortality that I can not imagine that ASN degrees are the biggest one...or even one at all....

jezabel1961 · Oct 29, 2005

the article was just a one or two paragraph blurb in 'nursing 2005' magazine. i'll keep you in mind should i run accross the article again.