ADN or BSN?

Yosemite, RN, ASN, EMT-I · Jan 3, 2011

BSN, at least. I wish I had done so, couldn't afford it at the time, didn't think it was necessary later... was I wrong.

First of all, it is likely to be difficult to get that first nursing job due to the current economics, i.e., MANY nurses, new AND old grads from all over the world looking for work her in the US. ANYTHING that will give you a leg up is worth it. If you could, I'd even suggest a Masters, maybe a Bachelor's in healthcare administration.

Ideally, when you graduate, try and get a job at a major teaching institution. Put in your 1 to 2 years in Med/Surg, then ER or ICU if you can. With the educational background AND the practical experience, you would be unstoppable!

traces · Jan 4, 2011

BSN, at least. I wish I had done so, couldn't afford it at the time, didn't think it was necessary later... was I wrong.
First of all, it is likely to be difficult to get that first nursing job due to the current economics, i.e., MANY nurses, new AND old grads from all over the world looking for work her in the US. ANYTHING that will give you a leg up is worth it. If you could, I'd even suggest a Masters, maybe a Bachelor's in healthcare administration.
Ideally, when you graduate, try and get a job at a major teaching institution. Put in your 1 to 2 years in Med/Surg, then ER or ICU if you can. With the educational background AND the practical experience, you would be unstoppable!

Thanks for the advice. My concern is that I am 43 years old and time is of the essence. My plan is to start the LVN program next year (maybe get a job) then immediately bridge to the ADN program (this should take me about the same amount of time as waiting out the lottery and completing a two-year program), get hired, then work on the BSN. But the other concern is what you eluded to...how to get hired with just the ADN here in California. I heard on the radio that this economic downturn should improve in several years at which time the nursing job outlook will be much better.

Are ADNs just not getting hired? Just how difficult is it?

Azure1213 · Jan 4, 2011

I heard a lot of hospitals are hiring BSN, ADN wouldn't be pointless though, you can always get your ADN first and then go for your bsn, that's what I'm doing.

Yosemite, RN, ASN, EMT-I · Jan 4, 2011

It's not that ADN's aren't getting hired, it is the fact that currently most employers are only hiring those RN's who have current/(very) recent experience in the specialty the employer is looking for. It will be difficult as a new grad to find employment anywhere. My suggestion was to give you an edge to beat out the other new grads as well as a pathway to future mobility.

It is a fact that there is NO current nursing shortage, especially in California. The question is: WILL (and when) there be a nursing shortage. As healthcare costs continue to climb, the middle/working class supporting the system more and more (while shrinking in numbers), changes WILL come. Nurse Practioners are and will become primary care providers. General practice/family practice physicians who do not further specialize will become more a role of administrators and consultants. RN's will take on more of a supervisory role in some/many instances. Foreign RN's will continue to pour into the US, nurses will continue to be advertised as being in desperate need fueling more and more new grads who can't/have a hard time finding work, employers will further cut back on full time employees opting for more part time employees hungry for more shifts and/or taking second jobs (when/where they can find them).

In my opinion, anyone going into nursing NEEDS to have any and every advantage possible to obtain and keep employment. New and returning nurses in most instances have to take what work they can find. Almost gone are the days of the new grad deciding they will go into the exact specialty they dreamed of prior to or in their early semesters of nursing school.

There are, though, many paths to a successful career in nursing. One just has to work harder, be much more patient and be ever vigilant for opportunity.

NAURN · Feb 7, 2011

I thought getting my ADN first would be good... I had no desire to go further, plus my idea was to complete sooner so I can make money sooner. Now I want to go back and get my MSN.... which I need my BSN for so now that I look back on it, I wish I had just spent the extra year and gotten the BSN.

I don't think ADN is a waste as long as you don't mind being a floor nurse forever, and there are those who are made to floor nurse. But if you want to advance or theres even a possibility of wanting to advance later on, just get the BSN

I have also heard that ADN programs are going to be phased out and BSN is going to be the new base line requirement for an RN... Not sure how far in the future we're talking and whether or not ADN nurses will be grandfather'ed in or what not, but that's something to think about as well.

chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 7, 2011

This question comes up frequently and there is no one right answer.

My impression is that in the current nursing environment, you need every advantage possible. There is no doubt that for most health care institutions, BSNs are preferred over ADN and diploma nurses. Hospitals seeking magnet status and others seeking presitge or simply taking advantage of the current oversupply of qualified nurses, will not even accept applications from non-BSN RNs.

I would recommend going right for a BSN if that is at all feasible. If not, go for the ADN and test the job market after completing your degree. If you find employment, great. If not, you can head back to school and get your bachelors via an RN-to-BSN program, which will likely have saved you more than few dollars anyhow.

Full disclosure: I'm one of those non-practicing RNs with an ADN - non-practicing because I have not been able to find a nursing job - and I'm in the process of applying to a RN-BSN program to help improve my odds.