ADN to BSN?

Congrats on finishing your ADN! I too started with my ADN and recently finished up my BSN. From my experience, there is no immediate benefit. However, I live somewhere with a very competitive nursing market and many hospitals are moving towards Magnet status. A few no longer offer positions to ADN nurses and have set a timeline for their current nurses to obtain their BSN. BSN's are also now a requirement for military nursing and VA positions which was one of my biggest motivators. It was only a matter of 10 months and 8K in tuition. I also did feel I got a lot out of the program since I was able to apply current nursing experience to the courses, so they generally were more relevant. If your situation allows it, I say go for it!

Hey thank you! Thats the same situation where Im at with the nursing market going towards you needing your BSN. I might as well knock it out. More education wont hurt you. Plus, If I ever decide to go on and become an NP, ill only be that much more closer right? :)

I would eventually go back and get it. In general, you are more marketable and it can open more doors for you. JillyRN put it perfectly; a lot of hospitals are trying to get Magnet status and those hospitals move from BSN preferred to BSN required. If you want to go military like JillyRN and I, it's a no-brainer. I would try to go for a state school if you can as opposed to private, for-profit ($$$) schools. Sac State gives admission preference to those who are actively employed as an RN. I've still got 5 more classes till I can transfer to CSU system and then I can apply to RN-BSN program. Like I said, go for it and good luck!

Around here, where there are primarily Magnet hospitals, there isn't anything different with pay to the BSN, but if you want to work in a hospital they are pretty much requiring it before hire or if you do impress them enough to get hired, you have to sign a contract saying that you will get it with 2 years or so. The economy is totally supporting the goal to have entry level to RN be the BSN and many many places are pushing for this.

I graduated with my ADN in December and started my BSN course work yesterday. I was hired in Peds Med/Surg at a small hospital last week, but in order to get into the larger hospital systems my BSN will probably be the key to opening the door despite the experience I will gain from this job.