The results of the 2017 allnurses Salary Survey will be released soon. In the 2015 survey, the numbers of BSN and ADN nurses were tied. Read more to see if that has changed.
NursesGeneral NursingSalary Survey
I was talking about this topic with one of my younger nurse friends. She shared the following comments with me.
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Funny to me that 20 years ago when I graduated with my BSN, I was told that ADN/ LPN programs were being phased out and that minimum entry level nursing positions would soon be BSN. Fast forward 20 years and it appears ADN and LPN programs are going strong.
I want to start by saying that quality bedside nursing care can be provided no matter the advanced degree or not. As a new graduate, I survived and so did my patients thanks to the care and support and knowledge of many many LPN's and ADN's. There are also plenty of not so great nurses out there with various degrees. That being said, there has been much discussion, surveys and studies done regarding the differences in the career of a BSN prepared nurse, LPN, and an ADN prepared nurse. The results of the 2015 allnurses salary survey presented that 39% of respondents held an ADN and 39% held a BSN. As we are about to release the comprehensive 2017 allnurses nursing salary results, we will see where the trends have gone.
So what's the big deal...as long as you are an RN? The title of RN whether earned through a Degree or Diploma program will allow you to provide the same level of basic nursing care as we see in hospitals, clinics and doctors offices. The BSN prepared nurse, however, has many more options that require higher responsibilities, therefore higher pay. This is due to the more in-depth coursework in physical and social sciences including public health, nursing research and nursing management. An RN with a BSN can choose a career in nursing education, public health, or clinically focus in specific diseases or adult, pediatric, geriatric care. A BSN is required to be considered for many positions or to further one's education to focus on speciality care.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine introduced new demands on the nursing field when it set a target goal for 80% of all nurses to hold bachelor's degrees by 2020. This goal was derived from academic research indicating that patients receive better care in hospitals when the majority of nurses hold a BSN or higher. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) devised the Magnet Recognition Program to draw attention to top healthcare facilities. This recognition means that 100% of the organization's nurse managers have a BSN or graduate degree. "Achieving Magnet status also means that there are generally a higher number of nurses holding a BSN degree for jobs in direct patient care. Approximately 50% of all nurses associated with direct patient care in a Magnet-recognized hospital currently have a BSN."
The 2017 allnurses survey results have shown some slight shifts. In 2017 the percentage of BSN prepared nurses has remained steady at 39% while ADN's have dropped by 2 percentage points. The number of MSN's have increased by 1%. Why might this be? Is there a greater demand for advanced practice nurses? Are employers encouraging and/ or supporting advancing degrees? Is retirement a factor in the decrease in ADN's? As our final results are revealed, new light might be shed on factors influencing the slight shift from last year to this year. Will the trend continue? Are you thinking of furthering your education? We want to hear from you!
We as nurses should support each other in furthering education, as well as respecting those who have years of bedside experience but might not have higher education degrees. As the field of nursing continues to grow our knowledge base will be required to change to keep up with the technology and level of care.
The 2017 allnurses salary survey results will be released soon. It will be interesting to see if the interactive survey results show pay differences based on degree as well as location, speciality and gender.
