ADN in 2016 completely useless?

NewMurse1014 · Oct 9, 2016

I think it depends on the location. In the areas where the job market is saturated, the hospitals can afford asking for BSN RNs. In other areas the ADN is still viable. Here in California, almost all hospitals require BSN now because it's so saturated. I was very lucky to get into a new grad program with 0 RN experience (some volunteer experience at the hospital) 4 months after getting my license. Some of my classmates are still looking for jobs 1year later, and some had to move out of state to get experience. But once you land a job, it shouldn't take long to pay off the loan. Good luck!

Calalilynurse · Oct 9, 2016

Can you move to another area. ADNs are still hired in my state but some hospitals prefer BSNs. New grads can get hired it just make take a few months.

Libby1987 · Oct 9, 2016

I don't think you're asking the right questions exactly.

I think they should be, "Is a nursing degree useless in a saturated market?" And, "If I am going to enter a saturated market, will the ADNs be screened out with the abundance of available BSNs?"

AceOfHearts<3 · Oct 9, 2016

It really depends on the area. Plus, even new grad BSNs have trouble finding jobs in NYC. If you are able to move Wilkes Barre, PA (about 2 hrs from NYC) hires ADN nurses and Geisinger will even help pay for it if I remember correctly. You could move away for a year or two, get experience, finish your BSN, then move back.

cherryelle07 · Oct 9, 2016

ADNs are still hired in my area, but most are asked to sign a contract agreeing to earn a BSN within 5 years of their hire date. Luckily, I currently work in a position where once I get my ADN I can transition fairly easily into an RN role. I'm a PCT at a retail and they hire RN's for my role, but it's expanded to allow them to practice within their scope. We have a few RNs and LPNs in several of our clinics and they're nice to have and it helps take a lot of the weight of the FNPs at our busier locations.

I would suggest looking in neighboring states and commuting or move away for a few years in order to gain some experience. The good thing about NYC is that it's so conveniently placed that if one wanted to travel out of the city for work, they could.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 9, 2016

I'm going to echo what others have said. It ABSOLUTELY depends on where you live. I just moved from Denver that is oversaturated with new grads due to the number of nursing programs in the community. They can be VERY picky who they hire, and if you want to work in a hospital as a new grad, you absolutely HAVE to have a BSN.

I just moved to a small community where the nearest traditional BSN program is 2 hours away. The community has a local ADN program through the CC, and that program is the only one that feeds new grad nurses into the community. Coupled with the fact that this is predominantly a retirement community, many of the nurses are aging out and retiring, and we have a bona fide nursing shortage here! You absolutely do NOT need a BSN to get a good (VERY well paying job, as we're union) job at the hospital.

AJJKRN · Oct 9, 2016

I'm going to echo what others have said. It ABSOLUTELY depends on where you live. I just moved from Denver that is oversaturated with new grads due to the number of nursing programs in the community. They can be VERY picky who they hire, and if you want to work in a hospital as a new grad, you absolutely HAVE to have a BSN.
I just moved to a small community where the nearest traditional BSN program is 2 hours away. The community has a local ADN program through the CC, and that program is the only one that feeds new grad nurses into the community. Coupled with the fact that this is predominantly a retirement community, many of the nurses are aging out and retiring, and we have a bona fide nursing shortage here! You absolutely do NOT need a BSN to get a good (VERY well paying job, as we're union) job at the hospital.

Around about where is you Klone, Illinois is wearing on me!!! :roflmao:

Seriously, in a few years me and my family are outta here! I wish I could pick up my current employer and take it with me though.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2016

I have my ASN and had a job before I graduated. You are in the wrong market. New York is tough right now.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2016

Is it me, or is an associates degree completely useless in 2016?? I live in NYC...

It is not you. It is the saturated employment market where you live. If you would relocate upstate to work for a year to accrue some experience, you would be more marketable upon your return to NYC.

Sometimes we need to make temporary trade-offs to get what we want out of life.

DoGoodThenGo · Oct 10, 2016

Is it me, or is an associates degree completely useless in 2016?? I live in NYC and graduated with my ADN and passed the nclex on the first try in late July. It seems like not having a BSN along with no experience gives me virtually zero chance of landing a job. Im applying everywhere, networking, calling, faxing, dropping off, you name it. Almost everywhere requires a BSN and 2 years of RN experience. I have about 1 year of volunteer experience at a local hospital, and am currently enrolled in a BSN program. The job market is so over-saturated. Nursing is just not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. Whenever I tell people i'm an RN, they always look shocked, slap hifives with me, tell me congratulations and that I have a great career ahead of me. But even after all that hard work in nursing school, I still can't see any light at the end of this tunnel. I truly hope that all that hard work and the $20,000+ in loans for nursing school will actually turn into a career someday. This is my 3rd degree (the other 2 are in different fields) but hopefully I didn't waste my time and money AGAIN. Any advice?
How long did it take to get your first job?

For New York City, the answer to your query is pretty much "yes". The remaining healthcare systems/hospitals (Mount Sinai, Northwell (formerly North Shore-LIJ), NYP, Montefiore, and NYU-Langone pretty much all want the BSN for new grads. Heck even experienced RNs with ADN degrees are having problems finding work. However push comes to shove a seasoned ADN will be hired over new grad BSN without.

You also have to consider there are hundreds if not thousands of ADN grads both seasoned and newly licensed that are/have taken bridge courses and now have that BSN. Again an experienced ADN can become a BSN rather quickly and often from an online course.

Then you have the fact between CUNY and private programs like Saint Paul's NYC pumps out hundreds of ADN grads every six months or so. This has been going on for years even has the number of inpatient beds shrinks. NYC has lost something like fifteen hospitals in the past twenty years and soon another will be added to that list; Mount-Sinai Beth Israel. That 256 bed hospital is being closed and will reopen elsewhere as a 70 bed facility with a separate ER/urgent care located elsewhere.

No, nursing isn't what it was 15 or so years ago, neither is healthcare as models are changing. Right now there is a big push to reduce inpatient admissions, readmissions and length of time in hospital. All this translates into less butts in beds so there are less beds, less need for hospital nurses and or those facilities themselves. Also hospitals are becoming very good at scheduling staffing to suit what they consider proper nurse to patient ratios.

Keep applying everywhere! Clinics, flu-shot places, doctors offices, urgent care/CityMD type of places, anywhere you can get hired and gain experience. When applying to hospitals make sure to stress you are currently enrolled in a bridge program and give expected completion date. It may not be up your street but consider applying to LTC/rehabilitation and or nursing homes as well.

Network, network, network. You don't want to be seen as a pest but still try and "get to know" nurse recruiters, managers, supervisors; anyone that is in a position to get you into a hospital.

If all else fails you likely will have to join the long and growing list of newly licensed RNs leaving NYC for places elsewhere such as upstate or anyplace that will have you; get the coveted two to three years experience then start applying again to NYC hospitals.

All things considered you haven't been looking *that* long. *LOL* Know peeps who have been trying for one year or more after licensure and still nothing was shaking.

Good luck!

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Oct 10, 2016

Is relocating an option you are willing to consider? Job markets are very much regional. Where I live there is only one university offering a traditional BSN but there are four ADN programs available. The one hospital that attempted to require BSN minimum for hiring backed away from that rather quickly as they realized there are simply not enough BSN grads to fill all the positions. Hiring is also very much cyclical, it seems like the two healthcare systems that operate all of our local hospitals and almost all of the clinics are either hiring like crazy or not hiring at all.

If you can't relocate apply anywhere and everywhere that is hiring, or even might be. The hospital might be close to an impossibility without experience but you may get a little lucky and find something to at least gain that magical experience that might help you land that hospital job down the road if that is still what you want.