ADN programs

allnurses Guide · Nov 10, 2013

Are you already accepted into an ADN program? If not, the application deadlines have already passed for the upcoming Spring semester for reputable programs.

ADN nurses are having a harder time getting hired in the DFW/Houston area than ever before, but not everyone has had a hard time. A lot of it depends on who you know and whether you worked in a hospital while in school. I am an ADN graduate, going on two years of experience and had a job offer four months before I graduated. However, I worked at the same hospital during school and had a lot of connections in the medical community outside of school.

ADNs are still getting hired, though more and more hospitals are stipulating they will not hire them unless already enrolled in a BSN program. However, there are other entities still hiring ADNs, such as home health. There are also other hospitals still hiring ADNs in the more rural parts of Texas. Since you named two cities that are pretty far away from one another for potential areas of employment, I am assuming you probably don't live in Texas already? If that is the case, moving here immediately after graduation would be a mistake. New grads are indeed having trouble finding work, even with a BSN in place. However, this doesn't translate as clearly into the rural areas. There are places in remote areas that are begging for nurses to come there. Check into the Texas/Mexico border.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do. There are no guarantees of a job no matter what you major in, nursing or otherwise. Nurses are having a hard time these days, particularly newly graduated ones, even with a BSN. Saying that there are a lot of 2 year schools so that must mean there are a lot of jobs is just blatantly false. There are a lot of them because there are a lot of people wanting to become nurses due to all the hype about a nonexistent nursing shortage. If the schools make money on the program they continue to offer it, jobs or no.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Nov 11, 2013

PP is absolutely correct. There is absolutely no connection between the amount of ADN schools, all the media hype/marketing for ADN schools and the actual number of jobs available to ADN grads.

There is an increasing amount of evidence that greater numbers of BSN nurses have a significantly positive impact on acute care patient outcomes. I have not seen any compelling evidence that this is also the case in non-acute settings. As a result, the entire landscape of acute care has shifted. So - unless a hospital is moving in this direction also, they are not meeting the US national standard for health care. This is NOT a good place to be, particularly when reimbursement is now tied to patient outcomes & satisfaction.

Like all health care research findings, adoption of the "BSN in acute care" model will take a while (~ 7 years usually) to become common practice but it will happen. It has already taken place in larger cities and urban areas. Community and rural hospitals will be pressured into compliance to avoid the appearance (reality?) of providing 'second class care'.

heartsgal, ADN, RN · Nov 15, 2013

I can only speak from my own experience so here goes. I'm 48 (49 in 4 weeks and graduated from an ADN program this past May and there was 130 in my class. If I did it again I would probably still do it that way, because it fit my family's needs not to be driving downtown to attend a BSN program at the time. That being said it has been very difficult to find a new grad position for approx 80- 90% of our class and only very few have snagged hospital positions. St Luke's and Memorial Hermann will only hire those enrolled in a BSN program and Methodist and Texas Children's no longer hires any new grad ADN's. The few that got hospital jobs either know someone or have direct connection with a hiring manager, or worked as a CNA during school at that facility. Both help tremendously. I was very involved at my school in student government etc and went to every health care fair they had after graduation. Took my NCLEX and had my license in June and still didn't get hired or even called for an interview after promises and being told they were impressed by my demeanor and resume, blah, blah, since I have some previous healthcare experience. Last month I decided to lower my standards because I simply wanted to work as a nurse after 5 months and only 2 interviews, so I followed up at a skilled nursing facility near my home that a classmate had just began working at and they hired me on the spot.. It's not my first choice by any means. The nurses all LVNs except the Director of nursing and the Asst. DON, are terribly overworked there and they have a very high turnover of nurses and support staff, but it's great experience learning how to manage and prioritize with 20-25 patients each night. If you have the choice and all the requirements to get into a BSN program, I would advise you to definitely go that route. I know I will only have to stay where I am a few months before getting a better position, but it is back breaking work for those in their 20's and 30's so especially for me!! I would much rather be in acute care with only 5-8 patients, that I can offer a higher level of adequate care to, but I have to pay my dues and gain some experience first, so I can move up a little step and I accept that, but it's a battle. Good luck!