ADN vs. BSN

Hi,

Any ideas on the current thinking of ADN vs BSN prepared nurses? Are hiring and advancement opportunities better for BSN nurses? I already have a BS in biology and don't want to incur the added cost of a BSN unless I have a compelling reason.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[dreamon]

Got this from allnursingschools.com:

The 4 year BSN degree is preferred by most nursing leaders and provides the best opportunities in todays job market.If you look in the want ads, you'll find that a BSN is a requirement for many positions. It is the ebtry point for professional nursing practice.

The 2 year ADN focuses more on technical skills than theory and is often a stepping stone for the BSN. It allows a student to becoma an RN and earn money more quickly than a 4 year degree, so it works better for many students. It is the entry point for technical nursing practice.

Hope that helps a little. Since you already have a bachelors, all you have to take is a BS-to-RN type course. I think you should go ahead and get your BSN!

[iliel]

do a search here on allnurses and you'll find tons of info!

[The Y factor]

well it all depends on what you want to do, but honestly in this current setting the main advantage of a bsn that i have seen is just helps qualify you for management. charge nurses, leads, educators many have adn and even diplomas. all the letters behind your name badge does not take the place of expierence. on the unit you would want someone that has real time hand on vs someone with a higher degree that is fresh out of school for any position staff or charge. so if going to another year or two of nursing school with associated cost to make half a dollar more an hour is your thing then go for it. its really a personal decision but i am a relatively new nurse my self adn grad and am making the same as a couple of new grads with msn's. so in closing a three day a week job on the unit is not going to see a big difference, but if management 9-5+ and 5 day a week or maybe research type setting or advance practice i think a higher degree would give you a advantage. just remember to consider the time and money needed to obtain the bsn. good luck with your choice

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

It doesn't make much difference at first. Because at first you are going to the bedside with the rest of the new grads, ADN's and BSNs alike. You'll be doing the same thing for the same pay as the ADN prepared nurse.

But who knows where you'll want to be 10 or 20 years from now. I say go for the BSN if that's possible, you might need it later for the jobs as stated above.

Good luck!

[The Y factor]

oh ps as far as management goes, its not what you know its who you know!

[RNMBA]

Having a BSN may be important if you want to continue your education in the nursing field.

The management content in most BSN programs is completely worthless in the real world. If management or administration is your goal then get a BA in management and further that education with an MBA or a Healthcare Administration degree.

Many APN programs require your undergraduate degree to be a BSN but many others have bridge programs that allow you to use other BS degrees. There are even CRNA schools that don't absolutely require a BSN.

It all boils down to tailoring your education and experience to what you want to be doing 5-10 years down the road. Good Luck with whatever you decide

[tinkerbelle]

as a student nurse in a adn programme, this has been a concern also some say do and some say don't. If it's just about the money then I would say don't as the difference in salary between adn and bsn seems to be minimal. If one is interested in career advancement then RNMBA's advise is the way to go!

thanks RNMBA

[hbscott]

See Link Below:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43468

-HBS