Any ADN-BSN programs without ridiculous papers?

hodgieRN · Mar 16, 2013

I feel the OP's pain. I enjoyed learning how to write scholarly papers and how to properly research subjects. I didn't like the flimsy, non-specific, nursing-based theory articles that talk about nothing for 25 pages. Ironically, some of the articles seemed like the author didn't really have anything specific to say, but they had to write something that resembled an article. I just said ok and gave them what they want b/c I wanted the BSN. I personally like medically-based theory and treatments. I don't subscribe to nursing journals because most of the articles are vague, boring, and complete nonsense. Some of the articles are there so the authors can fill the publishing requirements that they have to fill. "Cross examination of perception among theoretical thinking with consideration to care across the spectrum." It's almost laughable. There are some articles that talk about hypertension or mobilization of intubated patients...that's the good stuff. Everything else is whimsical and wordy, and the only supported references are other whimsical articles. Ethics was a good class. Community health was a good class. And my research class was great because we got to pick something real....like a process improvement or a managerial study. I just hated researching for the articles because there was usually nothing there. You have to use nursing journals and all the good stuff was from medical journals.

Just stick with it. Do what you gotta do. Try to concentrate on the fact that they are teaching you to write scholarly papers and teaching how to research for essays. It will pay off in post grad work. So, if you have to write an essay on fear, just research fear and just fill it with whatever. Just make sure you fill the requirements for the paper and make sure your articles are peer-reviewed. Your frustration with nursing theory and the fine line between nursing and medicine... I would say many people feel the same way. Just give them what they want and take in the parts of how to write papers.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Mar 16, 2013

No. I think I am with the OP on this. You know the times in life when you are so disgusted at other's mediocrity that you want to just walk away. +1000 when you just wrote a check for more of that mediocrity and you are so tempted to turn your back on all this stupidity. Really, somebody should be paying us to put up with the mediocrity that is nursing edu. A person can feel like they are the largest stooge.

As someone who has never attended a BSN program or any other university level education of any kind, I have no personal experience here.....

BUT, I do know many people who obtained MBAs or four year degrees in various non nursing fields. And several of these people, due to economic realities, would go on to later get their BSN. All of them say that, compared to their other degrees, the BSN program was rather.... soft. Most say it was considerably less difficult.

Which always surprised me, since I have always been under the impression that nursing programs are among the most difficult and strict.

But, with enough people who would know saying otherwise, it makes you wonder.

allnurses Guide · Mar 16, 2013

As someone who has never attended a BSN program or any other university level education of any kind, I have no personal experience here.....
BUT, I do know many people who obtained MBAs or four year degrees in various non nursing fields. And several of these people, due to economic realities, would go on to later get their BSN. All of them say that, compared to their other degrees, the BSN program was rather.... soft. Most say it was considerably less difficult.
Which always surprised me, since I have always been under the impression that nursing programs are among the most difficult and strict.
But, with enough people who would know saying otherwise, it makes you wonder.

Nursing education can/should be more strict and difficult!

stlrgrl · Mar 16, 2013

Taking my 1st ADN-BSN class. Thinking of dropping it with only 1 week left.
1st class and already a 6 to 8 page paper. A concept analysis of 1 of the following 4 words: Caring, Hope, Trust, or Fear.
This is absolutely ridiculous. I have absolutely no idea what to say.
The structure of these programs MUST change.
I don't want to write papers every 5 weeks. I want to read a book and take a test.

The goal of education is learning! How do you expect to learn if you refuse to challenge yourself?

Tait, MSN, RN · Mar 16, 2013

On a side note, concept analysis means a lot more to me than an opinion piece on a word. It is often a complex research paper to determine the value/meaning of a word within a context, such as productivity in nursing. If this a concept analysis, as the OP stated, that is a lot more than just a simple paper and might explain the length, though I find it hard to believe this is a starting assignment in a BSN bridge.

http://nurseresearcher.rcnpublishing.co.uk/archive/article-concept-analysis-as-a-method-of-inquiry

ConnieDiamondWhite · Mar 16, 2013

I took my ADN-BSN from Roberts Weslyan College in Rochester, New York. We had to do a 20-page paper every week. What do you want??? This requirement not only required us to learn to research topics competently and put them into a format others can understand (teaching), it challenged one to think outside of their own comfort zone. The research we did opened our minds to others thoughts and processes, providing a diversity that cannot be found in every day life. I was never so proud as when I completed that school and graduated with honors. When my job as a nurse requires researching something new that no one has ever encountered in our facility, I can do that in a heartbeat. Sharing with other staff is what I have been trained to do.

Your school is quite easy on you, anything worth having is worth working for. Quit whining and get to work, learn things you DON'T know, that's what school is about.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2013

I have mixed feelings about this topic.
My MSN program was laden with papers and I often found it frustrating. I entered nursing expecting to invest the bulk of my time on hard-science topics and was disappointed when I realized that nursing education is primarily a social science rather than a physical/natural science.
The professional development classes I take, however, are much more clinical and hard-science based.
Nursing is something of a hybrid - neither purely a hard-science nor purely a social science. The challenge for educators is to find an appropriate blend of the two.
Of interest to me is the oft-repeated comparison made herein between nursing and other programs, considering nursing to be much more rigorous, time-intensive, and challenging than other majors. When such are made, they seem primarily made against liberal arts and social science programs... having been through BS programs in engineering and chemistry, with open-ended problems and NO MULTIPLE CHOICE exams, I can state that I found nursing to be quite the easiest course of study that I pursued - in large part *because* it was so dependent on writing social-science papers and multiple-choice tests.
While I think it would be a mistake to abandon all of the intellectual exercise of papers such as the one described by the OP, I do think that the soft assignments are in excess and should be better balanced by more math and hard science.
I could envision parallel baccalaureate pathways: BA vs BS with the former being more what it presently seen in BSN programs while the latter incorporated more foundational science such as that found in traditional hard-science programs.
I'm personally of the opinion that a graduate of a BSN program should have completed the basic prerequisites of medical school.

Wow.... spot on!

Seas · Mar 16, 2013

The bottom line is, it looks like BSN is just not for you. Keep it at ADN for a while.

DEE S. · Mar 16, 2013

I do not think its non sense those 4 words are meant to make you think and strengthen you mentally and spiritually as a nurse. Nursing is about more then clinical knowledge. I expect to write papers all the way to my my masters and I have not started my BSN yet. All I can say is keep your Associates Degree, and it will ease the competition for people like me who will get a BSN then my masters. You will be limited in your nursing career, viewed in a not so good like, you will be viewed as complacent, not interested in bettering yourself. While others will have higher degrees then you and move on to management. With your thought process of things that "you" view as ridiculous holding you back and you digging your feet in the sand you will just be stuck as a floor nurse with very little opportunity for movement. I am fresh out of nursing school with an Associates at my hospital I would say over half if not 75 percent of the nurses are pursuing higher degrees because our hospital encourages it. We are a Magnet hospital.

megank5183 · Mar 16, 2013

I am currently pursuing my Master's in Psych nursing and it has been nothing but papers....I HATE PAPERS. Give me a test any day. I don't feel like they do much to teach you how to really be a nurse or an NP. That being said, paper requirements are not going anywhere. If you want to advance in this field, it is something you will have to put up with. And a 6-8 page paper is nothing! I actually think it sounds like a pretty BS, easy assignment. You have several degrees, you must have written a lot of papers in your other programs. Hang in and finish what you started.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 16, 2013

I do not think its non sense those 4 words are meant to make you think and strengthen you mentally and spiritually as a nurse. Nursing is about more then clinical knowledge. I expect to write papers all the way to my my masters and I have not started my BSN yet. All I can say is keep your Associates Degree, and it will ease the competition for people like me who will get a BSN then my masters. You will be limited in your nursing career, viewed in a not so good like, you will be viewed as complacent, not interested in bettering yourself. While others will have higher degrees then you and move on to management. With your thought process of things that "you" view as ridiculous holding you back and you digging your feet in the sand you will just be stuck as a floor nurse with very little opportunity for movement. I am fresh out of nursing school with an Associates at my hospital I would say over half if not 75 percent of the nurses are pursuing higher degrees because our hospital encourages it. We are a Magnet hospital.

Mar 14 by adnrnstudent

"I didn't have to do anything like this for my B.S. or MBA."

I beg to differ, the OP is multi-degreed and experienced. The OP has "bettered self" in an uber way. Writing flowery papers is a way to avoid content in education. This is what those of us who are multi-degreed have a problem with. We are already "better" you see?

Music in My Heart · Mar 16, 2013

All of them say that, compared to their other degrees, the BSN program was rather.... soft. Most say it was considerably less difficult.

My personal experience echos those of your associates.

Which always surprised me, since I have always been under the impression that nursing programs are among the most difficult and strict.

Strict, yes... difficult, no.