Are ASNs worthless?

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2016

The hospitals I have interviewed at do not care where I have a BSN from, just that I have it. I planned during my ADN and earned the fluff credits so I could complete my BSN in around 8 months after graduating from nursing school.

NorCalKid · Jun 27, 2016

I mean, I've been searching similar topics but they seems to be 50/50. Some say no big deal, they got a job and will earn the degree soon. Others say, no way don't waste your time and go straight to a BSN.

I think that's because different areas are different and it depends where you live. In my area ASN is fine, if I lived in the SF bay area I'm not sure that would be the case.

My thoughts, assuming your in an area that hires ASN's. Go the route which gets you working fastest. Depending on admission policies at local schools that may or may not be the 2 year route.

I went the 2 year route here in Calif. Had a job before I passes the NCLEX. But I live in a rural area. (graduated in 2014)

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jun 27, 2016

In my ADN program, professors encouraged us to seek a BSN once we finished asap as they said hospitals are now preferring nurses with a BSN. When I started looking for jobs are the Inland Empire area of Southern Cali, most positions just required RN license. Very few hospitals that I was looking to said that they preferred BSN. Magnet status hospital do require BSN I believe and I think Kaiser as well. I honestly think you should be fine with ADN, but definitely go for your BSN as you have already planned it. Remember, degree alone isn't want gets you a job. Nowadays it's all about networking and how well you can sell yourself to the recruiter :yes:

Totalnoob · Jun 27, 2016

My wife went through this exact same anxiety when she was in school. We have 2 colleges here, LSUA and NSU within driving distance. LSUA is a community college and many nurses go through their ADN program. My wife talked to the NSU counselor first and was told that most hospitals prefer the BSN degree these days. She was even told that the 2 big area hospitals were encouraging their ADN's to go back and get their BSN.

So based on that one interview my wife decided to go get her BSN at NSU. Well after she graduated 3 years later we found out it isn't so!! Neither area hospital cared if she had the BSN or the ADN degree. They hired the LSUA grad and the NSU grads both starting at nearly the same pay. You know how much more money my wife got for having an BSN? Exactly .25 cents more per hour! The other hospital in town doesn't even give a difference at all, they start everyone the same.

The only reason to go after a BSN is if you want to work in management one day or pursue your NP or advanced education. If your just happy being an RN the rest of your life, then you don't need a BSN degree.

Also consider the cost because it sometimes can be significant. Using my wife as an example, NSU cost more to attend than the community college. My wife graduated with over 40k dollars in student loan debt. We currently pay $310 a month to pay that back and will be paying it back for many years.

Alternatively a new nurse at her hospital who graduated from LSUA only had 22k in student loan debt and she gets the same benefits and might as well say the same salary as someone who spent more time in college and spent a lot more money. There are ADN nurses on my wifes floor that have been there for 7-8 years and they make really good money. One guy works 3 days a week at her hospital and 1 day a week PRN at the other hospital in town and he made 109k last year. He told her several times he ain't never going back to school.

My wife wants to go into Hospice and possibly become an NP at some point in the future, so she is glad she has her BSN, but many are happy with their ADN and don't look back.

As far as jobs go, it really just depends on your area. In our vicinity with an ADN/ASN right out of school you can get on here immediately. Her hospital is hurting bad for nurses. We wanted to move to Southern Georgia where she grew up but looking there even with 2 years of experience she had trouble getting leads for jobs. So, area will determine how difficult it will be for you personally. Call the local hospital and ask for the Human Resources department. Talk to one of the nurse recruiters and ask her/him straight up if they are hiring many ADN's out of school. Don't listen to the school professors or counselors!! They want to push you into a BSN because it's more money in their pocket!(at least in our experience)

GuineaPigs, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2016

The hospital system I'm working for requires a BSN.

sevensonnets · Jun 28, 2016

The idea of making a BSN the entry-level requirement for nursing has been floated for all 36 of the years I've been an RN. It's never happened yet. Some of the best nurses I've ever worked with have been ADNs and a handful of diploma nurses.

Helloeverybody · Jun 29, 2016

Are ASNs worthless?

I couldn't quote the opening question, sorry.

In NYC yes they are. In NJ they are not, but in the far future they probably will be. Many States, are debating whether to push the minimum bar up to BSN, NY already did that and hospitals are complying early. Most hospitals, in NJ will have BSN preferred, but their own HR departments, and nursing managers will tell you that they will hire an RN with no BSN. Also, you can get a position as an RN, if you state that you are enrolled in a BSN program. Magnet hospitals only hire BSNs.

In summary, an ASN is not worthless, but if you can handle the extra 2 years of school, are not in a rush to be a nurse, and for example, if you have an 'in' with a hospital that only hires BSNs, I would suggest you wait the extra 2 years. You would be much more marketable. Area is very important as well. Go to hospital websites around you, or around where you want to work, and see if they have BSN required or BSN preferred. I hope this helped.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jun 29, 2016

So, I'm about to begin my prerequisites for the nursing program. My plan was always to earn my ASN, get a job at a hospital that would pay for my continuing education and then go to an ASN to BSN bridge program.
I have a friend that just graduated nursing school and she is encourage me to just get my BSN and says hospitals are now looking to employ BSNs, not ASNs. Is this true? Are you noticing the tides turning already? I heard the transition would be happening but not so quickly.

It depends on the geographic area. In the geographic area where I live, hospitals still hire ASN-based RN's. Now, most do require that you are either in the process or soon will be in the process of getting your BSN; they typically give you five years (in our geographic area) to attain your BSN.

benegesserit · Jun 29, 2016

You know, the sentiment that an ASN is "worthless" if you can't get a hospital job is incredibly insulting to those who work in out-of-hospital settings.

emmy27 · Jul 1, 2016

The tide is definitely turning, in some areas (especially larger urban ones) it seems to have completely turned- for hospital jobs. If you dream of working in an elite hospital with a robust new grad program/nurse residency when you graduate, BSN is the way to go. Even some smaller areas are changing- the hospital that once hired me as an ADN new grad, and which used to employ LPNs in inpatient care, now only hires ADNs with a contract to the effect that they will be terminated if they have not completed their BSN by a certain date. In virtually all settings, BSNs are hired preferentially over ADNs, especially between two new grads with no experience, even if ADNs are technically eligible for hire.

Also agreed with the people who say that ADN is not much shorter of a course of study than BSN. It's usually slightly more flexible, since you can complete your prerequisites at the pace and institution that suits you, but the actual ADN program is usually 5 semesters long. Not very different in terms of timeline from a BSN if you have two or more semesters of prerequisites to complete first.

I will say, I think I got more out of my BSN classes after several years of real work than I would have before actually practicing, and I certainly had an easier time completing them without the existential terror of "will I finish this, will I graduate, will I ever be a nurse, will I get my license, will I get a job" hanging over my head the way I did during my pre-licensure ADN studies. And my ADN + BSN completion program was WAY cheaper than a pre-licensure BSN program. But those are small benefits compared to "will I or won't I get hired."

So yeah, you really have to look in to the hospitals and programs around you to calculate the costs and benefits for your situation.