Are they doing away with the ASN programs?

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Hi,

I have always wanted to be a nurse and am looking forward to enrolling in my community college to start my pre reqs to try and get into their nursing program. I am hoping to start the enrollment process in the next few months.

What has been worrying me lately is I've heard that the topic is being pushed currently for the ASN to be thrown out of the mix, leaving

a BSN as the only route to get into the nursing field. This terrifies me, since money is a major factor for me. The only way I'd ever be able to go to a university for my nursing degree is if I took out a bunch of loans which I really do not want to ever have to do. My NP friend brought up that they've recently made changes to the MSN programs, requiring everybody interested in becoming an NP to now have their doctorates in nursing, and that's when he also brought up the thing about possibly doing away with associates programs altogether. I just don't want to be halfway through the program only to be told oops, gotta get your bachelor's.

What do you all think? Input?

I know for a fact that here in Louisiana, the DNP rule will be implemented in 2015. My friend will be graduating with an MSN in December. I'm not sure if the classes directly behind his will be grandfathered it, but that only sounds fair! I sure hope they will be!

I certainly do not mind taking a couple crappy jobs in the beginning as an ASN. All I want is to be a nurse. That's my goal. I'm not looking for instant gratification or to land my dream job right out of school at some amazing hospital with just an ASN and live happily ever after--I'm looking to work my way up in the most financially responsible way I know how. I do not have much family help at all, so doing this responsibly is very important to me and my future. I do realize that this profession has been romanticized big time, which is why I started myself out as a dental assistant because A) getting my certification in that was 5x cheaper than getting my LPN, and B) to test the waters and make sure I'm comfortable around blood, needles, spit, mucus, vomit, etc. I am. Turns out I love it, and want to go further with serving the public than just working in their mouth. If taking some iffy jobs and bad shifts is how I have to work my way up the ladder and get my experience in while I'm in school doing my bridge, then so be it. But, I have been told by several people in my area that hospitals around here will hire ASN's as well, and start them off at the same pay as BSN's. I'm not expecting that outcome. I'm just looking to make progress.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Yes, you are safe to earn your ASN for the foreseeable future.

Yes, you will find work.

No, employers will not hiss and swipe at your job application like an angry cat.

No, you may not waltz into an ICU making 35/hr. For that, you may need a BSN. And experience. And connections. And a fairy godmother.

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Like others have said, it depends on the local job market. But for sure, there are places where ASNs are on a more or less level playing field with BSNs. At the hospital I currently work at, ASNs are paid the same, can get hired into critical care areas like ICU & ED, and are given an annual stipend for education if they're enrolled in an RN-BSN bridge program. A large part of this is due to the hospital's continual expansion and struggle to keep up with the demand for more nurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I know for a fact that here in Louisiana, the DNP rule will be implemented in 2015. My friend will be graduating with an MSN in December. I'm not sure if the classes directly behind his will be grandfathered it, but that only sounds fair! I sure hope they will be!

I certainly do not mind taking a couple crappy jobs in the beginning as an ASN. All I want is to be a nurse. That's my goal. I'm not looking for instant gratification or to land my dream job right out of school at some amazing hospital with just an ASN and live happily ever after--I'm looking to work my way up in the most financially responsible way I know how. I do not have much family help at all, so doing this responsibly is very important to me and my future. I do realize that this profession has been romanticized big time, which is why I started myself out as a dental assistant because A) getting my certification in that was 5x cheaper than getting my LPN, and B) to test the waters and make sure I'm comfortable around blood, needles, spit, mucus, vomit, etc. I am. Turns out I love it, and want to go further with serving the public than just working in their mouth. If taking some iffy jobs and bad shifts is how I have to work my way up the ladder and get my experience in while I'm in school doing my bridge, then so be it. But, I have been told by several people in my area that hospitals around here will hire ASN's as well, and start them off at the same pay as BSN's. I'm not expecting that outcome. I'm just looking to make progress.

You are wrong. There are no states as of yet that mandate the DNP. There are states that
hat Will Change in 2015? by Scott Governo, NP, DNP: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) suggested that the DNP be the terminal degree for advanced practice nursing beginning in 2015. The AACN is a self-described advocate for nursing standards and does have considerable influence in educating nurses today and into the future. A more detailed explanation of the DNP can be found here: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/dnp/pdf/essentials.pdf.

State nurse practice acts are what guide NPs' legal status, scope of practice, and so on. They have not changed their requirements, despite a strong movement by many, from the master's preparation to a DNP degree. The hope among many proponents of the DNP is that eventually the laws will change toward a more autonomous role and a widening of scope. This, however, remains to be seen and my expectation is that special interest groups on both sides of the issue will be more than vocal and that only with strong public support and the recognition of the quality of healthcare delivered by NPs will nurses be allowed to practice to their fullest ability.

My understanding of the call for the transition from the master's to the DNP preparation by 2015 is that it is "recommended" or "endorsed," but NOT "mandated." However, just to be certain I reviewed many organization websites such as the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing), CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education), AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners), and NONPF (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties). I also attended the third National Doctors of Nursing Conference in San Diego in 2010. I had the opportunity to talk with nursing leaders and policy makers on this very issue. The verdict is that the call by the AACN for transitioning advanced practice nursing to the doctoral level by 2015 is only a "recommendation."
There are recommendations in the works. There has been a calling for BSN entry into nursing since the seventies.

Right now most job markets are hiring BSN new grads only. There is nothing in the foreseeable future that the ADN programs will be closing. Once you are a RN you are a RN.....however your job search as a new grad might be more difficult as an ADN grad. HOwever....if yoiu are young it is really important that you get your BSN pretty quick as I do see that it will be a part of your future for it to be necessary to have your BSN.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.
You are wrong. There are no states as of yet that mandate the DNP. There are states thatThere are recommendations in the works. There has been a calling for BSN entry into nursing since the seventies.

Right now most job markets are hiring BSN new grads only. There is nothing in the foreseeable future that the ADN programs will be closing. Once you are a RN you are a RN.....however your job search as a new grad might be more difficult as an ADN grad. HOwever....if yoiu are young it is really important that you get your BSN pretty quick as I do see that it will be a part of your future for it to be necessary to have your BSN.

Actually, this poster is referring to the fact that the schools in La that have previously offered MSN-NPs are actively phasing them out and by 2015 will solely be a DNP. It may not be a change at the legislative level, but as far as education is concerned the Louisiana schools are converting to DNP by 2015.

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Specializes in Cardiac Stepdown, PCU.

I think A LOT of the time, the "get the BSN, hospitals only want BSN!" when vs. ADN people seem to forget that just because your getting an ADN doesn't mean you can't bridge over to BSN. There are no BSN programs within 100 miles of where I live. There are plenty of ADN programs, and plenty of bridge programs however. The major hospital network for our area works directly with our program and hires new grads out of it all the time in their area facilities. However, they are a BSN preferred network, and do require that you get your BSN within 5 years of employment.

Get the ADN, then bridge to RN. Especially if it's cheaper than an outright BSN program. Might take you half a semester longer but seriously, who cares. I've never understood why people seem to freak out over their graduation date. Find a BSN bridge immediately, and then you start applying for jobs, make it a point to mention you are in progress of getting your BSN.

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It doesn't matter when I'd be graduating. Its the fact that I'll be graduating as a nurse at all that I care about. And even if I graduate with an associate's and just cannot find work anywhere, that's okay too--that's why I got my DA certification--for this exact scenario. I'll always have that to fall back on as a way to earn money while I'm bridging.

I've heard that working as a CNA is a good option too if you can get your certification. I heard that medical jobs like that sometimes offer to pay for your schooling in return for an agreement that you'll work for them for X amount of years. If nothing else, it's experience in the medical field, and an advantage that a lot of your other classmates wouldn't have. That's pretty cool. Another thing to think about.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
I think A LOT of the time, the "get the BSN, hospitals only want BSN!" when vs. ADN people seem to forget that just because your getting an ADN doesn't mean you can't bridge over to BSN. There are no BSN programs within 100 miles of where I live. There are plenty of ADN programs, and plenty of bridge programs however. The major hospital network for our area works directly with our program and hires new grads out of it all the time in their area facilities. However, they are a BSN preferred network, and do require that you get your BSN within 5 years of employment.

Get the ADN, then bridge to RN. Especially if it's cheaper than an outright BSN program. Might take you half a semester longer but seriously, who cares. I've never understood why people seem to freak out over their graduation date. Find a BSN bridge immediately, and then you start applying for jobs, make it a point to mention you are in progress of getting your BSN.

It's definitely easy to bridge right now, but that doesn't negate the difficulty and let-down that the time in between can be. Everyone from my ADN program is either starting or waiting to start bsn prereqs or a program...but we still need jobs over the next one, two, or three years.

Some hospitals here are willing to hire an ADN who's pursuing a BSN, but they aren't pulling those ADNs out of the application stack - they're hiring ADN techs that already work there. ADNs work experience. ADNs with someone inside pulling the strings.

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Right now most job markets are hiring BSN new grads only.

I'm not sure how you're qualifying "most job markets", but I could list at least 7 hospitals in the intermountain west (and AK) that advertise tons of nursing jobs without the "BSN required" or "BSN preferred" stipulation. Magnet facilities included.

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