Are BSN nurses smarter than ADN nurses?

[elpnla]

The word has spread among nurses with BSN degrees that they are more educated and smarter than diploma or ADN nurses. Is that true? Is there any research to support that?

In my view, "smart thinking" is a talent that we get from God. No amount of education that can make us a "smart thinker" unless God has given us that talent since we were born.

So, what do you think?

[smartnurse1982]

I am going to be blunt with this,but it seems that most nurses that I have met measure "smartness" by how many skills they perform.

Why? I have NO idea.

Working in homecare and LTC,i can not even to begin to describe how nurses who work in acute care seem to have this mentality that a nurse is not really a nurse unless she works in a hospital.

Does that make me a dumb nurse because i never got the chance to start an IV line?

No.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I don't believe either is smarter as we both pass the same boards. One person just chose to go to school longer and get a BSN so they are more educated. But I don't believe people are simply born smart. I think people can learn given the opportunity and encouragement. I think some people get labeled in grade school if they don't perform as well as another, and then stop trying and feel dumb. But if they break out of that mindset and label they can discover they are smart and can learn. Many times adult learners going to college later in life surprise themselves how well they do and are able to shake off the past when they may have under performed. When a person has been labeled they get discouraged and give up and let fear get in the way of learning. I have always had a love of learning, but it doesn't have to be limited to college. With the internet we have a virtual encycopedia at our fingertips and one can even take free courses online. Unfortunately, they don't come with the magic piece of paper aka BSN.

[cheriedg]

It's not who is smarter rather than whom is considered more of a professional. That's all.

[elpnla]

What is your definition of a professional, a nurse with a BSN or MSN degree? I think the public has been deceived long enough and it is time to stop deceiving the public. It is unethical to deliberately deceive the nurses. Nurses work hard for their money. They should be allowed to save their money for their children and for themselves. They should not be deceived by greedy schools.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Knowledge and Intelligence are two very different things, but people can sometimes confuse them, thinking they're actually the same thing. Simply put, knowledge is your database of information that you can draw from. Intelligence is your ability to use that information. There are some extremely intelligent people that never sought the knowledge, so their true ability never is able to be revealed. Some people have a HUGE knowledge-base but aren't very intelligent, but sound like it because they know how to maximize their ability. Good for them...

The point is that ADN and BSN nurses often are quite intelligent people. Given that much of the material is the same, often have nearly identical (if not identical) prerequisites, and they take the same exam, it stands to reason that the only leg that BSN's can stand on is that they're provided more knowledge, and not really a whole heck of a lot more, just more. I'm not knocking the idea of more education, just that the BSN shouldn't automatically assume they're somehow better because they've got a higher degree. They're going to get stomped clinically by any RN that's been working for a couple years. Please don't misunderstand me... I'm not at all saying we should be comfortable with the knowledge-base we've been given when we graduate. Sure we do CE on and ongoing basis. Even without this push for BSN education that we have today, I still have BSN on my educational horizon because I want that greater knowledge-base for me to work with.

My own knowledge-base is pretty broad as it is. What I learned along the way is right below, in my signature... and I want to know more. I definitely use my intelligence to good advantage and the more I learn, the more I come close to finding out my own limits. That's what truly makes for an "intelligent" person, in my opinion. I'm also a believer in the more you learn, the more you can learn.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Who said ADN's don't get taught theory? The classes are basically the same for either ADN or BSN.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I think that God doesn't have as much to do with it as you want us to believe. There are plenty of atheists who are pretty flipping smart!

I think that hard work, willingness to achieve goals and effort put forth has more to do with it than "god-given talent"

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Who said ADN's don't get taught theory? The classes are basically the same for either ADN or BSN.

Not really, I am in an RN-BSN program and it is very different than my ADN program. Policy, politics, advocacy for the profession, how to get involved in advocacy. Only one or two that deal with advanced versions of ADN classes.

[klone, MSN, RN]

You didn't have an option for "I don't believe in G-d"

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thread edited....

MODERATOR NOTE!

This is abut the ADN BSN debate lets stick to topic please.

[lub dub]

I think the public has been deceived long enough and it is time to stop deceiving the public. It is unethical to deliberately deceive the nurses. Nurses work hard for their money. They should be allowed to save their money for their children and for themselves. They should not be deceived by greedy schools.

I don't understand this at all. Please explain. I have a doctorate in nursing, & it had nothing to do with the media, or "greedy schools". It had to do with my desire to teach in a BSN program. (I got my MSN because I wanted to teach in an associate degree program.) Where does deception enter into this?

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I don't understand this at all. Please explain. I have a doctorate in nursing, & it had nothing to do with the media, or "greedy schools". It had to do with my desire to teach in a BSN program. (I got my MSN because I wanted to teach in an associate degree program.) Where does deception enter into this?

Well obviously we cannot trust you anymore as you are "one of them". You know, the deceptive colleges and universities? "Beware. . . "

Sorry, it's amusing but getting a little tiring. . .

lubdub, in case there's any doubt, I am not jabbing at you, there's some sarcasm at work here I hope.