Associate Degree program a thing of the past...

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I am graduating in 3 weeks and just found out a few hospitals (magnet + tgh) will NOT be hiring AS degree RN's starting in Jan 2012. They have a new policy in place that requires all RN's to have a BS by 2018. That part is okay b/c I plan to get a BS degree by then. The part that has me freaking out is the fact they won't be hiring AS as of Jan. 2011. This makes me think the surrounding hospitals will follow suite very soon. I still plan to apply everywhere I can but just want to give people a heads up who have AS degrees and still looking for jobs and/or in school. --- Tampa,Fl area.

I've talked to ADN graduates in my area and BSN graduates in my area, it seems the BSNs are getting hired more readily. I've looked at the entry level job listings of the hospitals and it seems all of them state BSN as a requirement.

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yes, I'm going to get my nursing license then go back to get my BSN. I too have looked at job listings and most of them want a BSN so it looks like ill be doing that !

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Hi Sleepsound!

I have to say, in metro-Boston or Brockton I think it would be best to go to UMass for BSN (whichever campus you want). Brockton Hospital's program is either a diploma or ADN, and most hospitals in Eastern Mass want you to have a BSN as a new grad. I think a traditional pace BSN program is the best choice between ADN-BSN-accelerated BSN, you'll have enough time to work on clinical skills and work as a CNA or do summer externships. Those two are key to getting jobs as a new grad, if you don't want to relocate. I almost went to UMass Darmouth - that's a great school! Good luck to you, regardless of your choice! :D

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yeah the only problem is, is that i cannot get into the nursing program. I talked to the dean of the nursing school and she said its virtually impossible at this point. last year there was 250 applications for 15 slots.. She also told me to get my asn then return to get my bsn. I think I'm gonna go that route.

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I spent 17 years in Texas- 8 1/2 in Austin, and 8 1/2 in Kerrville (small rural town- one medical hospital, one VA hospital, and one forensic state psych hospital- and a bunch of nursing homes). I was NEVER limited by and ADN. I never got my BSN. Regrets? Only for my own reasons- not because it limited me (and it would not have been in nursing). HOWEVER, in larger cities, they're getting pickier- and in the process, eliminating a huge chunk of the nursing 'pool' that has done a lot of the nursing over the years.

I'm very pro-educaiton- but I'm also anti-snobbery. If a hospital really needs every single nurse to have a bunch of theory that nobody uses after graduation, then that's their choice. If they want nurses who are told from day one that they will be taking care of patients at the bedside, who can get their degree as they go, to me it makes more sense. And, get help with tuition reimbursement from many facilities - so decrease the amount of debt for these crazy-axx tuitions. They need to work on basic skills so hospitals don't have to "finish" nursing schools via preceptorships (those didn't exist until a few years ago- BECAUSE of inadequate nursing education)....that's a huge reason hospitals don't want new grads- they're expensive to get them up to the basic level they need at the bedside..... which means a lot of new nurses are getting ripped off in their nursing programs. Not cool.

You guys need experience- and the hospitals need newbies who have had the basic skills to turn loose after a general orientation (about 2-3 weeks). Talk to those of us who graduated in the 80s and before, and we got a couple of days on an acute floor. Because we got the skills in school.

JMO based on a lot of threads here :)

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I have 3 kids and need to start working ASAP, so I chose a ADN program. I live in Milwaukee WI area and ADN's are still easily accepted at hospitals in all areas. Many of my friends who got ADN's got jobs in ER, operating room, Peds, clinics. Tuition was also a factor since as someone pointed out college is CRAZY expensive now, and if I can get a job in my field, start working right away, and have my employer foot a large part of the bill for my BSN, that means less debt for me, which is always a plus. I always planned to continue on for BSN though, thats not even a question.

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Completely agree with you xtxrn and pedshopeful!

I cringe when I think about the wasted credits and money that my school is making me do just to get the BSN, and then I cringe even more when I think about the clinical skills that are being glazed over. At this point, in my area a BSN is required for most employers to hire you as a new grad, so I looked at it as a necessary evil. Pedshopeful is smart, you pay for the ADN and clinical skills, make your future employer pay for the rest! Xtxrn, I do feel a bit ripped off, and that's coming from someone in a public university no less. I feel as though my school is more interested in nclex pass rates than solid basic clinical skills. Oh well. I'm lucky to have been accepted since the competition for limited seats has grown so fierce (not really sure why that is). :D

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Specializes in School Nursing.

What clinical skills are being 'glazed' over with BSN programs? From what I've gathered, BSN have just as much clinical and the ADN programs.. BSN just requires more classes- quite a bit more classes. Just because BSNs are more educated in Theory, doesn't mean they aren't getting excellent clinical training.

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I know from taking an intro to nursing class that the nurses association thinks that to be an RN one should have a bachelors degree. I sure hope it does not apply to Oklahoma anytime soon, since I am going for my associates in nursing now.

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The easiest way to find this out is to simply look at RN postings at hospitals in your area. In my area, it usually says "Nursing degree from a accredited college or university" meaning they dont care if its ADN or BSN. I see many of these, those that require a BSN say so but usually if anything is required its a certain number of years experience thats being asked for. If you look at the jobs postings, and all you see is "BSN required" then you may have a problem.

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Are the hosp ready to pay more for the BSN with all the cut backs that are coing from medicare and medicaid? ADN programs are still producing great RN's that can do the same as the BSN. A nurse is a nurse... its the experience and exposure that they get that makes a difference.

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BSN is just another year of classes for me, I have all pre-reqs, it's just going to be another year of tuition money, that's all. honestly, I don't feel as a nurse nowadays working in hospital, you need that much of theoratical education or beyond...just my personal opinion and I'm not the anuthoriy to say anything here. Got attacked by a few Accelerated BSN students here in this forum quite a bit, honestly we are all the same as long as we are in school, why do some people feel like they are over others? lol

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