Associates degree vs. Bachelor's Degree with RN experience

Goody86 · Apr 26, 2011

As a student, who has read about the difficulty new graduates have been having finding jobs, my personal opinion is that it has more to do with working in nursing homes...if picking from the two reasons. There are soo many ADN prepared nurses(more than BSN I believe), and although the issue has been around for a while I don't believe having an ADN will keep someone from getting a job. It might keep this person from getting a certain hospital, but not overall a job as a nurse. The job market plain sucks right now, and someone whose experience is mainly with nursing homes isn't very appealing, when what a manager needs is someone who won't need training. All new graduates are having a tough time...Diploma, ADN, and BSN! Again, just my opinion.

DysrhythmiaRN11 · Apr 26, 2011

I meant to write that she said she also had experience in the hospital setting for quite some time. She is very knowledgeable and seems to know her stuff... I was just baffled as to why she wouldn't be able to get a nursing job in a hospital at this point in her life... I could only point to her degree... I don't know.... I am a new graduate so my experience level is at a 0.... I am going for my BSN now, and I now have a job as a RN and its a nursing home with long term care and subacute care... I just don't see myself not being able to get a job in the hospital once I get some experience anddddd my BSN... maybe I will need to accept it now and face it later... if so... I will just go for my Masters....lol.. sheez whatever it takes.... I worked too hard not to get the job I want... just saying...

DysrhythmiaRN11 · Apr 26, 2011

Sorry,to clarify, she worked in the hospitals originally, then she started working in long term care facilities... they told her she had been out of the hospital setting for too long so they wouldn't hire her... it must be something else.. she is a long time nurse... she must be keeping a secret because I just don't see hospitals not wanting to hire her....

jlynn2303 · Apr 30, 2011

This whole ltc vs hospital, ADN vs BSN stuff is driving me crazy. I was told that for a new grad (that's me) any experience is good experience, so take LTC if you have to, then keep applying to hospitals. (I just started ltc a week ago). Then I hear once you do ltc, hospitals won't touch you. ?! How is it worse to have ltc experience than to be a new grad with no experience?

Nursing is second career for me, so it was faster to get my BSN than an ADN. Where I went to school, LPN's only work in LTC, not in hospitals -which is different than where I live, where there are lots of LPN"s in the hospitals. In just the week or two I have been working I have noticed the ADN?BSN/LPN tension. It's crazy. LPN's say as soon as they get their RN they are out of there and into a hospital. Even the STNA's who are in nursing school say that. No one thinks anyone with a BSN should be working in a nursing home. It's like - what's wrong with you? I guess I hadn't seen the dynamic in the hospitals during clinicals bc I worked in hospitals where there were no ADNs. It's maddening. I hate the competition.

DysrhythmiaRN11 · Apr 30, 2011

This whole ltc vs hospital, ADN vs BSN stuff is driving me crazy. I was told that for a new grad (that's me) any experience is good experience, so take LTC if you have to, then keep applying to hospitals. (I just started ltc a week ago). Then I hear once you do ltc, hospitals won't touch you. ?! How is it worse to have ltc experience than to be a new grad with no experience?
Nursing is second career for me, so it was faster to get my BSN than an ADN. Where I went to school, LPN's only work in LTC, not in hospitals -which is different than where I live, where there are lots of LPN"s in the hospitals. In just the week or two I have been working I have noticed the ADN?BSN/LPN tension. It's crazy. LPN's say as soon as they get their RN they are out of there and into a hospital. Even the STNA's who are in nursing school say that. No one thinks anyone with a BSN should be working in a nursing home. It's like - what's wrong with you? I guess I hadn't seen the dynamic in the hospitals during clinicals bc I worked in hospitals where there were no ADNs. It's maddening. I hate the competition.

YES, it is crazy. It scares me. At least you do have your BSN. I just don't understand why LTC nursing would still hinder me from getting a job in the hospital. Its hard. I will do what I have to do. A job is a job for now.

jlynn2303 · Apr 30, 2011

Oops. I meant hospitals with no LPN's, not ADN's. There were lots of ADN's in the hospitals and the resentment from them was fierce. When we were in clinicals in the bsn program, we were constantly hearing from ADN's how terrible BSN nurses were. Hospitals around here are starting to require it, though, more and more, so I have no idea what will happen, although I am sure that explains some of the resentment.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · May 4, 2011

An RN of 20 years has been working in long term care at nursing homes for quite some time, and although she has experience, she only has her Associate's Degree. She mentioned that no hospitals will hire her right now and she thinks its because of the fact she has been out of the hospitals for so long, but I told her that its mainly because she doesn't have a BSN and that not having a BSN is as good as being a new graduate nurse. Anyone have any knowledge of any truth to having your BSN vs your Associates Degree and whats the difference between being able to get a job?

I don't think 20 years experience plus an ADN puts her on the level of a new grad in the eyes of hiring managers. I think the nurse is probably correct that it has more to do with being out of acute care for so long. Either that or there's something else about her that makes her a weak candidate (personality, job history, references, etc).

Even in my city where MANY of the hospitals are hiring BSN only now, there are still plenty of hospitals that hire ADNs and diplomas.

Misskala · May 5, 2011

I would think too that it may be the time period out of acute care, in which case, she can be proactive and take some kind of supplemental courses. (Which I have only heard of, never investigated, but I know that when an RN has not practiced in awhile, they will want the RN to take refresher courses.) I don't think that just having an ADN is like being a nurse with no training (or a new grad as the OP presented.)

In regards to the ADN and BSN "resentment" and "competition," I wanted to add a positive spin to what has been documented here thus far. One of the hospitals in my town is a Magnet status, and they hire BSN and ADN just the same. I have heard some BSN new hires say they are envious of the ADN prepared (who went to my school, I am ADN) because we were so well trained in skills. That is a compliment. Also keep in mind too, BSN and ADN catch up to each other in a matter of months with experience. There is no point in acting superior if you are BSN, and no point in diminishing the education of BSN if you ADN. Anyway, lots of ADN go thru a bridge program nowadays to get their BSN within the 1st 2 years of working, so that is even more reason for everyone to drop the argument.

All the best! KaLyn :nurse: