BSN or Associates Degree

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Hello, I have begun taking pre-requisites for nursing finally. I'm in my forties and wondered if the rumor about nurses with associates is true. Are companies preferring nurses with BSN, and is it hard for a nurse with an associate's degree to find a job nowadays? Ultimately, I want to pursue the BSN but in future. I may have the opportunity to transfer from TRI-C (a community college) after taking my pre-requisites to a larger university for the BSN. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.:rolleyes:

I made my choice based on what the hospitals in my area were asking for. I'm going straight for the BSN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am in the Midwest, in a medium city, but it's not like Atlanta or anything -- meaning its not a hot place to live necessarily. So for my area, you are good to graduated with an associates and will find a job in the hospital. But the hospitals will require you to get a BSN within 5 years of employment. So I am now getting it.

I was asked in every single interview though what my plans were for it. My associate's program is part of a large university and the community college part of it has us get all of our bachelor pre-reqs while doing our associate's degree. This always seemed to be a good thing in interviews when I mentioned that.

One of the larger networks just started hiring nurses that have over 10 years experience and not requiring them to get a BSN if they hold an associate's degree with that much experience. I will be interested to see if the rest of the networks follow....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Is Atlanta a hot place to live?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

ADMIN NOTE

Several off-topic and inflammatory posts removed. Please keep this discussion on topic....which by the way is NOT about your personal differences with other members on this site but rather to respectfully answer the OP's (original poster's) questions.

This is not the place for a middle school food fight.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is Atlanta a hot place to live?

I heard on the radio today it is one of the "hot" cities to move to lol! I think it's harder for associate degree nurses in cities where everyone wants to live what I was trying to say.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

l like the idea of possibly taking the BSN online once I get my associate's. That's an idea too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Are you a travel nurse by chance? That is something that I'm also interested in. If you are a travel nurse, any suggestions about that?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Are you a travel nurse by chance? That is something that I'm also interested in. If you are a travel nurse, any suggestions about that?

I traveled for 2 years; My wife and I lived in our RV with our two dachshunds. I took assignments in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. 50% were positive experiences, but 50% of the bad experiences were probably, upon reflection, my fault. Nevertheless, I remember it fondly for the most part, but we wanted to come back home and settle down, eventually. You absolutely don't need a BSN for that, but you do absolutely need ACLS. You will also need one year of experience, and that needs to be in med/surg, ER, or ICU, because you need to know how to handle a patient load in an acute care hospital. You can make some good money and see places you might never have seen before. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm in Tri-C's Nursing Program as well!! :) I feel like if you live in Cleveland, or the Northeast Ohio region, you'll be just fine with an Associates degree. You really only need your BSN if you plan to work in a big hospital which NOT all nurses wish to do. I have friends who've graduated from Tri-C and work for Cleveland Clinic and University hospitals and they say that a condition of them accepting the job is that within 5 years from their start date they must attain a BSN (which the employer also helps pay for). I also have friends who work in smaller nursing homes, or smaller physician offices who only have an Associates and have been working as a nurse for 5+ years. So in a nutshell, even though the trend in the future Nursing career will prefer a BSN over an ADN, it really all comes down your location, and your desired career setting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm in Tri-C's Nursing Program as well!! :) I feel like if you live in Cleveland, or the Northeast Ohio region, you'll be just fine with an Associates degree.

Yea! I live in the Columbus area now (originally from another city not too far away from Cleveland) and the "push" here is for BSN nurses. but I was hired into 2 of the really big hospital systems in this area (OhioHealth..... which i DID NOT like, and Mount Carmel....... which i absolutely positively LOVED with my ADN. Mount Carmel did make me sign a contract, in 4 yrs. i would obtain my BSN. OhioHealth did not make me sign anything. And Ohio State University did call me back for an interview for a ICU Step down position, but i declined because i accepted the job i have now as a Case Manager for a Medicaid managed care plan here in Ohio, which i LOVE LOVE by the way. I work from home and it does not get any better than this. I am about to pursue my BSN degree from chamberlain, because i do plan on going back to bedside care, but i want to be a travel nurse (starting here in Ohio first) within the next 2 years. But all in all, down here in central Ohio, it does NOT matter, im telling you firsthand. But one thing i can say is, you NEED to have hospital/acute care experience, or they wont even look at you resume.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You literally just listed my career goals lol! I know I would love being a case manager and my dream job is to be a travel nurse :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You literally just listed my career goals lol! I know I would love being a case manager and my dream job is to be a travel nurse :)

Case Management is always something i wanted to do , just because i was so curious about what exactly it was. Now that i have this job, im telling you, its going to be very hard to let go, but i know i do want to get back to bedside care. but this, for now, is great!! I say, go for it!! very easy job....... all you need to do this job is half a brain! (lol, just joking)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment