BSN degree seems off topic

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A lot of people I know call the BSN degree a B.S. nursing degree if you get my point. Throughout my my BSN program I have felt that many of the classes were not truly nursing related. I don't think that classes such transcultural nursing is important enough of a 4 credit hour class when we could be learning more about subjects such as pharmacology or advanced nursing skills. Basically I think that the classes offered in the BSN programs are just not important enough to dedicate an entire semester worth of work to. Must nurses will agree that they only get their BSN so they can apply for ARNP/CRNA school or because they want a job away from patient care.

Does anyone else agree with me? What are your thoughts about the BSN?

I don't see anything on my degree plan that seems useless. I've already learned many, many things that will apply to my nursing care and I'm not even in nursing school yet.

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no, I don't agree with you at all. I just completed my BSN, and I have been a nurse 16 years with an ASN. Every single class, every credit hour, every paper has benefitted me in some way. One of the big points of a bsn is to improve critical thinking skills and leadership skills. A bsn is not about advanced nursing skills or pharmacology. If you want advanced skills you choose a specialty, train by working that specialty, and become certified. Advanced pharmacology knowledge is generally covered in proscriber level education (np programs) and masters programs. Honestly it's a bit unfortunate that you wouldn't see the immense benefit in learning about transcultural nursing. You want more technical teaching, but the point of a bsn is not to improve skill, but round out knowledge. Nursing is about a lot more than hands on technical skills and training. Your adn programs give you the basic skills you need to be a nurse, a bsn program improves how you use those skills.

I must completely agree with this poster. My BSN did involve writing, but the writing was about my own ideas, assessments, and observations. Taking courses like global health, health care politics, community nursing, and nursing research helped me develop a larger picture of nursing and the problems members of my patient population face. Not to mention I feel very prepared to begin my masters degree in August. I plan to expand on the ideas I've already cultivated.

My coworkers kept asking me if it was "easy" and if I learned anything. The answers are absolutely not and emphatically yes (respectively). My program helped me realize I want to go further with my nursing education.

Disclaimer: my program was hybrid with a portion of time required on campus.

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Specializes in Med Surg/ICU/Psych/Emergency/CEN/retired.
I must completely agree with this poster. My BSN did involve writing, but the writing was about my own ideas, assessments, and observations. Taking courses like global health, health care politics, community nursing, and nursing research helped me develop a larger picture of nursing and the problems members of my patient population face. Not to mention I feel very prepared to begin my masters degree in August. I plan to expand on the ideas I've already cultivated. My coworkers kept asking me if it was "easy" and if I learned anything. The answers are absolutely not and emphatically yes (respectively). My program helped me realize I want to go further with my nursing education. Disclaimer: my program was hybrid with a portion of time required on campus.
The writing done for my BSN was not "my own ideas, assessments and observations". My only "ideas" identified the nursing implications of the literature we read. We were required to write scholarly papers, which helped me immensely in preparation for my graduate studies, in which I was required to critique the literature about my graduate focus: critical care/trauma. My BSN and MS were awarded 27 years apart and I feel immensely grateful to have that BSN background for many reasons. Obviously BSN programs differ.
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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
If all your classes are "fluff," maybe it's the particular program which is lame, not necessarily the BSN degree itself.

Agree.

Learning about healthcare economics, ethics, statistics, philosophy, biochem, and abnormal psych, helps with engaging with administration, especially when negotiating a union contract. :yes:

The biochem helps piggyback off ACLS and PALS and abnormal pathophys.

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The writing done for my BSN was not "my own ideas, assessments and observations". My only "ideas" identified the nursing implications of the literature we read. We were required to write scholarly papers, which helped me immensely in preparation for my graduate studies, in which I was required to critique the literature about my graduate focus: critical care/trauma. My BSN and MS were awarded 27 years apart and I feel immensely grateful to have that BSN background for many reasons. Obviously BSN programs differ.

I understand programs differ, that is not in question. The OP indicated that the courses are "fluff" and unnecessary. I was disagreeing. As in any educational endeavor, you get out what you put in.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Very good point. I do wish they spent more time on pharm though. I guess it's just incredibly hard because there are so many medications.!

And what about nurses who studied pharm before the boom of new meds like tPA and more that came afterwards? Or who decided to change specialties?

Nursing school helps one prepare to be a life long learners in the sciences; the classes, if even chosen correctly by one, can prepare to synthesize and evolve when healthcare evolves; higher ed is best when one is a discernible consumer and picks the classes that will benefit long term, not just for the "passable" classes.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I can attest that my BSN classes greatly prepared me for my MSN/Informatics coursework. And despite not accepting the obviously informatics-related job a couple of months ago and picking the trauma educator position, I am definitely using what I learned in that MSN program as well. It's actually really nice when you have that moment in which you realize that you are using what you've learned. :)

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I don't think that classes such transcultural nursing is important enough of a 4 credit hour class when we could be learning more about subjects such as pharmacology or advanced nursing skills.

Transcultural nursing may not be important if you're a nurse at a hospital in Farm Town, Iowa where the air smells of manure from the fields for most of the year and everybody is white and a little overweight and has lived in the same town for 4 generations.

But what if you live in Chicago, LA, Miami, or any other area where everyone doesn't share the same great-great-great grandparents?

It actually sounds like a VERY important and extremely practical class to me.

As for general thoughts about the BSN... to be blunt, considering that is the way the nursing world is going, I'm not sure how important anybody's opinion really is. Some hospitals already require it, many are leaning in that direction, and enough people are getting it so eventually those without it will be obsolete.

Hospitals in my area stopped hiring LPN's a couple of years ago, and they are requiring existing LPN's to have an RN by the end of next year or they won't have a job anymore.

Given enough time, the same thing will happen to RN's without a BSN.

So yeah, suck it up and get the dang thing - your personal feelings about it don't really matter.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I can't remember which previous poster wrote that you get out what you put in, but I couldn't second that any stronger.

In my BSN capstone, we were asked to reflect on the experience. Another student wrote thoughts similar to the OP, and I respect her view. The point is, we had just finished the same course of study, with many of the same professors.

I rediscovered nursing, completely transformed my view and somehow injected so much compassion into my practice. Who knew?

But I did throw myself into the studies and try to find some kind of relevance. (Even that intensely dry informatics course!)

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.

I was a straight to bsn student and honestly I feel very well rounded. For example, I took leadership and my first thought was "why the heck am I taking this". But this class had a huge impact on basically delegating and communication. We covered simple things such as: what happens when someone asks you to cover a shift for you, or you have a conflict with a coworker. Seems like fluff to some but I definitely benefited from it

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I really think Transcultural nursing should be a required pre-req in Lpn school and Adn programs.

The Usa is now made up of 30% minorities,so there will come a time when you will have to care for a minority patient.

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I really think Transcultural nursing should be a required pre-req in Lpn school and Adn programs.

The Usa is now made up of 30% minorities,so there will come a time when you will have to care for a minority patient.

Its actually closer to 40%...

Census: White majority in U.S. gone by 2

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