BSN duties?

[nev]

I have this crazy question...what are the duties of a BSN compared to a regular nurse with an associate degree? Are there any specific differences (besides the abcheloer degree)?

Thanks

Nev

[RN_Jen]

I think that that "strength" they are referring to is the fact that diplome and Associates nurses have more actual hands on clinical training and are probably far better prepared clinically than the BSN grads.

IMO this is just another misconception about BSN programs. There is plenty of "actual hands on" clinical training. Granted, it varies from program to program, but to make a blanket statement like that (as fact) is simply misleading.

We had the same requirements for clinical obligations, careplanning and preparations as the BSN students. The big difference for us was that from day 1, we did 2-3 actual clinical days each week (usually the full 8 hours).

My BSN program has the same type of clinical schedule....from DAY ONE (although as Tweety mentioned, I can't imagine what we would be doing on day one.). And in our summer semester we do 4 nine-hour days each week.

The bottom line is that we all try to do our best in whatever program we choose. In the end, we all take the same NCLEX and perform the same duties; and as someone stated in another thread, a lot of the clinical/technical fine tuning comes from OJT.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

My BSN program has the same type of clinical schedule....from DAY ONE (although as Tweety mentioned, I can't imagine what we would be doing on day one.). And in our summer semester we do 4 nine-hour days each week.

We have first semester BSN students, and I guess they come pretty close to day 1 because all the student assigned to me could do was shadow. She couldn't even take vital signs (because we haven't been checked off in the lab on that). I guess there's a lot to be learned from day #1, but seriously most of what I said went way over her head, but she did ask appropriate questions.

NLN has addressed the concerns that BSN students don't get enough clinical hours, and that has been pretty much improved. But the myth that ADNs have more clinicals than BSN nurses prevails.

[KAT NC]

The BSN program students here are in class/in house lab the first part of the semester then actually in the hospital the second half of the semester (roughly 8 weeks out of 16 week semester). The ADN program at the local CC they have labs in house the first 6 weeks and then they have labs in house 5hours worth and two days a week they are in the hospital. It just a different way of intergrating clinicals they are probably close to being in the hospital the same number of hours.