BSN not helpful

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2016

As the majority of nurses are employed in hospitals or acute care settings, I am continuously scratching my head, asking myself why the curriculum of these programs isn't structured to give nurses truly needed skills, knowledge sets, or resources to better care for their patients.

You have a good, salient point...

However, I earned my online BSN precisely for the purpose of opening the doors to positions that are far removed from direct patient care. So far, so good.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2016

It's not just academia, but the magnet hospitals as well in terms of the push for BSN. While I agree that almost all (if not all) BSN classes do not have any direct impact on bedside patient care (unless one has perfect staffing ratios where one can spend more time with each patient, then maybe), the bigger picture is as The Commuter posted... more opportunities.

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Aug 21, 2016

I agree with you.....Should be more options available to make it more useful for those that wish to stay at the bedside....Lot of "fluff" in many of the BSN classes...of course many won't say that, as one has forked out a lot of $$$$$

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Aug 21, 2016

Getting a BSN isn't about advancing your nursing experience or education. You've already done the nursing bit, now you have to do the gen ed bit, just like everyone else that goes for a four year degree. Arguably all gen ed classes are "worthless" I suppose, but a four year degree is meant to make you a more "well rounded" person.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2016

Arguably all gen ed classes are "worthless" I suppose, but a four year degree is meant to make you a more "well rounded" person.

I concur. Although it would be good if RN-to-BSN completion programs incorporated some practical course offerings into the curriculum, the aim of a baccalaureate degree is to produce well-rounded people with broad worldviews and open minds.

Hence, the point of all of those seemingly 'fluffy' courses is to inculcate open-minded reasoning skills and the ability for synthesis at a higher level.

TheSocialMediaCoach · Aug 23, 2016

It was completing my BSN that made me think of Careers outside of Nursing! Ha! I too went for my BSN in order to keep my job as a Care Coordinator...as I was going through my Courses...I discovered podcasts ( namely RNFMRadio.com) ...one thing led to another, I am down to two days a week as a Care Coordinator...without a BSN I could not have kept that job which is funding my Busines so for that I am greateful to have a BSN ...in other words pretty much what everyone else has said.

PMFB-RN, RN · Aug 23, 2016

I concur. Although it would be good if RN-to-BSN completion programs incorporated some practical course offerings into the curriculum, the aim of a baccalaureate degree is to produce well-rounded people with broad worldviews and open minds.
Hence, the point of all of those seemingly 'fluffy' courses is to inculcate open-minded reasoning skills and the ability for synthesis at a higher level.

I disagree that earning a BSN has anything to do with producing well-rounded people with broad world views. If that were really the case then the ADN or diploma RN who already hold a bachelors degree would be the equivalent of a BSN, and yet they are not.

PMFB-RN, RN · Aug 23, 2016

I am a Diploma of Nursing graduate and am currently pursuing (by mandate) my online BSN. As the majority of nurses are employed in hospitals or acute care settings, I am continuously scratching my head, asking myself why the curriculum of these programs isn't structured to give nurses truly needed skills, knowledge sets, or resources to better care for their patients. Additional pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, advanced anatomy and physiology, emerging health risks and disease trends...this would seem like much more relevant information to add to a staff nurse's working armamentarium and improve the quality of care. Courses such as; Population Focused Nursing, and Concepts, Processes, and Trends in Contemporary Nursing-not so much! Then there is nursing theory-seriously, do nurses and other health care professionals really take these seriously? Come on-some of these (theories) are so convoluted, esoteric and just sound downright wacky and bizarre and have no true utility or use in the clinical setting. That all being said, I understand the need for lifelong learning and continuing education and if I were wanting to pursue a managerial role or prepare for advanced practice-certainly. Now however, I pay out $25,000 (with a pittance of tuition reimbursement), put my life on hold and sacrifice a great deal of my time, all to go back to the same job that I've done for almost 25 years, only now though with a better understanding of the primary healthcare delivery model and cultural diversity. I'm not suggesting this information isn't important, but I strongly feel that we've got it wrong in this regard. Academia has completely, completely lost touch with true bedside nursing!

Oh I think requiring RNs to go back and obtain a BSN ALMOST fulfills it's desired outcome. That is punishing those who had the unmitigated gall to practice nursing with "only" an ADN or BSN.

I think the bright kids from upper middle income families who sacrificed a good time in high school and college to get into a good college, then graduate from a challenging program like nursing (with the associated student loan payments) are very resentful to enter practice and discover those who went to a community college for a small fraction of the cost of their university BSN, and for less time are now ahead of the new BSN in their careers, and since they have little to no student debt, further ahead in reaching life goals like buying their first home.

LVNBSN2 · Aug 25, 2016

Bingo. My college advisor told me exactly THIS when I asked why I had to take all of th

LVNBSN2 · Aug 25, 2016

Getting a BSN isn't about advancing your nursing experience or education. You've already done the nursing bit, now you have to do the gen ed bit, just like everyone else that goes for a four year degree. Arguably all gen ed classes are "worthless" I suppose, but a four year degree is meant to make you a more "well rounded" person.

Bingo. My college advisor told me exactly THIS when I asked why I had to take all of the fluff classes.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Aug 25, 2016

I disagree that earning a BSN has anything to do with producing well-rounded people with broad world views. If that were really the case then the ADN or diploma RN who already hold a bachelors degree would be the equivalent of a BSN, and yet they are not.

Well if someone is dumb enough to get an ASN instead of an ABSN when they already have a bachelors, then maybe they need the gen ed classes.