I have been a RN since 1989, graduated with a ASN. Since that time I worked in ICU, Open heart surgery, PICU, Med/Surg and Behavioral Health. I have had the pleasure to have worked as a Nurse Executive only to be told after 25 years to get a BSN. I have a BS in Public Policy and Organizational Leadership and Master of Arts in Theology/Counseling. I asked my employee why after working 13 years a their Executive Nurse on Med/Surg/Peds that they thought I needed a BSN. No answer just demands or lose my job. I told them to stuff it! At 57 I was not going back to school for a BSN when it would only achieve increasing my debt ratio.
Since then I haven't been able to hire on anywhere but a Nursing Home. Let me tell you it is a blessing to work in geriatrics, yet the BSN's that work there are clueless, needing alot of training and retraining which I don't mind doing. It just saddens me that at the end of my career Nursing still has its quirks like they did in the 80's. Remember the period when medical assistants where hired to work in ICUs? That fiasco lasted less then a year.
God bless all of you who have had to face this new fiasco of BSN only apply. I am wondering who agrees with BSN only need to apply?
But she wasn't an applicant. She had 13 years in that position, and has a bachelor's in leadership. So what would the upper level management courses of a BSN program do to increase her knowledge of her job, or of being a nurse in general?
Specializes in Parkinson's, stroke. elderly care rehab.
I'm an old codger (aged 57), nursing as an RN in a different country - and continent - to those who have put up such thoughtful and meaningful comments as those above.
But, as Chris Griffin asked, 'what is this chase, and how do I cut to it?'
The experienced nurse, asked to undertake university education, may well find themselves being 'taught' by people who have a mere fraction of their nursing knowledge, and an even smaller fraction of their clinical experience. My career in the UK has been held back by my refusal to sit in lecture halls listening to, and taking notes from nurses who fled clinical practice at the first opportunity, quoting my own published words back at me. And then asking me to 'critique' them. (Not a joke: but it is a bit weird to hear your own words quoted at a national conference.)
I can't wait for someone to prove to me that a 'degree' is better than 'experience gained through getting it wrong, and then swearing to get it right in future'. Letters after one's name mean nothing. What you do is another matter
You can't be a speech pathologist without a Master's degree (soon to be PhD) and entry to practice for physical therapy is a PhD... the list goes on. At the very least, entry to practice for RNs should be a BSN (I actually think it should be a MSN - no hate mail, please.) There's lots of evidence to support this, but that's a topic for another day.
In your case, and for thousands of others, it seems absurd to let you go - what about grandfathering nurses who have years of experience... and an advanced degree (so what if it's in another discipline)?
Sadly, it won't be nursing that comes together to determine what's best for nursing... and the general public. Instead, the employers, especially hospitals (especially hospitals with or applying for Magnet status) will tell us what to do.
conjecture at best, based on a survey, published by those who benefit from the results...Aiken
I know of 3 facilities personally that have talked about using this to decrease costs by "forcing" the experienced nurse back to school they KNOW some will leave thereby decreasing cost.
I know you don't agree with the results, but survey-generated data is vital to much of nursing and medical research, and to call it "conjecture" just isn't true. This particular study utilized self-reported survey data for demographic information including years of experience and educational background, not the actual outcomes. Self-report is fairly reliable in demographic information. I find it difficult to believe that a statistically significant number of respondents would have lied about their years experience and their educational background. The study was well powered and used valid research methods. The design of the study has a flaw in my opinion as the outcomes data and demographic data is not directly linked, but it has been repeated many times with similar results.
I am sure some businesses do use it as a tool to cut costs; there is an easy solution to prevent it being used as such: do what your employer requests of you if you want to stay employed. This did not "suddenly" happen; I have never seen a case where an employer simply fired a nurse on the spot without warning for not having a BSN. This OP is a classic example: quit on principle.
I just got a note from my employer that my ACLS is due and I have 3 months to recertify. I have two choices, either do it or quit. I will be going to ACLS class.
I would have to agree with everyone, we as nurses saw this coming down the road (BSN). There is a big B U T to that though, Obamacare, baby boomers are starting to retire, budgets being slashed, etc.
I also had an ASN since 1986, I had been a Supervisor for many years, at our local hospital. I stayed there until my kids grew into adults.
I have worked as a school nurse since 2005. All school nurses in Hampton Roads must by a RN, either ASN or BSN, it doesn't matter.
But now that school budgets are being cut across the board, RN's will phased out. Our jobs were on the line 3 years ago with many others in the school system. So, I knew I would probably have to go back to the hospital, so I prepared myself. I started with Chamberlin College of Nursing online RN to BSN program. I loved it, it worked for me. I received my BSN, June 29, 2014, at a cost of 22,000.00. I believe it was worth it for me, and my next direction I must take in my career. I am 57 years old, and I already know this will probably be my last year here with the school system. The school system will hire LPN's for most schools, a RN with a BSN over be over at least 5 schools with those LPN's. It is so crazy, it seems we take 10 steps forward only to turn around and go back 5 steps.
My next adventure will be moving to Michigan, start nursing there in either the UP or northern part of the state. This is where I will retire, and I certainly hope to use All Nurses, to help me with possible job openings or from fellow nurses.
Flying Scott is right, it will give you move security. I just finished getting my BSN, because I do have another 10 years. But it did cost me $22,000.00, but it will be worth every penny.
I will graduate from my ADN program in May of 2015. From my first semester, we have been told that we need to go on to pursue our BSN's because of the trend now in which the majority of hospital's in our area are only hiring BSN's, or you have to commit to getting your BSN within a certain time frame.
The application stated 'BSN preferred'. However during a phone call made to me, the caller wanted to clarify whether I had a BSN or "was your degree a Bachelor of Science with a major in nursing". I have no earthly idea what prompted the call since this was my very first job app since completing the degree. My thoughts were, 'here we go again with the you-only-have-this-we-want-this' crap.
Yes,i know. I am not talking about people who had prior Degrees before entering Nursing.
The OP pursued a degree not related to nursing while an experienced nurse.
Which is my next question..why did she not pursue a career with her other degree?
I have an Adn,but it would kind of be foolish for me to pursue a MBA,continue to work in Nursing,and then complain years later when the job requires a Bsn.
The $$$ to pursue the MBA could have been used toward The Bsn or Msn.
I am an ADN to BSN (meaning that I went to an RN to BSN program as an experienced RN). After realizing the BSN was conferring no competitive advantage I went back for my MSN. This was an interaction I experienced during my last clinical placement, in which I observed the implementation of CPOE.
I followed our CEO into the office where SL and JC reside, as he was leaving, so as to not interrupt their conversation. There was a man there whose introduction consisted of a whispered "he's from corporate" from L earlier, as he breezed by.
I asked SL if I could ask her some questions. She acquiesced, so I inquired about her role in the implementation. She brusquely informed me that she was Co-Director of Advanced Clinicals. I asked about her background and how she achieved her role, at which time she informed me "I don't have time for this," after which there was an awkward silence.
At first I thought I was being socially rescued by The Man from Corporate, who asked if I was orienting. I informed him that I was actually there in my role as a student, with [redacted] State University. He noted he was getting his Masters in Nursing in Informatics from Waldon. I explained that my Masters was in Leadership, to which he replied that he did not see a purpose in the concentration, explaining that if anyone wanted to be in a leadership position like CNO they should get a MBA or MHA. He also was kind enough to inform me that he began his graduate studies in the same concentration but then realized that more doors would open with a degree in Informatics from Waldon.
In other words- it is an MBA you need to advance. The MSN is worthless. I am continuing anyway, I have invested too much money ($84k in student loans) and time (two years- on my third) to stop now. Maybe I can get a job in Academia. Even the local community college requires an MSN to teach, and I prefer the environment of scholarship to the environment of business anyway.
LDrounette
16 Posts
But she wasn't an applicant. She had 13 years in that position, and has a bachelor's in leadership. So what would the upper level management courses of a BSN program do to increase her knowledge of her job, or of being a nurse in general?