BSN premium on the table.

Nurses Union

Published

We are looking for a BSN premium in our contract negotiations. If we win this, it will be the first out of 8 hospitals.

For those that have won this premium, what were your arguments?

Major Chicago teaching institutions pay new grad BSN $0.50 more than new grad ADN and YES, they still hire ADN and are Magnet.

Our union contract is very protective of our ADN's and a few Diploma nurses we still have.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Our hospital pays nurses with a BSN $1 per hour more.

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If that is the case,then why do some places with Lpn's and Rn's pay the Rn's more for doing the same job?

I have only seen RNs supervise LPNs due to scope of practice issues. They work as a team and the RN cosigns a buch of stuff

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I read some studies that BSN nurses have better outcomes or something to this effect. Assuming I remember the study correct, BSN nurses should earn more and the higher pay should be incentive for ADNs to better educate themselves.

Thats assuming I rememer that study correctly, because if there is no difference in performance their should.be no difference in pay

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I am in a union hospital and I am on a negotiating team. I cannot, however, answer your specific question. This issue of BSN premiums is not a battle we have chosen to pursue.

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As teachers earn higher college degrees, they earn more money. There is no quibbling about a difference in outcomes of students, They are receiving higher pay because they have earned a higher college degree, which is rewarded with higher pay.

It never ceases to amaze me, how nurses can be against rewarding the effort to earn a higher college degree, and turn it into a debate about, 'outcomes". It is not about outcomes, it is about improving the standards of a profession.

It is the same argument, " i don't have the drive to earn a higher college degree, or i have a plethora of excuses why I haven't".

Because I don't want to put forth the extra effort to improve myself academically, i don't want to reward someone else, who does.

This all comes from hospitals who want to find every excuse not to pay nurses more, or encourage other nurse to earn BSNs.

The last thing hospitals want is to give nurses a reason to e unified under one educational pathway, and have to pay them more.

The ANA is really at the bottom of this. The BSN should have been made the entry into practice, 40 years ago. It is the ANA, and their connection to the AMA, and Hospital Association, that prevents them from taking this much needed step.

There is NO reason that nursing needs three entry levels into practice. The BSN should be the entry level degree for RNs, and a two year Associates Degree, should be the level of education into practice, for LPN/LVNs.

It is not education creeping, it is improving the level of education for nurses. Nursing suffers from an Image problem, much of which, is the public impression, that we have/need, only a minimum level of education to be a nurses, which prevents us from demanding higher wages, better benefits,and working conditions, with the support of the public.

It is a hard sell to the public and to administration, that a nurse with only a two year Associates Degree, should earn a professional salary, benefits, and respect, as someone with a two year associates degree in basket weaving.

WE know what we do, and how important it is, but if they can continue to devalue what we do, (which is an easy thing to do, when too many nurses enter the profession with a blue collar trailer trash degree, or so they want to believe).

It is the, image of nursing, with three entries into practice, with only one being a four year college degree, that continues to allow this.

Hospitals will never pay more unless it is a decree from the ANA, which they do not want to do. We play into their hands, by not demanding that the ANA make the BSN the entry into practice, with the grandfathering in of ADNS and Diploma grads, with no penalty for not going back for a BSN.

If the ANA makes it a requirement, then hospitals will have to offer the classes, free of charge, and on campus in the hospital, and nurses will not have to go back an earn a BSN to continue to practice, just like they did for pharmacists.

Just my usual, NY $0.02

Lindarn, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

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"It never ceases to amaze me, how nurses can be against rewarding the effort to earn a higher college degree, and turn it into a debate about, 'outcomes". It is not about outcomes, it is about improving the standards of a profession. (lindarn)"

Exactly!! It never ceases to amaze me that RNs will argue to death over pay increases of 0.50-1.00 PER HOUR for furthering their educations!! Way to be played by administration. Big time...

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How is that being played by administration? Nurses should be rewarded for earning a higher degree. The pay should be more than $0.50 or $1.00 per hour. We are letting administration play US, by encouraging the debate.

As I stated in my letter, teachers are awarded with higher pay for advancing their education, no questions or quibbling about it, no hurt feelings.

NURSES are the ones who have the problem. We should be demanding that the ANA make the BSN the ONLY entry into practice. Three levels of entry only serve to divide us. And that is what administration wants. Spare me the excuses, "well, I could not afford to go to a four year college, I am a single mother, i have a plethora of other excuses why I could not go to a four year college, blah, blah blah".

All other health care professionals have at least a Bachelors Degree, if not a Masters Degree as entry into practice. I am sure many of them are single parents, have other issues but somehow manage to attend a four year program, if not a Masters Program. They receive far more respect than nurses, and out earn us by thousands! What is there to debate?

No other health care profession has three levels of entry into practice. RECREATIONAL THERAPISTS have a four year Bachelors Degree as entry into practice!! Their job only to utilize a variety of modalities including arts and crafts, drama, music dance, sports, and games to enhance the quality of life. The pay range is $46,000 - 57,000 a year.

None of which involves life and death situations on a daily basis. And they have a four year, Bachelors Degree as entry into practice, and their pay is comparable to nursing .

When we have one entry into practice, that is a four year college degree, we can, in one voice, demand higher pay from administration. Our present pay level is based on a two year Associates degree education, not a four year Bachelors Degree.

And that is what administration wants.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewher in the PACNW

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I was agreeing with you, lindarn! Where I live, administration seems to love that RNs fight over nominal increases in pay... As my manager told me recently: "we pay all RNs the same because you all take care of the same patients and that's the way we do it".

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What I meant by my original comment lindarn, was that I can't believe any nurse, be it ADN or BSN, is against an increase in pay for advancing education in the profession.

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The BSN spent years more time, effort and money in their education. They also boost the reputation/status of the hospital and have been statistically proven to have better patient outcomes.... bottom line, they deserve some form of premium.

Just as an MSN or NP deserves more than a BSN..... and a DNP more than that....

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