BSN programs are harder than ADN

Compagnox2 · Jan 24, 2015

@springchick1

I have done both. I first got my ADN at a community college that is 27 miles away because the one that is 2 miles away from me is so pretentious with a high degree of favoritism-but i digress.

I did the ADN first because of the 5 nursing schools within the area, all were full and i couldn't get in. There were literally hundreds if not thousands in the area trying to get in.

I took my Nclex then got a job, and then went back to school full time, online to get my BSN and am now working on my MSN, then onto my DNP.

Which is harder? ADN or BSN. It depends on what you mean as "harder'.

ADN or ASN school was "harder" in that i did not completely know what I was in for. A male friend of mine, who had been a nurse some 27 years told me "this will be the hardest thing you have ever done so far". He was right. I was 23 years old and our old family friend was telling me this. He knew what he was talking about. It was hard because I Wasn't used to getting up at 4am and driving to a clinical site one hour away and being away from home a total of 14 hours at times then studying and getting a good strong 4 hours of sleep and attending class the next day, etc and so on. It was tough, hard and busy- at times enough to drive someone bat-SH*% crazy.

The BSN was hard in other ways. I was already an RN. I already knew what it was and is to work the floors, ICU, ER and Med/Surg as well as SNFs. The BSN offers more information that an ADN does not have or has studied. Its more than just taking "management classes" or "leadership stuff" that i have heard over and over. The BSN takes strong mental prowess to complete. The course adds things like statistics, theory, evidence based practice, advanced pathophysiology and more critical thinking.

So if you mean who does the most grunt work in school? obviously the ADN (ASN). The BSN uses more of their time continuing to learn about nursing and the business world.

It is only a matter of time before the majority of this country will go all BSN, which I used to think was a all BSN way of thinking. Not so. Research on this matter goes all the way back to 2003 with Linda Aiken's research where she found thru research on over 150+ hospitals that a hospital with 60% of Bachelor prepared nurses had better patient outcomes, fewer infections and better overall customer satisfaction. Thats huge.

There are great and awesome ADNs out there. Some of which could run circles around many BSNs. However, why run? when you can critically think and not have to run but provide a different way of doing things?

In the end both are nurses and i respect both. So which is harder? do you want to do more gruntwork? great. Do you want to use your brain more, experience more? Its up to who you are, where you are and how you think.

Beautiful_Soul · Jan 24, 2015

I understand your point. The level of difficulty in a class will be different for all. You are right, both programs have to take the same nclex. Even worse, to be paid the same amount as a new grad who came from an adn program, I think is not fair.
I ONLY say this because I feel that if a person goes to school longer, and earns a higher degree, should be paid more regardless of the profession.
As Esme12 posted, there should be one level of entry. I agree. I think there would be more respect for the field as a profession, and would end the msn better than bsn, bsn better than adn, and adn is better than lpn, etc debate.

That's just the reality of it, I've watched many youtube video's of BSN nurses advising people who are interested in nursing to just go for their ADN because BSN is just more expensive and the ADN nurses get paid the same amount they do. This one woman actually said if she could do it all over she would not even bother with the BSN and that she works with many ADN nurses that's way better at what they do than BSN nurses. I don't know this to be a FACT, but I'm just sharing what I heard from other BSN nurses. I think both nurses deserves the same amount of respect, We all deserve respect as people, no matter what degree we hold. LPN's, CNA'S, BSN nurse, ADN nurse, plumber, stay at home mom etc. Once you start to go into the competition mind state it may cause you to become bitter and look down on others and that's never a good thing! I'm happy for you continuing your education pursing a Bachelors degree and I'm also happy for your friends continuing their education pursing a Associates degree. Like someone else said, lets all support each other no matter what! Good Luck to you :)

Fruit Sucker · Jan 24, 2015

Why do you care? That's what I'm wondering. Some of your co-workers with ADNs have previous BS degrees, and most of them will be completing an RN-BSN bridge program. You'll be taking the same NCLEX. Your scope of practice will be the same. Perhaps you are not familiar with the course requirements for ADNs. Mine took 3 years and required two semesters of language, chemistry, micro, and so on. The RN-BSN bridge program I will be attending consists of only 11 classes, most of which are not science courses. So, I don't know what you're looking for people to tell you here. People who do ADN followed by RN-BSN have taken the same classes that you've taken. Plus many more if, as in my case, they have a previous degree.

So I don't know what you mean by "harder". If organic chem was harder for you than it was for me, then I guess that says more about your academic proficiency than anything else. To my knowledge, BSN students don't take more than the normal 18-20 credits per semester than the rest of us take, so I'm not sure why you're on about the amount of time it takes.

jaycam, RN · Jan 25, 2015

Harder is relative compared to a person's personal experiences. What's hard for one person may not be hard for another. One program may be harder that another and it may have little to do with if it's an ADN or a BSN.

I had a very wise nurse once tell me that is long as it's accredited, the best nursing program for you is the one that accepts you. The area where I live is very competitive. In some ways, it's harder to get into some of the ADN programs than it is the local BSN programs. It just depends on what your strengths are.

So I went to college when I was younger. I wanted to teach but life happened. Because I had experience working with children with disabilities from working as an assistant teacher and having younger siblings with developmental disabilities I was able to get work as a caregiver. Between caregiver, med tech, and call center work I spent 12 years not going back to school. I was on the other hand getting experience working in health care, working with technology, and life in general. I was not considered a traditional student by any means when I went back. Without things like test scores or recent college work I was not going to be accepted into a 4 year university without spending at least a year taking classes at a CC as it was. Some of the classes I would need to take had little to no relevancy to my getting a nursing degree (3 quarters of a foreign language because 2 years were not required at my high school.)

For me, an ADN program became my best option. Both program options up here require pre reqs. Both would take me around the same time to complete a BSN. My school has a great reputation, high NCLEX pass rate, and almost 50 years of history behind it. The classes are smaller than at the local university. We have our own RN to BSN bridge program on the same campus, at the same school with direct transfer agreements to another at a state university. So anything is possible if you work for it.

I also want you to think about the fact you are saying that it will be 120 credits for you to graduate. My program is 72 credits. To even be considered for it I took another 76 credits just to apply for it. Those credits included things like science, ethics, and research classes. Then, when I finish, I'm in for another year to get my BSN. I don't expect a pay raise for getting my BSN, I expect to have more opportunities for jobs for it, since a number of the local hospitals want magnet status. Also, I want more than a BSN, but let's just start there.

So at the end of the day both would of taken me the same amount of time to complete my BSN. I will have an accredited education that allows me to go on in school because I want to do graduate school and eventually teach/research. My cost of education for my BSN will be a a fraction of the cost than some who went to the state university for theirs. Pure icing on the cake. It doesn't mean I didn't work for that cake though.

jaycam, RN · Jan 25, 2015

The TL:DR version of my wall of text:

Assuming that someone has less education or an easier time of things because they choose to do something differently is a good way to step on toes. You never know when those difference may be their strength.

suzw · Jan 25, 2015

I'm not going to read all the comments, and maybe someone has already said this, but I just wanted to point out that my ADN program (as well as many others in my state) has a similar (or better) NCLEX pass rate as any of the BSN programs- including one that is supposedly one of the highest rated nursing programs in the U.S., and another one that I considered going to, but it has a $30,000/ year tuition. So I will be taking the RN-BSN bridge program when I graduate in June, but it has NO clinicals. I think it's just a lot of research and paper writing. I'm going to have to get a nursing job and work during the program just to not lose all my clinical skills.

suzw · Jan 25, 2015

Oh, and our retention rate is higher than most of the universities too.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2015

"harder" is subjective. The difference is you have a bachelors degree and you are then in a position to apply for different jobs in different hospitals. Many jobs require BSN. It doesn't matter what is "harder". I don't care if someone with an ADN is the greatest nurse on earth, they simply will not be eligible for certain positions at certain hospitals.

PMFB-RN, RN · Jan 28, 2015

Many jobs require BSN. It doesn't matter what is "harder". I don't care if someone with an ADN is the greatest nurse on earth, they simply will not be eligible for certain positions at certain hospitals.

True story. I was working a travel assingment at a hospital with a brand spanking new open heart program. My job was to teach and assist the new-to-CV surgery nurses how to recover hearts. The surgeon they hired and I went back a long way.

When my 3 month contract was up I was called into the head honcho's office and offered a job as a service line leader for the new CV surgery program. I had seen the position advertized but as "service line manager". Managers in that health system were required to have an MSN, or BSN with MSN in the works. I was an ADN.

I asked him how he could offer me a job that required a masters degree. He said "simple, I changed the job title from "manager" to "leader". Same job description, same pay but now no degree required".

jessicamillan12 · Jan 28, 2015

I think it all subjective, but in my experience the bsn programs are not harder. My adn program actually offers a program whereby adn students can earn the associates as well as their bsn I decided to opt out because I did not like the bsn school they were partnering with. All the students who are in the adn and bsn program, said that the bsn program is much easier than the our adn program. In the hospital setting , I also have found that the adn nurses perform better. Plus in my state , Maryland, the adn programs have the highest nclex pass rates. Only 2 bsn programs had a 90 percent passing rate which is john hopkins and university of Maryland. I see the need for nurses to get their bsn , but the bsn programs need to be greatly improved. .

Bbett, MSN, NP · Jan 28, 2015

I didn't read through all of the comments so I apologize if I'm repeating something. If I had to pick I would say ADN is harder. We are in school for more hours than a BSN. I have a friend going to Michigan state University for her BSN and she is only in class for 15-20 hours a week. ADN programs are 40 hours a week. She also didn't step foot in a hospital until her third year; her first two years were just general education courses. Meanwhile ADN have to get their general education courses in at the same time as their nursing courses, often taking 15-18 credits at the same time. I think what people fail to realize is an associates of nursing is often just as many credits as a BSN, but done in half the time. After my ADN program I'll have 130 credits, the only thing missing is a research project which will be done in my RN-BSN program over an 8 month period.

I'm not saying BSN programs aren't hard, they are learning the same exact stuff as an ADN. It's just the time constraints that make an ADN harder. 4 week semesters in my program make for a difficult time! It just makes more sense that having four years to learn the same exact things as someone else does in two, it would obviously be easier.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 28, 2015

As someone who has have the unique experience of doing and ADN program and an entry-level BSN program-let's exclude RN-BSN programs because IMHO, CAN NOT be compared to an ADN program or an entry level BSN program-there is, without a doubt NO DIFFERENCE in education, at least in my area; the it difference is credit hour determination requirements by the Department of Education.

If anything, ADNs are getting the same education as entry level BSN programs, the difference is with all that work and same time (including pre req's) the only thing that is being shown is a two year degree instead of a four year degree.

When I found out I was getting a two year degree for four years of work, I was disappointed; logically, I felt if I am going to do work I should be able to get a bachelor's; that was my own personal goal; the program through the ADN program counted a huge credit load for three separate classes; so even if I passed one class, I didn't pass the other portion,or even one portion, I failed the course, which I did.

I was invited back, but I made a conscious decision to strike out and try a BSN program, because I felt, if I am going to endure a workload for four years, I rather have a BSN; again personal. I ended up going the PN route, which IMHO is much harder due to the fact of having information crammed into one year and hands on clinical time and constant clinical hours to produce results and competency, and worked as a LPN while finishing up my pre req's and went into a BSN program.

I never regretted bowing out of an ADN program to get the BSN; my experiences shaped me to be a better person and nurse. It's up to the individual to carve out their life path. :yes: