BSN programs that will "give you a leg up" in the nursing field?

[Grier]

Hi all. I've been looking up various nursing schools and their rankings to see which would be considered "prestigious" or a program that would give me an advantage when looking for a job. I'm just wondering, are there certain traditional colleges that would look better on a resume than others? For top ranked colleges that I've looked at, such as U of Washington or NYU, I've read posts here that say employers don't pay much attention to the supposed better quality of these programs when compared to others.

So my question is, are there certain nursing schools where I can get my BSN that would make employers value my application more considering the job market is rough, or do they consider most BSN degrees to be the same value? If so, could you give an example? I hope my question makes sense.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

When it comes to nursing schools, the name doesn't really matter when you're talking on a par with, say, law school. In law, the name of the school can make a difference no matter where you move. In nursing, the school's reputation is going to be a lot more limited to a local area. Typically, that reputation is earned via student behavior and competence during clinical experiences as well as how well new grads do when hired.

[artisticmind]

Unfortunately in nursing college prestigious-ness doesn't matter much other than in your local community/state. Hospital systems in the local area may have a preference on schools nursing grads come from but if you're in FL wondering if a NYC college will land you a job you are sadly mistaken. Save your money, go local/online because that BSN behind your name is the same 3 letters many other nurses have behind their names as well. My employers never once have asked where I obtained my ADN or where I'm currently getting my BSN.

[elkpark]

To the extent that that makes a difference in generalist level nursing (which isn't much), it tends to be a regional thing. Hospitals and some other healthcare employers tend to have a pretty good idea of which schools in their area turn out well-prepared graduates, and which don't. It has less to do with the name of the school, and more with the employers' experiences with students and graduates of those programs over time. There are a lot of well-known (nationally), well-respected nursing programs around the country that may get you a second look if you have them on your resume', but, as already noted, this is not nearly as significant in nursing as it is in some other fields. Most employers in nursing don't really care much as long as you have a license.