BSN the only "professional"??

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Hi everyone!! I have a question. I have a AS in nursing (for the last 2 months, yeah!) and I took my son to an urgent care center for a sinus infection yesterday. I was talking with the intake nurse and she came across the point on my sons intake form that I am a RN. We spoke for a while, and she told my son that I am not a "professional" nurse, because a "professional" nurse has a BSN. She, of course, has a BSN. She said the ANA supports that the lowest level of education to be considered a professional is a BS in nursing. I brought up the fact that we all pass the same NCLEX, but I didn't say to much because I wasn't sure if ANA really says this. Is this true??

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Oh, by the way, I did search the ANA website for a position statement or something, and couldn't find any reference to this.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

There are MANY, many, threads on this very subject. I encourage you do a search and read for yourself.

Good luck and welcome to our site!

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What kind of loser would say that to someone's son??

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Yes, she sounds very professional while she insults her patient's family right in front of him...

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There are MANY, many, threads on this very subject. I encourage you do a search and read for yourself.

Good luck and welcome to our site!

I have read (and read and read, lol) lots of post on this subject here, but my main question was does the ANA really have a position statement or something similar stating that BSN is the only professional degree?

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
What kind of loser would say that to someone's son??

Agree. Wow. Just...wow! This BSN woman is a real nut.

I might consider writing a letter to the urgent care clinic and letting them know that this nurse was insulting.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

My state's Board of Nursing (Texas) considers the RN a 'professional nurse' and the LVN a 'basic nurse.' The Texas BONE does not differentiate between RN-ADNs and RN-BSNs when referring to the RN as the 'professional nurse.'

I think this particular intake nurse was attempting to boost her own ego at the expense of the feelings of others.

However, society does tend to equate a baccalaureate degree with the mark of a professional.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

In 1965, the ANA issued a policy statement advocating for the establishment of 2 levels of Registered Nursing -- the "technical" level and the "professional" level. That is where the whole discussion comes from. They weren't trying to eliminate the Associate Degree programs, they were trying to simplify and clarify the different entry levels. They were also trying to move hospital-based diploma programs into colleges by encouraging them to affiliate either with an AD program or a BS program.

Since then, a lot has changed -- and you will find a wide variety of views on the subject.

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I was talking with the intake nurse and she came across the point on my sons intake form that I am a RN. We spoke for a while, and she told my son that I am not a "professional" nurse, because a "professional" nurse has a BSN.

At least in part, professional is as professional does. Treating a patient or their family member with disrespect doesn't qualify.

This nurse is entitled to her opinion, but it is inexcusable that she would, a) bring it up at all in the course of a medical visit, and, b) that she would involve your son in such a discussion. For someone who appears to value being professional, she acted in a very unprofessional manner. Please, let the administration at the urgent care center know that this happened. She needs someone to 'splain to her the meaning of professional behavior and the ettiquette of respectful patient care.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Thing is, regardless of the terminology used in some academic circles, it was just insulting for this BSN nut to be pushing this to a patient's parent.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Very unprofessional of this professional nurse to say that.

Some acedemia do indeed state that the definition of a "profession" does indeed mean BSN, among other things.

Many people take that to mean that ADNs are unprofessional. But that's that what they are saying, they only are describe the meaning of a profession, not the adjective of what it means to be a "professional" acting person.

This nurse was correct about one thing. It is the ANA's position that entry level into nursing be the BSN: http://www.nursingworld.org/pressrel/2000/pr0225b.htm

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