BSN or RN

:deadhorse :smackingf :smiley_ab

As a pre-nursing student I really can't tell you the pros or cons of each but I can say that, for me, the BSN makes more sense. I was working on another degree before deciding to switch to nursing so I already had most of the general education courses. Once you have the those you're only two years from a BSN.... the same two years it would take for me to get the ADN. Also, I plan to get a masters degree so I'd have to have the courses anyway.

:deadhorse Well, if you want to ever advance beyond an ADN, you have to get your BSN. And for me, why wouldn't I want to continue my education? Stopping at my 2-year, when I can get my 4-year, doesn't seem to make sense. I'm going to a 2-year college, then getting my RN-to-BSN at a university, which only takes about a year. I do think having a BSN looks better, and I have heard rumors of some hospitals will eventually phase out ADNs. True? I don't know, but I will be prepared. Again, THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, so please don't flame me.

Sometimes it's not about the money, although when I get my BSN I'll get a 4% raise.

For me it's about job opportunities as I age in nursing. If I plan on doing anything away from the bedside I feel it's going to give me an edge in non-bedside BSN preferred positions like in education.

In some parts of the country it doesn't matter, but here it seems to. I was recently not considered for a position I wanted because I'm so far away from my BSN.

As to what jobs you can get with a BSN, besides education, research, pharmaceautical companies, sales, management (although in some parts of the country an ADN is fine).

Good luck.

:deadhorse Well, if you want to ever advance beyond an ADN, you have to get your BSN. And for me, why wouldn't I want to continue my education? Stopping at my 2-year, when I can get my 4-year, doesn't seem to make sense. I'm going to a 2-year college, then getting my RN-to-BSN at a university, which only takes about a year. I do think having a BSN looks better, and I have heard rumors of some hospitals will eventually phase out ADNs. True? I don't know, but I will be prepared. Again, THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, so please don't flame me.

Hospitals are no where near able to begin to think about phasing out ADNs, so don't worry about that, not going to happen in this lifetime.

Also for the working person, going RN to BSN usually takes 18 to 24 months, not just a year. I guess if you doubled up and went full time you could finish in a year.

Let me add a second part to this question....

I am definately not going into nursing just for the money. I have been a stay-at-home mom for years and have not contributed financially to the household, so any amount of money would be more than we have now.

I was also told before you can go to get accepted into a BSN program you have to have 1 year of experience. Am I mistaking this for MSN or is that just because you didn't start it in the beginning.

Sorry for all the questions!!

Mary Ann

Why would you want to do BSN instead of RN. I was told their was no pay difference just job difference. What kind of jobs can you get with BSN that you can't with just Associate Degree RN.

Thanks and God Bless,

Mary Ann

I thought you had to in order to specialize. I am thinking about going into Oncology. Dont you have to get a BSN? Of course, I am not sure of all of this stuff, cause I am just doing my pre-requisites.

Let me add a second part to this question....

I am definately not going into nursing just for the money. I have been a stay-at-home mom for years and have not contributed financially to the household, so any amount of money would be more than we have now.

I was also told before you can go to get accepted into a BSN program you have to have 1 year of experience. Am I mistaking this for MSN or is that just because you didn't start it in the beginning.

Sorry for all the questions!!

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, that may be the policy of some schools. But it's not the case everywhere. The program I'm in has an ADN school and students just continue on after they get their ADN without waiting a year. The same with the local community college here. They just added a BSN component and encourage their ADN grads to continue right on in. The problem of course is if they fail boards, then they have to leave the program, because by the time school starts many students haven't take NCLEX. This could be why some schools ask for a year, to assure all students are already RNs.

I'm not aware of MSN programs that require experience prior to entry, but I don't know as much about those programs.

I thought you had to in order to specialize. I am thinking about going into Oncology. Dont you have to get a BSN? Of course, I am not sure of all of this stuff, cause I am just doing my pre-requisites.

ADN RNs are in all areas of the medical field, including Oncology.

ADN RNs have a wide variety of job opportunities available to them, including many speciality areas like critical care, ER, on and on and on. Which is why many nurses don't bother with the BSN.

You may be thinking of LPNs. They are shut out of a lot of areas like L&D, critical care, etc. But not always the case everywhere. I know in our Oncology unit, only RNs can give chemotherapy, but it can be an ADN RN.

I thought you had to in order to specialize. I am thinking about going into Oncology. Dont you have to get a BSN? Of course, I am not sure of all of this stuff, cause I am just doing my pre-requisites.

Not true. My speciality is hemodialysis. I am usually charge nurse. I have an AAS.

Mary Ann,BSN programs generally don't require any nursing experience, it's the MSN programs that like you to have at least one year acute care exp.Also, it has been my experience that some hospital dont have a different pay scale for BSN over ADN/Diploma (VA in particular). Also, if a hospital starts the two out the same, after a couple of years you begin to see a pay divergence. Next, some states in this country require a BSN as minimal education for entry (in the midwest, if I recall correctly). The BSN program that I am in requires us to take learedship and management courses as part of the curriculum (spelling?), and I hear that is to put us in a better positon for those types of responsibilities.If you plan to go ADN to MSN, the program may require you to take any BSN courses that you would need to fulfill the requirement for that degree.

thanks for the information, tweety

WolfpackRed, there are currently no states that require the BSN for licensure. One state (North Dakota????) tried, but failed.