BSN vs. ADN income disparity

[romie]

I just went to a job fair and got a sheet from Loyola Hospital in Chicago. They pay their new ADN's 24.20. They pay new BSNs only 24.50 an hour. That does not make me happy at all.

I am currently enrolled in a direct entry program for people with degrees in other fields. My classmates are geniuses--many are researchers, most have masters degrees and we even have a girl in my class who has a PhD in Molecular Biology. We are training to become Nurse Practitioners. I personally have over 10 years of healthcare experience as an unlicensed assistive personell or healthcare manager and you are telling me that after all is said and done, you are still only going to pay me .30 an hour more than an ADN nurse once I enter the workforce as an RN while continuing with my NP education? I am definitely not applying to Loyola if they care so little about education.

Every member of the nursing faculty at my university and every nurse who is teaching me has a PhD in nursing... Do you see where I am getting at? You don't necessarily get this preparation as an ADN student...

[Goodoldnurse]

Tweety, you are so right. When a new nurse is on the floor, they are a new nurse on the floor, regardless of the degree they have just earned. The ADN is focused on the bedside (I teach at the ADN level) while the BSN is taught to look more global at any given situation. I got my ADN, then 15 years later finished my BSN and am working on my Masters in Nusing Education. The BSN is trained to work with the community at large, look at the community in regards to disease processes. The BSN nurses are eligible for leadership positions, case management and such. There is a large difference in the degrees, but when they are working side by side on any unit, they are all Registered Nurses. The pay in my state is the same if you are on the unit or the floor. There is a difference for credentialing or management.

Whaterever the degree, the care is the real reason for going into this field.

Know that you change peoples lives every day, no matter what level of education you have. Bless you every one!

[woknblues]

(to nobody in particular, just my thoughts)

This is one of my main misgivings with licensing in general. The assumption that once a certain license or degree is obtained, that you are somehow qualified to perform the work, and the work that you are doing is somehow better. Education is great, but it simply a base of knowlege that you utilize to perform your job. It doesn't and shouldn't entitle you to more money. If your job is highly specialized, then your compensation will be higher due to supply (low) and demand (high) of your services, and should be negotiated between the employer and employee.

I worked as an apprentice industrial carpenter. I would arrive to work early, load and check equipment, drive to the work site, complete and get the work signed off work and be back at the shop looking for more work before many journeymen carpenters finished their second pots of coffee trying to impress our phone gal with their miller high life breath... Those guys made $25-$30 dollars an hour (union), while I made $13.... Then, in two years, I made a jr. managers position and started making nearly what they were making, not including overtime. Then after two more years, I made manager and made double what they made.

My moral to this long drawn out tale is first, construction is the worst field in the world to get into. Second, pay your dues, and you will get on top, but not with a piece of paper, with your attitude, work ethic and determination. Forget the labels, licenses and other "important papers".

As a BSN-RN, I don't think anyone should be surprised that an ADN-RN makes the same money as you do while you are both doing the same work.

Having said that, I believe that excellent work should be rewarded financially. Herein lies the heart of my problem with licensing. When the slob that rolls in to work late, complains about everything and does as little as the "job description" allows makes the same amount of compensation as I do, that is when I will get my knickers in a knot. A license is a government regulated piece of paper that once you jump through the proper hoops, you get.

BSN, btw.

[lovemyjob]

It took me years to make this statement and mean it:

"Not everything is about money! Are you happy with your work"

I live in Silicon Valley, People make upwards of $200k a year in various lines of work. At one time in my life I was making a lot of money, however, I was unhappy with my work. It took me years to get over that fact. I would rather be happy with my work than worry about how much I am paid. Sure, I would like more money, but I am happy.

I have to get this off my chest:

No one holds nursing back more than nurses. The statement above included. As long as I am holding a life in my hands, taking on the legal and financial responsibity, I expect to be paid for such. The above attitude will get this profession nowhere. I want to love my job and get paid for the incredible responsibility that I take on.

I believe this is a nursing issue, not an administrator issue. Until we push for better pay for nurses and a better pay and encouragement for those who have further educated themselves with RNC, higher education, other certifications, we will wallow in a profession of mediocrity.

I believe if I take the extra effort to prove additional knowledge in a certain area (RNC) then I deserve to be compensated for it. It looks good for the unit/hospital (magnet loves it.) A nurse doesnt pass the cert exam and not know anything. Why, then, do nurses not demand a higher pay for passing this exam? I didnt study for my health. In order to keep the certification, I have to take additional CEUs that prove I am keeping abreast with the latest research. Why are there nurses on here that say it doesnt make a nurse a better nurse? I learned a lot through my studies and I apply what I learned to my patient care. Because I passed the test, I Proved that I have additional clinical knowledge of my pt's disease process and management. I believe that makes me a better nurse. I said it, flame me. A better nurse and a more valuable nurse. So, I should get paid more.

Until we celebrate our fellow nurses achievements in education, oppose to downplaying the acheivement "well it doesnt make them better than me.." we will continue to be treated by administration the same way.

As long as we