BSN! Ya HOO!

[cannoli]

Go, fab4fan, Go!!!!!!!!

[Sheri257]

Originally posted by fab4fan

Aiken's study did not take into account whether the BSN's were nurses who started out as diploma/ADN nurses, or whether they were nurses who went the straight BSN track. I have a hunch which one it is.

Good point. They also determined education level through surveys, where only 52 percent of the nurses responded. So it wasn't comprehensive by any means.

[CCU NRS]

Originally posted by abbafrazz

For all of you contemplating on whether you should get you BSN degree...DEFINITELY! Whether it's before you've started working or after you started working, DO IT! The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) says that surgical patients have a "substantial survival advantage" if treated in hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate or higher degree level. GO to http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2003AikenStudy.htm FOR MOR INFO! Yeah, those ADN's may have some pretty good technical skills, but BSN prepared nurses will have the skills and the extensive knowledge background. GO NURSES!

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY abbafrazz PLEASE DON'T LET THE COMMENTS SCARE YOU OFF!!! You sort of prematurely erupted on the board with this article and most of us working in the field ahve seen and for the most part refused to believe that they

1. Conducted a valid study.

2. Took all factors into account (ie ADN to BSN prior to study)

3. Produced all of the information they actually found.

So Please don't be afraid and don't stop posting just be a little more careful about what you post or you may get ripped apart.

[Louisepug]

hmmm... What this student said kinda worried me. I'm a soon-to-be nursing student going into a diploma program. Is the diploma route considered "bottem-level nursing?" Didn't hear much mentioned about the diploma nurses. I know that those programs are more rare nowadays, but I really like that my class will be very small, conducted BY a hospital, and very concerned about patient care (um, thats why I want to be a nurse, NOT an administrator! ) Any other hsp. diploma nurse grads out there? :stone louisepug

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by Louisepug

hmmm... What this student said kinda worried me. I'm a soon-to-be nursing student going into a diploma program. Is the diploma route considered "bottem-level nursing?" Didn't hear much mentioned about the diploma nurses. I know that those programs are more rare nowadays, but I really like that my class will be very small, conducted BY a hospital, and very concerned about patient care (um, thats why I want to be a nurse, NOT an administrator! ) Any other hsp. diploma nurse grads out there? :stone louisepug

SEEEEEEEEEE?!!! THIS is the harm such propaganda and faulty studies/reports can do!!! it is NOT harmless when the methods/results are OBVIOUSLY FLAWED.... this is what angers me about this irresponsible study.

no you are not a "bottom-line" nurse as a dip grad. do NOT believe this.

but if you wish to get an MSN one day, you might want to reconsider your path. best wishes to you whatever you pursue and you will do just fine.

[Louisepug]

hmmm... What this student said kinda worried me. I'm a soon-to-be nursing student going into a diploma program. Is the diploma route considered "bottem-level nursing?" Didn't hear much mentioned about the diploma nurses. I know that those programs are more rare nowadays, but I really like that my class will be very small, conducted BY a hospital, and very concerned about patient care (um, thats why I want to be a nurse, NOT an administrator! ) Any other hsp. diploma nurse grads out there? :stone louisepug

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by Louisepug

hmmm... What this student said kinda worried me. I'm a soon-to-be nursing student going into a diploma program. Is the diploma route considered "bottem-level nursing?" Didn't hear much mentioned about the diploma nurses. I know that those programs are more rare nowadays, but I really like that my class will be very small, conducted BY a hospital, and very concerned about patient care (um, thats why I want to be a nurse, NOT an administrator! ) Any other hsp. diploma nurse grads out there? :stone louisepug

You've put a lot of thought into what it is you want. You will be taking the same RN boards, and you will have RN behind you name.

Depending on what your goals for the future are is what kind of degree one should persue. I recommend a BSN. But not everyone can persue a BSN for all kinds of reasons. For me, I was poor, had to work full time, and couldn't move to a city with a BSN program. There was an excellent NLN-approved ADN program is the town I lived in, which was a cheap community college that I could afford.

I perhaps would like a BSN one day, but I'm 44 and probably will stick to hospital bedside nursing for the rest of my career. I'm too tired, old and burned out to want to go back to school right now. One day I may change my mind.

But if you have the money, time, opportunity, the BSN route is the best way to go in my humble opinion.

All RNs however, pass the same board, one is not beneath the other.

Good luck!!!!

[Sheri257]

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

But if you have the money, time, opportunity, the BSN route is the best way to go in my humble opinion.

All RNs however, pass the same board, one is not beneath the other.

Here's another consideration: NCLEX pass rates

The BSN program in my area has a ten percent lower NCLEX pass rate than the ADN program. And Iliel mentioned the same thing was happening in their area.

A BSN might not help if you have a lower chance of passing the NCLEX.

Besides, there are so many RN to BSN online programs now, you can go that route as well.

Ultimately, I agree that a BSN is great, if you can manage it.

[NursePru]

Something tells me that abbafrazz isn't going to come back now. If she is reading this I just want to say, please don't let this scare you off. You really just picked the worst subject possible to start off on. This board is a really wonderful, educational place with experienced nurses that are very passionate about their profession. It's OK to be proud of the path you have chosen for yourself, but just be weary that everyone else is proud of the path that they have chosen as well.

Good luck and I hope you continue to use the board to learn as much as you can about the profession. It is full of real-world experiences in nursing.

[TLC RN]

One of the best things I like about choosing nursing as a career and thing I would like to point out (but maybe a bit off the topic) is...

Nursing offers a variety of ways to get people into the career. You can do LPN, ADN, BSN and there are so many ways and paths to advance from there. How many professions can you get into that are that flexible to meet the many different needs of people. Depending on your goals or situation you can pick a path and regardless of that path we all end up in the same place...working as an RN. Does it really matter how you get there?

[momof38160]

I am not in a Nursing program yet, but I am taking the entrance exam in January. I am trying to get into a diploma program. The hospital informed me that their program is two days clinicals and two days classroom. This is the best way for me to go. I don't have time to go back to college for a bsn. I'm 38 with 3 small children. My question is, after I get some experience under my belt, will I be able to work in an area of my choice or will I be limited because I will only have a diploma?

[SmilingBluEyes]

IF you want to do any type of hospital nursing, you will have NO problem with an associate's, diploma, BSN; any of these will work out great. YOU WILL BE AN RN upon passing the NCLEX exam in your state........that is the truth.

BUT if you plan to go into administration or school nursing (in some cases), or research, you may be best off pursing a BSN. And if teaching is a goal--- were it me, I would pursue an BSN/MSN. But you will not be hampered by a diploma RN giving any form of direct patient care.