I work in the SICU of a fairly large (by area standards) Magnet (whoop-T-doo) hospital. We have a 7 month Critical Care Nurse Residency program for new grads to go directly into the critical care units. It used to only be open to BSN grads. In 2006 they admitted their first ADN prepared new grad (me). The residency program requires signing a two year contract with a buy out if a nurse chooses not to continue to work for two years. After several years of 2/3 or more of each class buying out their contract after one year to go off to CRNA school and, ever increasing buy out cost, they decided not to recruit or hire new grad BSNs into the program anymore. Starting with the new class (Feb 2009) all nurses hired into the residency program will be ADN or diploma grads. This was explained to us in our unit meeting yesterday.
Currently ADN prepared nurses are far outnumbered by BSN nurses (both in the hospital and the SICU). there are even more RNs with MSNs working in our unit than RNs with ADNs.
The thinking is that ADN prepared RNs are less likely to go off to CRNA school and even if they do it will take them two years to get their BSN and they will fulfill their contract.
I'd like to add that its sick and digusting how this hospital is perpetuating a rivalry between ADN/BSN. As if one is better over another.
What about the ANA perpetuating this with their "suggestion" that beginning nurses be BSN as a minimum? Or the AACN suggesting that a BSN is required to be considered "professional-level nursing practice."?
While there is a nursing shortage it seems unwise to require more years of schooling to become a nurse, but it is confusing to most people that there are so many different ways to become an RN. For the most part all of the core requirements to be a nurse can be achieved either in an ADN or BSN program. Both have to prepare you to take and pass the NCLEX right?
With advanced practice nursing presenting so many options, many nurses, ADN, BSN, whatever, are on their way to something else. I think it is unfair for hospitals to discriminate against those who pursue those opportunties or those who choose not to. Ultimatelly they have no guarantee that an employee will stay a certain length of time, regardless of their ultimate career goals.
I am a BSN prepared nurse and honestly I do feel that those who have furthered their education should be compensated for their efforts, just as experienced nurses should be compensated for their experience. I also think that positions should be filled based on experience and best fit for the job. Any hospital that excludes RN's based on how many initials they have after their name is idiotic.
I know a lot of people who work in ICUs that don't want to be a CRNA. Hey, I'm still undecided myself but it's a big possibility. It's either CRNA or NP...
Can someone please name hospitals that are not hiring ADNs? I just think that the above statement is false. If it's not, I would like reliable data. There is a "nursing shortage", I don't think hospitals can afford to not hire new grad ADNs.
You're right, especially in my part of the country..the ADN program I graduated from still has a huge waiting list..neither of the 2 BSN programs near me do..There are some places that say BSN preferred(my hospital included) but I didn't have any trouble getting hired. I work in a specialty area and many of my classmates went directly to the ER, ICU, NICU, OB etc.
I'm grateful that the hospitals around here realize that new grads can flourish in a specialty, no matter what the initials on their degree.
I'm getting ready to start an online RN-BSN program next spring, but I'm still happy with the way I planned things...this way, my employer will pay for my BSN, just like they paid for some of my ADN.
I'm getting ready to start an online RN-BSN program next spring, but I'm still happy with the way I planned things...this way, my employer will pay for my BSN, just like they paid for some of my ADN.
Me too!
ADN for free, and the majority of my BSN will be covered by tuition reimbursement!
I am sure the hospital is aware that collecting on this "buy-out" successfully in court would be next to impossible, even if the employee signed the contract.
I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me "when are you going to anesthesia school?" I frankly think it is ridiculous to assume that every nurse with a BSN is going to anesthesia school. I do work in a busy surgical cardiac ICU with a lot of nurses who want to go on to grad school. But to not hire someone with a BSN because they may leave in a year is crazy. I think it is scary that a nurse can enter anesthesia school with one year ICU experience and start passing gas....AMAZING!!! I mean I didn't start feeling comfortable until the year mark. And, there is a lot I still don't know having worked in an ICU for 3 years. Just my two cents!
quote=PMFB-RN;3075046]I work in the SICU of a fairly large (by area standards) Magnet (whoop-T-doo) hospital. We have a 7 month Critical Care Nurse Residency program for new grads to go directly into the critical care units. It used to only be open to BSN grads. In 2006 they admitted their first ADN prepared new grad (me). The residency program requires signing a two year contract with a buy out if a nurse chooses not to continue to work for two years. After several years of 2/3 or more of each class buying out their contract after one year to go off to CRNA school and, ever increasing buy out cost, they decided not to recruit or hire new grad BSNs into the program anymore. Starting with the new class (Feb 2009) all nurses hired into the residency program will be ADN or diploma grads. This was explained to us in our unit meeting yesterday.
Currently ADN prepared nurses are far outnumbered by BSN nurses (both in the hospital and the SICU). there are even more RNs with MSNs working in our unit than RNs with ADNs.
The thinking is that ADN prepared RNs are less likely to go off to CRNA school and even if they do it will take them two years to get their BSN and they will fulfill their contract.
umm.. I'm a BSN and a registered one... You see, I dont get to understand these things... 2 years differs from 4 years... the difference is length of exposure to THEORY and CLINICAL? ummm....well.. in the end we're gonna be nurses.... and their talking about which one will stay longer or which one can they pay lesser? what is it really? the Stay or the PAY? ummm... just asking honestly..
ANA/AACN want the BSN degree to be the "minimum", well I don't see them shutting down the ADN programs anytime soon. I know a lot of ADN grads that get hired into ICU right out of school.
Specializes in Triage, MedSurg, MomBaby, Peds, HH.
Can someone please name hospitals that are not hiring ADNs? I just think that the above statement is false. If it's not, I would like reliable data. There is a "nursing shortage", I don't think hospitals can afford to not hire new grad ADNs.
Hey Michigan RN!
University of Colorado Hospital and The Children's Hospital in Denver are two that will only hire BSN GN's.
University of Colorado Hospital welcomes you to apply to our Graduate Nurse Residency Program.
An outstanding opportunity.Our formal, structured program provides an opportunity for newly graduated BSN nurses to move into a career path - in any area - of nursing.
To further disappoint, scroll down to the fine print that says:
Please Note : Candidates graduating from an Associates Degree-to-BSN or LPN-to-BSN are not eligible to apply to our New Grad program.
Which is even more inexplicable. I guess that they figure those nurses are already nurses and don't really need a new grad program.
Both University and Children's hire experienced ADN's. They're Magnet though so their job ads usually state (and this is a clip from a Children's job ad):
"Education: BSN in nursing preferred-will consider an Associate degree RN with related pediatric experience. Must have current CO license or compact state license as well as current BLS healthcare provider "
As a BSN student I think the BSN vs ADN argument is really silly -- I would've been just as happy to get into the local ADN program but there's a huge waiting list for it. They've got a 100% NCLEX pass rate as of right now!
What about the ANA perpetuating this with their "suggestion" that beginning nurses be BSN as a minimum? Or the AACN suggesting that a BSN is required to be considered "professional-level nursing practice."?
With all due respect, this just starts up another BSN vs ADN debate, and is really not at all what the OP was posting about. PUH-LENTY of threads where THIS question (or pair of questions) can be discussed ad nauseum, but it would do a disservice to the current discussion of why a hospital has chosen to allow only ADN grads into a residency program instead of both BSN and ADN grads.
To the OP: this is a curious thing, and not one I've heard of. Honestly, I'm more familiar with NOT having new grads of any type hired into the ICU, regardless of degree. But obviously your hospital has developed a worthwhile training program for new nurses, and it wants to retain those it accepts into it.
Seems to me the thing to do is simply increase the buyout substantially to mitigate their losses for when their new grads DO leave the hospital.
They can't stem the flow of employee loss merely by limiting those enrolled. It tends to just make for more bitter employees overall.
HM2VikingRN, RN
4,700 Posts
to walk away from crappy employment conditions....