Can a hospital legally force you to get your bsn if you are an adn

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Can a hospital legally force or require an RN who only has their adn to become a bsn or be fired??? That is the rumor at our hospital.

Specializes in Cardiology.
They did this to our LPNs-go for your RN (they would pay for it) or you will be a nursing assistant or no longer work there.

That is happening where I work too. LPN's are just as capable as RN's. Rather than reducing them to tech's they should pay for their further education and give them a time line.

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Why would you be grandfathered in? I see nothing about granting a BSN for time as an ASN? Doesn't make sense, you have to "earn" a BSN. I am glad to hear that you are planning on earning your BSN!

"Grandfathered in" just means that the people who are already practicing RNs wouldn't be required to meet the new standard, it would only apply to people who start nursing school after the requirement becomes official. No one is going to be given a degree s/he hasn't earned.

"Will currently licensed RNs in NJ without a BSN still need to attain a BSN?

No, currently licensed RNs and students who have applied to or enrolled in nursing school at the

time the legislation is enacted will be exempted."

http://www.nj-ena.org/BSNin10.pdf

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
"Many health care organizations are taking advantage of both the economic downturn and the growing numbers of qualified nurses (new BSN grads, returning nurses and those delaying retirement) available to increase their minimum educational and experience requirements. From what I've seen, this is a growing trend and I think that anyone planning on a nursing career would be well advised to enter a BSN program rather than ADN or diploma program. Not suggesting that ADN or diploma RNs are in any way inferior to BSNs (I am an ADN-RN) just that the reality of the marketplace is that the BSN - with the active assistance of the ANA and other nursing organizations by the way - is rapidly becoming the entry level credential. "

Seems as if the economy is helping the professional nursing organizations achieve their long-time goal. This is the most common-sense statement encouraging ADN's to advance their degree that I've seen in a long time, No emotion, no "one-is-better-than-the-other" statement, just: here's the reality, better get ready for it!

Where did you quote this from, Roser?

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It would probably depend on the job. If it was management etc you would probably have to have BSN. Just regular staff nurse I don't see why BSN would be required.

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Specializes in operating room.

Depends on a number of additional issues.

In Washington state, the Master Plan for Nursing Education is proposing that the entry level nurse be a BSN. Current RNs will be given 10 years to complete their BSN when this goes into effect. I am not sure it is requiring LPNs to advance their degree (I think they would like to, but the economic issues of having someone that can perform basic nursing skills and not require such a high pay make that seem unlikely).

Magnet hospitals are a different issue: they want to encourage (and they have the right to require) that their nurses obtain advance training and be experts in their specialties. That is part of the magnet status requirements - better work conditions, higher retention rates, education program for employees, advanced degrees, skills and competencies...

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Any employer can set a minimum job requirement clause. As has been well noted, most employers will give current employees a reasonable time line to conform to the new minimum standards. Those who procrastinate will be taking their chances for continued employment.

Staff nurse BSN as a mandatory minimum requirement is a bit new to me but I am in an area with a lot of ADN schools. Again, perhaps this standard will push us to the professional level we need to have the respect we deserve as a profession. As it is now, the varying entry levels decrease nursing as a "profession".

BSN is mandatory for all new charge nurses (not just BSN "in progress") and current charge nurses without a BSN were told over two years ago they had until 2015 to get it done. More than a generous time line. Managers and directors are expected to have an MSN. All leadership (charge nurse on up) must have a certification in their area of specialty. Charge staff are getting clinical specialty certification and the rest can choose clinical or leadership although the leadership is being strongly encouraged. All RNs receive a bonus for up to two certifications.

With all of the options currently available for earning a BSN, there is little reason to not do it and worth the question to your employer for financial assistance to assist.

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I have been an RN for 16 years. Got my BSN in 2006. The main reason I did it was to maintain employablity. I figure it is possible it won't help, but can't see a lot of situations in which it could hurt.

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Hospital simply needs to make BSN minimum standard for an RN and if you don't have one or obtain one you don't meet the minimum standard so you won't be able to work for them.

I worked at a hospital where the LPN's were told get an RN or you are out. The hospital paid for the education. I believe only one of two went on to obtain an RN. Hence, those LPN's who did not were no longer employed.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical - Care of adults.
If time and moey are holding you from your BSN you should look into Excelsior you can do it online one class at a time pay as you go. I had the same issue and they are great. Just avoid College Network as Excelsior offers all the same help directly.

One word of caution regarding Excelsior. There is at least one state that will not approve graduates from Excelsior to sit for the NCLEX-RN for initial licensure -- i.e., not for the ADN or for the BSN if the degree granted is the one that made one eligible for licensure. It is possible, of course, for the new grad to go to a nearby state to get approved to sit for the exam and, if they pass, get a license. The person can then be licensed by reciprocity in the state I was in. I don't know about acceptance of a BSN earned from Excelsior as a prerequisite for a masters degree at other colleges and universities. Maybe someone else will know. Just keep that in mind as you pursue your dreams. Of course, there are a lot of other colleges and universities offering RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs where the didactic portion is online and the clinical experiences can be arranged local to where the student lives/works. If the institution offering the degree is appropriately accredited, the degree will be accepted everywhere. Many of those programs will allow the student to extend the time to finish the degree over several years. Just get online and start looking -- and ask around where you work to see if anyone recommends a specific program.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical - Care of adults.
That is happening where I work too. LPN's are just as capable as RN's. Rather than reducing them to tech's they should pay for their further education and give them a time line.

SOME LPNs operate very much like RNs in regard to critical thinking and decision making -- many don't. Being able to do all of the tasks that an RN does does not mean that one is overall as capable as an RN. There are too many RNs who operate too much like LPNs -- and that's very unfortunate, but most RNs can and do operate at a different level of assessment and decision making than most LPNs. As I've often told students, I can teach any educable physically capable person how to take vital signs or make a bed. What I can't teach someone who is barely educable is what to do with the VS, when to take VS or make the bed and when not to, how to reason out what might be causing a change in VS or when to get excited and when to wait and see whether a nursing intervention can achieve the desired change. Task performance is necessary for delivery of direct patient care by an RN, but it is not sufficient to make a good RN. I think that most LPNs who complete an RN program discover during the education process that they had a lot left to learn, much of which they hadn't anticipated as being necessary for the RN role.

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Any business can set higher entry level standards for a postion. Depending on your state they would just fire a person who does not fullfill the new requirements. Having said this I know an ASN nurse who is recruited hard for Charge Nursing Positions all over the country. She says she has no desire to pursue a BSN. I have to say that with her 30 plus years experience she can shame any nurse or in many cases doctors in ever met. I know doctors that consult her on occation. She may be the exception but there are many super ASN's out there that will quit the profession before going back to school. The reason is that the average age of a nurse in the USA is now 48, so returning to school as your career is whinding down just does not seem like a reasonable expectation. Sure there are ASN's that need more experience but I also know many BSN's that, in my opinion, will never make it! Books only help you become a good nurse they can not make you a good nurse.

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What is the differance in a BSN ,to a ADN a couple of history classes and some more bio classes, BSN nurses are no more smarter than ADN nurses, all everybody seems to care about is a TITLE RN BSN, I will take real world job experience over some fancy a+s title any day. THe only ones benefiting from this is the colleges so they can make you jump through hoops that you already have done so they can make more money in tuition and over priced books

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