can you work at a Hospital even if you get ADN?

ckh23, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2005

Absolutely not true!!! If you graduate a ADN program you will take the same test as someone with a BSN. Everyone has to take and pass the NCLEX to become an RN, regardless of if you have passed a ADN, BSN, or a diploma program. If you do a search, you will find that there are pros and cons to both. To answer your question though, yes you can get a job in the hospital. My opinion is to go with the ADN because you will be out of school in a couple years and you can be working part/full time while you go back to school. Another perk is that many hospitals offer tuition assistance if you decide to go back to school for you BSN or Masters.

redwinggirlie · Jun 12, 2005

ADN? BSN? Doesn't matter.... you will be hired. ADN is faster and you can get in the field faster AND WE NEED YOU!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2005

Not necessarily. The last town I worked in was not hiring any ADNs at the acute hospitals. They wanted BSNs or ADNs who had a lot of hospital experience. BSNs got priority at the hospital where I worked. I don't know that it is the same everywhere else. It's easy enough to find out from the nurse recruiters in your area who attend job fairs. Attend the job fairs for RNs around your town and go from booth to booth and ask the recruiters these same questions. They will be advertised in the Sunday classifieds or just call up a few recruiters and ask when the next job fair is coming up. That will be your best way of finding these answers. Recruiters are most likely to converse with you about this at a job fair where the atmosphere is more relaxed and informal than in their offices where they have a lot of other work to do.

The way you get hired into a hospital out of any nursing program is to be an excellent clinical student because you will need the references of your clinical instructors. The larger hospitals who can pick and choose which new grads to hire will either contact your instructors for a list of who their best students are, or you just need to get your application for employment in for consideration before the onslaught of new grads who will also be looking for that first job.

My experience in this comes from being a head nurse and working with a nurse recruiter on a new grad committee in the hospital. These are tidbits I picked up from her.

You really should consider getting a BSN right off the bat if you can afford it. I did the ADN to BSN thing and it took me 11 years to finish my BSN.

Remnants · Jun 12, 2005

hey thanks alot for the responses they seem very helpful, ill keep in mind what you guys told me. :Melody:

student4ever · Jun 12, 2005

You really should consider getting a BSN right off the bat if you can afford it. I did the ADN to BSN thing and it took me 11 years to finish my BSN.

Well, I agree that BSN is a good way to go, but I'm not sure I totally agree with Daytonite. Good suggestion on talking to nursing recruiters and going to job fairs. That will give you a good idea of what your area is looking for in graduates. An ADN is sooooo much cheaper than a BSN, and like another poster said, once you're working, you may be able to get tuition assistance from your employer. At the hospital where I work in the ED, some of our very best nurses are ADNs - and in my experience, they're not as highfalutin' and obnoxious as some of the BSNs I work with. For some reason, a lot of these BSNs seem to think that an extra two years gives them a pseudo MD degree. Sorry BSNs, I know you aren't all like that - please don't take offense, just letting off a little steam re: my own work situation - no intention to flame anyone!

Another suggestion, whatever route you go for your degree, is to work as a patient care tech while in school (if you can swing it) at the hospital you'd like to work in when you graduate, or even volunteer. This helps you get to know the staff and nurse managers and when you apply as a new graduate, they will already know you, your work ethic, your committment to nursing, and you will in turn know a lot of the ropes making your transition smoother.

Good luck and best wishes with the start of your education and career. :balloons:

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2005

The ADN was designed to fast track RNs to the bedside at hospitals. That hasn't changed in the last 50 years.

Good luck to you! Welcome.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jun 12, 2005

The on-going debate is ever on-going. BSN is preferred but when situations get tight and nurses are needed, a ADN seems to do. I agree that experience counts in many ways, just not after a certain level when it comes to pay. If you do get into nursing school, keep going until you have the BSN. It will be easier than attempting to go back to get a BSN once you are working, starting a life(marriage and kids) and dealing with life's ups and downs. Good luck.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 12, 2005

Yes, you can work at most hospitals w/ ADN. ADN/BSN are both RNs. Nursing is a great job and I hope you go far.

Just remember folks: this is a high schooler asking about nursing. Be nice.

She didn't mean to start the ADN/BSN thingy and it'd prolly be better discussed elsewhere.

~faith,

Timothy.

NicInNC, CNA · Jun 12, 2005

Hi,
I want to be a nurse when I get out of high school and I don't know what kind of program to take...I want to get an ADN and after working a while and gaining enough experience I want to continue going to college to go an additional 2-4 years. My question though is that if you go for just 2-3 years to nursing school will you be able to get jobs at hospital too? or is it just for those experienced type of nurses which go to nursing school for 4+ years...

ADN IS a registered nurse. You can work anywhere. It's just a different degree. With the BSN, you have more chance to get promoted to higher positions. I have no desire to be in a higher position, so I'm sticking with the ADN program.