Chance of ADN to get a Hospital Job?

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I am a second year Nursing student and my classmates and I was having a discussion about jobs after Nursing. So one of my instructors stated that since we are getting an Associates Degree the chances of us getting a hospital job is slim and ADN nurses are more likely to work in a Nursing home. I wanted to know has anyone else heard this? If so what is your prospective on this matter?

Specializes in ICU.

I do so hate the spread of misinformation.

A BSN is NOT required to get an MSN.

A bachelor's degree in ANY field plus an ADN will qualify you for a good number of MSN programs.

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
I am a second year Nursing student and my classmates and I was having a discussion about jobs after Nursing. So one of my instructors stated that since we are getting an Associates Degree the chances of us getting a hospital job is slim and ADN nurses are more likely to work in a Nursing home.

Wow. That statement's rather disheartening, isn't it? Depending on where you live and on the hiring trends of the facilities in your area, you might be able to get a hospital job as an ADN. You might have to be flexible and look at something else, either a LTC facility or LTAC. You might need to relocate. Or by the time you graduate, things may have changed and facilities will be hiring new grads in droves.

I have to wonder what this says about the instructor's commitment to associate degree education. Granted, this is only one comment and it needs to be taken in the context of other things she has said, but it would make me wonder why she's teaching in an ADN program if she thinks the role of ADNs is so limited.

Wow. That statement's rather disheartening, isn't it? Depending on where you live and on the hiring trends of the facilities in your area, you might be able to get a hospital job as an ADN. You might have to be flexible and look at something else, either a LTC facility or LTAC. You might need to relocate. Or by the time you graduate, things may have changed and facilities will be hiring new grads in droves.

I have to wonder what this says about the instructor's commitment to associate degree education. Granted, this is only one comment and it needs to be taken in the context of other things she has said, but it would make me wonder why she's teaching in an ADN program if she thinks the role of ADNs is so limited.

Well I live in NYC and they do prefer BSN over ADN in the hospital setting but in LTC facilities they are more flexible. I do not think that my instructor comment was meant to be mean but more less reality. Also when I was trying to get a Nursing Internship at some of the Hospital in NYC they wanted you to be enroll in a BSN. Very few internships accepted ADN. I am not at all offended in the comment but it did open my eyes. I work in a hospital now and do possess a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology so I do think I have an advantage. I guess we shall see what happen when I graduate.

Specializes in Neuro/ MS.

The majority of the RNs on my floor are ADN educated. I have a quarter left in school and I have already started speaking to my manager about getting on in my current unit once I finish.

Specializes in PICU.

Its about who you know. Start networking, volunteering, or whatever to get your foot in the door, make your face known and let them know that your serious and you will be a hard worker. I am planning on getting my ADN and so what I did was I got my CNA and applied to all the hospitals in my area so that I could get work experience, network, and secure a spot for after I get my ADN - and so far it seems to be a fool proof plan.

Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

nalaa I do think you have a good chance of being hired in a hospital upon graduation because of that previous degree you have. In San Diego we have a glut of new grads and many BSN programs. Those of us who graduated from the Community Colleges are at a disadvantage. But its nice to hear when my classmates get hired into new grad programs. So there is hope! Many from my class are working as nurses now and many of those are working in hospitals and its just been one year since graduation.

knowing the OP is in NY makes it even more FAIL. Your instructor is flat out lying.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
I do so hate the spread of misinformation.

A BSN is NOT required to get an MSN.

A bachelor's degree in ANY field plus an ADN will qualify you for a good number of MSN programs.

Well the CRNA program in my area REQUIRES a BSN. I don't know of too many CRNA programs in which a BSN is not required to apply.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Well the CRNA program in my area REQUIRES a BSN. I don't know of too many CRNA programs in which a BSN is not required to apply.

There are many programs that you can bypass the BSN and straight for the MSN. It's an RN-MSN program. Therefore you would not need the BSN because you are bypassing that and going straight for the higher degree.

Specializes in ICU.
Well the CRNA program in my area REQUIRES a BSN. I don't know of too many CRNA programs in which a BSN is not required to apply.

I don't recall the OP or anyone else in the thread saying that they were looking to be a CRNA....

Specializes in Pediatrics & luvin it.

I work as a CNA in a level 1 trauma center and our hospital DOES hire ADN's as well as BSN's. I think they prefer a BSN however with an ADN you can still get a job at my hospital.

if you want to get your masters, then sure obviously you need a BSN.

but if you want to work on the floor, an ADN is sufficient and sometimes better. my friends at the university complain that they don't get as much clinical experience as i do. they're doing a lot of paper writing and busy book work instead of spending as much time as possible on the floor.

just remember, that a patient will never say you're a bad nurse because you don't have a bachelors degree. in an ADN program, you will learn the important things first. you can always do an RN-BSN bridge program to learn how to do research later.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Where I'm at, we have 3 large hospitals-two are Magnet and one is a teaching hospital. The Magnets just this past January changed their rules and now are only hiring BSN's. We had a panel of Nurse managers from the teaching hospital speak to our class to dispel the myth that hospitals will not hire ADN's. They all said that their hospital prefers the ADN over the BSN (but all agree continuing your education is essential to maintain evidence-based practices, etc) because of the hands-on experience, the clinical hours given and the preceptorships taken have continually produced some of the best RN's they've seen (and no, that doesn't mean that BSN's aren't great RN's). I have talked to many nurses and managers in the hospital as well, and not one of them has stated that having a BSN over an ADN gives anyone an edge. For the first nursing job out of the gate, the Nurse recruiter herself told me we are all in the same boat and the first hire usually comes down to personality, as none of us have the experience, BSN or ADN, to base the hire on). I have every intention of going for my BSN in the near future, and will possibly continue on for my NP, but for now, I'm not interested in being a manager of other nurses, etc...I just want to be a floor nurse and get some good experience under my belt. This teaching hospital does promote continuing nurses education and will pay for it as well.

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