Curious how Magnet Hospitals & employment?

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The hospital I work at was taken over about ten years ago. Over those 10 years finally began incorporating policies of the hospital that bought out the hospital. The nurses have to achieve their BSN by 2020 or loose their jobs. However, there doesn'tseem to be a defintivie answer from the higher ups. One camp says must be enrolled you'll be fine the other says must have your BSN (Think they are still working on the details.)

I am going for nursing school, but with limited funds doing the associate program. Then jumping right into a RN to MSN program online. Curious do Magnet Hospitals hire nurses in a BSN program or have to have your BSN to apply?

Appreciate the feedback.

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Going the ASN to online RN to MSN route is not the "limited funds" route but rather the really, really expensive route lol.

Without experience it is hard for someone with an associates to be competitive with someone who has a bachelors. Keep in mind that if they are wanting to go all BSN then you are a candidate who will be competing against all the other associate degree nurses after they choose from the BSN new graduate pool.

Not to say it cannot done but as someone who went the route you are planning to go I would say without a doubt it was a career challenge in the beginning until I earned my BSN.

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I work at a magnet hospital. They sometimes hire nurses with an associates degree with the understanding that they will obtain a BSN within a certain amount of time. That being said, a RN with a BSN is much more likely to be hired simply because of the competition for jobs in my area.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

A lot depends on where you live and the job market in your particular area. If there are plenty of BSN's looking for jobs, it will probably be difficult for a new ADN grad to get a good job. However, if jobs are plentiful in your area and there isn't a lot of competition for them, you may have no problem. You need to investigate the job market in your specific region.

You also need to ask about the policy at the employers that interest you. Policies and practices vary from facility to facility -- even in the same town.

Finally, there is no "Magnet rule" about this topic other than the requirement that Magnet hospitals encourage and support their nursing staff in their educational efforts and be working towards achieving an 80% BSN staff by 2020. How a hospital chooses to support higher levels of education for nurses is up to the hospital. A lot of nurses "blame Magnet" whenever their hospital makes a decision they don't like, but a lot of time that blame is misdirected.

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The hospital I work at was taken over about ten years ago. Over those 10 years finally began incorporating policies of the hospital that bought out the hospital. The nurses have to achieve their BSN by 2020 or loose their jobs. However, there doesn'tseem to be a defintivie answer from the higher ups. One camp says must be enrolled you'll be fine the other says must have your BSN (Think they are still working on the details.)

I am going for nursing school, but with limited funds doing the associate program. Then jumping right into a RN to MSN program online. Curious do Magnet Hospitals hire nurses in a BSN program or have to have your BSN to apply?

Appreciate the feedback.

I work for the same health system you do. My hospital is not Magnet. I do know that most (if not all) of the employment postings for my particular hospital state (quote taken from job postings)-->Graduation from an accredited School of Nursing. Those with a Diploma or Associate's Degree need to show evidence that they are actively enrolled in a BSN or MSN program. BSN preferred

I just looked at a few postings from our Parent company (the one that has Magnet status) and none required the BSN nor made mention that you were required to obtain in within a certain period of time.

I haven't heard from anyone in my hospital that you HAVE to have your BSN in 2020. No emails or anything else. But I do know those without a BSN or higher on my floor have almost all enrolled in a BSN or MSN program.

suffice it to say, our parent hospital that carries magnet status is not shying away from hiring ADN nurses nor is my particular hospital..my hospital just wants new hires to be enrolled at least.

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Going the ASN to online RN to MSN route is not the "limited funds" route but rather the really, really expensive route lol.

Without experience it is hard for someone with an associates to be competitive with someone who has a bachelors. Keep in mind that if they are wanting to go all BSN then you are a candidate who will be competing against all the other associate degree nurses after they choose from the BSN new graduate pool.

Not to say it cannot done but as someone who went the route you are planning to go I would say without a doubt it was a career challenge in the beginning until I earned my BSN.

It's $30K to do a BSN route. If I do the BSN route instead of 2019 I'll finish in 2020/2021 (depending on the program). That's if I don't do the ABSN. So looking to be out of nursing pay for 2 year's.

With the associates it's going to be less then $15K plus I get $3500 a year in tuition reimbursement and can hopefully work part time to get the reimbursement. Probably come out to $8K for the entire program.

I found 1 program for RN to BSN where it's discounted if you work at this hospital. A RN to MSN program that is $30K, but if you do the RN to MSN not the RN to BSN to MSN you save $8K.

There's a brick and motar school where I can achieve the BSN for $15K take another 2 year's and have to work it into my schedule.

For the BSN program or MSN probably use financial aid and pay for the Associates out of pocket.

Will agree it is a challenge job market up here caters to BSN nurses.

Appreciate the feedback.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

IMO, there's too much drama about the Magnet=BSN controversy. Achieving Magnet designation is about a lot more than this. Is it worth it? In my organization, the Magnet facilities outperform (in a number of different operational & clinical areas) the others on a consistent basis. . . probably because they have hardwired those 'required' components such as shared governance and meaningful staff development.

Some of our facilities are in areas without any nearby BSN programs - but they have great relationships with high-performing ADN schools. They require ADN nurses to obtain their BSNs within a specific period of time, but also provide financial support for them to do so.

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Specializes in ICU.

If your job market is a challenging job market that caters to BSNs, as you say, I'd get your BSN even if your funds are limited. A job will pay back student loans - if you can't get hired as a nurse, you can't pay back loans, regardless of how big those loans are.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

BSN is not actually a Magnet requirement for staff nurses, only for nursing management, so I don't think you'll find a common definition of such a requirement from other magnet hospitals, that's a requirement of the hospital system you work for separate from magnet requirements.

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I worked at three different Magnets (in addition to other hospitals) and one of them clearly hired pretty much exclusively BSN unless it was a specialty that they could not fill otherwise. That one is not Magnet anymore - no idea what happened though.

The other Magnet prefers BSN but will hire sometimes ASN - and it is mostly for specialties that are hard to staff (acute dialysis, OR, even ER.

The last Magnet prefers BSN but hires ASN as well.

It really depends on where the hospital is, which way management wants to go, and how the market is. Also, if you are specialty certified but not BSN they may still hire you if you have the experience.

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Specializes in Hospice.

The magnet hospital I am employed at hires ASN with the requirement that a BSN be completed within 5 years.

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Specializes in ICU.
BSN is not actually a Magnet requirement for staff nurses, only for nursing management, so I don't think you'll find a common definition of such a requirement from other magnet hospitals, that's a requirement of the hospital system you work for separate from magnet requirements.

This. Magnet status is about RN retention, not the degree you hold.

By the way, many hospitals are ditching the whole magnet status thing as its not what it's cracked up to be. But as someone who works at a current "Magnet" hospital, I've not been asked when I'm getting my BSN, not once.

Requiring a BSN is something the hospital wants. Maybe they blame it on magnet, but that's not what it's about.

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