Curious-why do people put ADN, RN? It's ASN...

Libby1987 · Jul 10, 2015

I just looked at the website for the local program where I went to school. It's an ASN program and states students are not eligible to take the nclex until completion of the nursing program and GE, based on that how does anyone not have an ASN? Or is it they can apply and completed the nursing program after completing pre req's after already having an AA?

It's confusing. I mean there is no BDN..

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

I had never heard "ASN" locally when I lived in Texas ...only ADN.

roser13, ASN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

Basically the title says it all! I am curious why anyone would put ADN, RN after their name...you hold an associates in SCIENCE nursing, RN to BSN-bachelors of SCIENCE nursing. Associate Degree Nursing just seems so unprofessional. Maybe that is just me, but I thought I would ask!

I think it is just you. It's not unprofessional at all.

Dogen · Jul 10, 2015

I just looked at the website for the local program where I went to school. It's an ASN program and states students are not eligible to take the nclex until completion of the nursing program and GE, based on that how does anyone not have an ASN? Or is it they can apply and completed the nursing program after completing pre req's after already having an AA?
It's confusing. I mean there is no BDN..

Because the naming conventions for degrees isn't terribly strict. Some schools award you an ASN (associate of science in nursing) degree, but not others. Some award AAS (associate of applied science), as a PP said. One of the schools where I worked before awards an ATA (associate of technical arts). I've never seen that before, but there it is.

My degree isn't technically a BSN, it's a BS with a major in nursing. What's the difference? I have no idea now, nor did I when I got it. Some graduate schools award MNs, rather than MSNs... I'd like a masters of applied nursing (so I can sign, Dogen, MAN), or maybe a masters of emergency applied nursing (Dogen, MEAN). The bachelors version of that last one would be fun, too.

MunoRN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

Whether you have a degree (associates or bachelors) that is an arts degree or a science degree is based on how the school or university organizes themselves administratively, and actually has surprisingly little to do with the focus or curriculum of the program.

A large number of Associates degree programs operate under a "college of arts and sciences", which is why the term "ADN" is commonly used for graduates of these programs since it is not an arts or sciences degree, it's both.

4 year universities often separate their programs into two main groups; arts and sciences, and their nursing programs often fall under the dean of sciences, which makes them bachelor of sciences programs although this isn't always the case, there are a number of BAN (Bacehlors of Arts in Nursing) programs out there, even though there really isn't anything significantly different about their focus or curriculum.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

I just looked at the website for the local program where I went to school. It's an ASN program and states students are not eligible to take the nclex until completion of the nursing program and GE, based on that how does anyone not have an ASN? Or is it they can apply and completed the nursing program after completing pre req's after already having an AA?
It's confusing. I mean there is no BDN..

I found a BN in Canada! Just bachelor's in nursing, the word "science" was not present.

It's just terminology and has nothing to do with the actual degree. Different schools call degrees different things. No difference between an ADN/ASN, no difference between a BSN/BScN, DNP in nurse anesthesia vs. DNAP, etc. Just one more thing that's not standardized.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

I am an AAS-Nursing I needed to clarify to make sure that I put the proper degree on my resume.

Dogen · Jul 10, 2015

Whether you have a degree (associates or bachelors) that is an arts degree or a science degree is based on how the school or university organizes themselves administratively, and actually has surprisingly little to do with the focus or curriculum of the program.

Strangely, even this gets mixed up sometimes. The University of Washington offers both a BA and a BS in psychology. UW has a single college of arts and sciences, which houses something like 20 departments, so I guess they can do what they like.

Not that this applies to a discussion of nursing degrees... just that how a school decides what degree to give you is part tradition and part mystery.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

Usually the difference in a general BA vs BS is a thesis. I have a MA in teaching as opposed to an MS in Education which requires a thesis of some sort. I had to complete and present a research project for my BS in Biology.

MunoRN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

Usually the difference in a general BA vs BS is a thesis. I have a MA in teaching as opposed to an MS in Education which requires a thesis of some sort. I had to complete and present a research project for my BS in Biology.

I don't know of any BA programs that don't require a senior thesis, so I'm not sure that's a standard difference between the two.

MunoRN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

Strangely, even this gets mixed up sometimes. The University of Washington offers both a BA and a BS in psychology. UW has a single college of arts and sciences, which houses something like 20 departments, so I guess they can do what they like.
Not that this applies to a discussion of nursing degrees... just that how a school decides what degree to give you is part tradition and part mystery.

I was part of a group once that was looking into differences between nursing programs in my state.

We have two programs that partner together and essentially share curriculum yet one grants a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing and the other grants a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The university the grants the Bachelor of Arts in Nursing explained this was because when they started the program the Dean of Sciences already had to many yearly reviews of program deans to do, so they put the nursing program under the Dean of Arts and Humanities just to even out the workload.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2015

I've never seen ASN before here. The associates degree nursing programs in this area give AAS degrees in nursing.