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

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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!

Okay so then Libby BAD/ASsN RN?

And I had no idea there were BAN's, all I've ever seen posted here or in job listings is BSN.

We should all get to put that on our badges!

But seriously, it would be kind of awesome to show up to work with a badge like that. Would probably inspire a few double-takes. :sneaky:

nurse-quotes-for-students.jpg

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Actually I think my degree was called ADN by the school and I'm just fine with that. I don't feel the need to be called ASN, doesn't matter to me. I think science classes are more a weeding out process and while interesting in general are more theory vs applied nursing knowledge. There have been many successful nurses with a minimal science background, but lots of hands on experience back when hospital based nursing programs were more widespread. Now BSN's usually have more theory and book knowledge and less hands on experience and need residency programs to get up to speed. There's pro's & con's to each nursing program. My ADN has served me well, provides me a living wage and I make more than some people with bachelors degrees. For the record I have close to a bachelor degree of credits, but never bothered to finish it because what is the point. It won't pay me more and I don't feel the need to have a bachelors to prove myself. I'm content with myself just the way I am.

My only regret is not going back to school when I was younger because hospital nursing is simply not safe or healthy and it's a risk to one's back and body. It is very difficult to work bedside to retirement and I work with so many nurses that are in chronic pain, going to the chiropractor, getting massages, and even epidurals. Because of the stress, short staffing and lack of a safe non lifting environment, I encourage people to seriously think about going on to school and getting their BSN and NP so they have other options besides the bedside. You are under so much pressure, worked like on an assembly line and expected to be able to move people like a you're a mule. School is necessary to have other options to be able to work pain free and make it to retirement without chronic pain or ending up on disability. Just keep the student loans to a minimum, but to me it's about freedom and choices, not prestige or having letters after your name. That doesn't really matter in the long run. What matters is having a good paying job that can pay the bills and hopefully that you can enjoy and be challenged by, but not overwhelmed.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I had NO idea so many would be so offended, seriously, it was a question. I NEVER said ADN was disrespectful, ever.

If I could delete this I would because I was on here to chat not get attacked. So even though I started the thread, I am out because I don't need hate because of a simple question. Guess I should make sure to never ask an opinion question here. Good to know...

Enjoy your ADN's, ASN's, AASN's, BN, BSN. BDSN, BSDN, whatver you want to call yourselves, super sorry I asked.

Attacked? Hate?

Basically, you threw out a thread that did not genuinely ask for different opinions, but said, "why would you do this ... it's so unprofessional."

AKA -- YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

And now you're bent out of shape because AN members offered up legitimate explanations of why the "ADN" term is used, and you're finding that you may have to re-evaluate your opinion that everyone is being unprofessional. Apparently that's not ok with you - the only acceptable responses that you expected to see were along the lines of, "Oh my gosh, how silly of me, thank you for enlightening me."

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Attacked? Hate?

Basically, you threw out a thread that did not genuinely ask for different opinions, but said, "why would you do this ... it's so unprofessional."

AKA -- YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

And now you're bent out of shape because AN members offered up legitimate explanations of why the "ADN" term is used, and you're finding that you may have to re-evaluate your opinion that everyone is being unprofessional. Apparently that's not ok with you - the only acceptable responses that you expected to see were along the lines of, "Oh my gosh, how silly of me, thank you for enlightening me."

I thought of saying this too. I felt as if the OP was posting this in hopes of other people agreeing. When some light was shed, however, it turned into us attacking...which I didn't sense. Again, I felt I learned a lot from this thread. I had no idea there was actually a difference in abbreviations.

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Specializes in Occ. Hlth, Education, ICU, Med-Surg.
Not everyone with an associate's degree in nursing has an ASN; there are also associate's degree nursing programs that award the AAS degree. "ADN" (for "associate degree in nursing") is an informal acronym that is used to include both degrees.

Exactly

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Actually I think my degree was called ADN by the school and I'm just fine with that. I don't feel the need to be called ASN, doesn't matter to me. I think science classes are more a weeding out process and while interesting in general are more theory vs applied nursing knowledge. There have been many successful nurses with a minimal science background, but lots of hands on experience back when hospital based nursing programs were more widespread. Now BSN's usually have more theory and book knowledge and less hands on experience and need residency programs to get up to speed. There's pro's & con's to each nursing program. My ADN has served me well, provides me a living wage and I make more than some people with bachelors degrees. For the record I have close to a bachelor degree of credits, but never bothered to finish it because what is the point. It won't pay me more and I don't feel the need to have a bachelors to prove myself. I'm content with myself just the way I am.

My only regret is not going back to school when I was younger because hospital nursing is simply not safe or healthy and it's a risk to one's back and body. It is very difficult to work bedside to retirement and I work with so many nurses that are in chronic pain, going to the chiropractor, getting massages, and even epidurals. Because of the stress, short staffing and lack of a safe non lifting environment, I encourage people to seriously think about going on to school and getting their BSN and NP so they have other options besides the bedside. You are under so much pressure, worked like on an assembly line and expected to be able to move people like a you're a mule. School is necessary to have other options to be able to work pain free and make it to retirement without chronic pain or ending up on disability. Just keep the student loans to a minimum, but to me it's about freedom and choices, not prestige or having letters after your name. That doesn't really matter in the long run. What matters is having a good paying job that can pay the bills and hopefully that you can enjoy and be challenged by, but not overwhelmed.

Our local merit based non profit ADN/ASN program doesn't seem to be providing the clinical experience either like it was once reputed to do. Not sure when or why that changed but those graduates need a long orientation as well. Back in the day grads really did hit the ground running.

And considering the acuities and patient care expectations these days it seems being prepared to manage the workload is more a systemic problem than what program one graduates.

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My "ADN" is not an ASN, so the OP's argument doesn't really apply. Nobody respects us anymore anyway, so the "professionalism" argument is moot.

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Specializes in None yet..

:wideyed: Lowly student here but hopefully with relevant content. My school offers the "nursing associate in applied arts and sciences" degree or "AASN" designation. It's the basic two-year entry-level-for-the-RN-degree program. (With an AASiNine title?)

I'm guessing people use the acronym for the degree they were awarded.

All I really care about is getting the "RN" after my name.

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:wideyed: Lowly student here but hopefully with relevant content. My school offers the "nursing associate in applied arts and sciences" degree or "AASN" designation. It's the basic two-year entry-level-for-the-RN-degree program. (With an AASiNine title?)

I'm guessing people use the acronym for the degree they were awarded.

All I really care about is getting the "RN" after my name.

That's all I cared about as well! ADN, ASN, BSN, BS....whatever.

I am noelly10, RN. The RN part is what I care about the most.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Well, I never thought I was unprofessional. Well, maybe sometimes! Why get hung up over initials, am I still not a hard working, over stressed nurse whether I am an ADN or an ASN? I must go do some self reflecting now.... (Sigh).

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All I really care about is getting the "RN" after my name.

Here, here! Everyone with the title RN worked his or her butt off to get it, and they've all been deemed competent by a BON. The rest, for the most part, is semantics.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

As per previous posters, it is up to the school conferring the degree as to what it is called. I have one of those AATs for my RN.

To throw another twist in, I have an MN, not an MSN. This is according to the University of Washington, which confers both degrees. In my experience, only academia cares about those funny degree letters.

Hey, AN, how's about giving that option for profiles?

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