Dachelor's Degree/MSN in another field. What about us?

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I'm just curious to where 2nd degree students who have/or are in the process of completeing an ADN fall in this whole debate. After completeing their associates. Are thses students eligible for the BSN differential even though they may have a bachelor's or MSN in another field. Can they still apply to BSN preferred jobs in hospitals? Sometimes I hear yes and other times I hear no. By no means am I saying that a B.S in another field equates to a BSN. These are two diffrent degrees.

But a BS and and MSN are degrees, nmonetheless. And most who are entering this field at this moment are 2nd degree students and that can't be ignored either.

So in the nursing profession do these degress equate to zero in the eyes of the hospitals/management? Can we not apply to BSN preferred jobs as well?

Basically where do we fit in?

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Good question! I have been wondering the same thing as this may be the determining factor for some of us stuck between choosing the ASN or BSN route. Id love to hear suggestions also

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesia, ICU, ED.

I personally feel, and have no information to support this, that there is a difference b/w a BS+ADN and a BSN. Just as, taken to an extreme, there is a huge difference b/w a MS+ADN and a MSN. Think of it like this, apologies for my ignorance, if a person had a BS in geology and completes an ADN program, would they still have the educational equivalent of a BSN?

I think not. The BSN program I recently completed, as a 2nd degree student(BS in biochem), offered a seperate curricula in pharmocology, pathophysiology, growth and development, nutrition, physical assessment, ethics, leadership, and community health nursing in addition to med/surg (x2), peds, mother/newborn (OB/GYN) , and mental health. We also completed a minimum of ~1200 hours of clinical time along 5 semesters. The ADN program in my area would have only required me to complete 5 semesters of nursing, encompassing M/S, peds, OB, and MH, as credits from my prior degree would have satisified the rest of those needed for the ADN. I recognize that I may be glossing over the other course needed for the ADN and am not saying that either is better than the other. I am only using these two programs to illustrate that there is a difference b/w a BS+ADN and a BSN.

I also recall that one hospital would only consider your nursing degree for a pay differental.

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I don't know of any hospitals that will give you anything for a degree earned in a field outside of nursing. That is, if you have a Bachelor's in an unrelated field and then get an Associates in nursing, it's the ADN that is considered for employment and compensation.

You do not have a BSN in nursing, but rather a BS or BA in another field, so.....no differential because your nursing education is ADN, not BSN. You can always apply for "BSN preferred" positions with or without a prior degree, but understand that the BSN IS preferred, and the ADN you hold may or may not be what they want.

It's not uncommon at all for ADNs to have prior degrees, higher degrees, but when it comes to entry level nursing, those are essentially irrelevant. It's not that those degrees aren't important when it comes down to choosing two otherwise identical candidates, but that extra degree in and of itself doesn't make you preferred for entry level.

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Basically where do we fit in?

With all the other new grads with brand new nursing degrees and shiny new licenses :)

And probably lots of options, since nursing is wide open right now!

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