Degree over Experience?

[tnbutterfly - Mary]

Do you feel that more emphasis is placed on what degree(s) a nurse has rather than experience?

[Justcultureisjustcrap]

I learned how to write useless 20-page care plans with my BSN. Did most of my learning on the job. And, let me add, some of the best nurses I ever worked with were LPNs.

[rentalnurse, RN]

My current job I had to sign that I would start my BSN within 5 years ( BS another field , 30 yrs experience). I see new grads being oriented by nurses that only have less than 3 yrs experience, more initials the better, always want us to do projects and committees 

[Mickey9700, RN]

I've been an RN (ADN) for 14 years and haven't had even 1 minute to do my BSN. I registered finally and was about to start last month. Once I received the syllabus and noticed it was going to be all group work, I had to drop out. WHAT RN has time to do group work!? I have no time to contact four other people every day and go over things and worry about their grade and worry about them messing up my grade. No way. I was going to squeeze school work in at 1am when I get home from work, if I had some downtime at work, maybe before I go to work in the morning. Forget it. If I'm going to advance my knowledge, I'm going to take Certificate Courses, I'm getting my CPN, tons of CE and learn useful things. I watched my daughter get her BSN. According to her and her friends, the "B" in BSN stands for you know what.......LOL. 

BTW, I'm 47, not time for nonsense. ?

[BostonFNP, APRN]

I've never understood why, in nursing, education and experience get thought of/discussed as mutually exclusive things. It's frustrating to see experienced nurses with less formal education belittle less experience nurses with more formal education and vise versa. Experience means little without knowledge and knowledge means little without experience. 

In working with APN students over my career (of varying levels of education and experience) I can very comfortably say that there are people on both sides of the experience and education ends that are fantastic and downright scary.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I started as an ADN nurse. I had way more clinical hours/experience than the new grad BSNs. I am at a Magnet hospital and the end goal is for everyone to get their BSN (I did mine online in one calendar year) 

We are hiring new grads that are pending NCLEX, which is a result of Covid. Most pass the 1st time. 

We grandfathered about 20% of long term employees so that they did not have to go back to school

[Delancree]

I do not agree with the “choosing to stay stagnant” remark. Nurses do not have the same goals, or budgets. Nursing education is expensive and higher nursing degrees do not automatically translate into better care. 
All RNs received the same basic nursing education needed for practice, reason why there is only one NCLEX RN. 
I went the ADN route, and obtained my RN to MSN while on a public health job. The clinical knowledge I had gained on the job and the way I professional developed surpassed anything I was taught in the MSN program. 
Experience in a setting where you work is way better than a title, but the title needed for the job should be obtained. Degrees only matter if one wants to learn, otherwise it is just about passing exams and getting more initials attached to one’s name.

I know some MSN and doctoral degree nurses who are highly incompetent, lack professionalism, clueless on treating patients with dignity, basic communication or adequate critical thinking skills. 
How a nurse’s care impacts patients and or their area of practice should be considered before their nursing degree.  

 

 

[Mickey9700, RN]

AGREED

[nfahren05]

I went the ADN route, and eventually added the BSN because my hospital decided that they wanted to insist on this to continue with them. They didn't do much to help, and even made it difficult for me to get the extra clinical experience, but I eventually finished the bachelor's degree. The BSN added very little to my nursing knowledge. I think that, for hospitals, it makes much more sense to push certification than additional degrees. Ongoing education for nurses who are already working tends to translate better to improved patient care because nurses usually self-select CEUs that are most relevant to their area of practice.

[Delancree]

I totally agree with you. I have a hard time understanding why some licensed nurses think BSN prepared nurses are more competent than ADNs, especially that they sit for the same exact exam. 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I was an LPN, and started working on a BSN because that was my only option at the time. I then moved and was able to attend an ADN program. I later did get my BSN. The classes I took gave me a better understanding about health care systems, and a basic understanding of research. Did they make me a better bedside nurse? Probably not, but when I joined committees for process improvement, it did. 

My BSN definitely made me a more rounded person by my broadening my view of the world, and creating professional relationships in colleagues outside of my facility. 

[Delancree]

I definitely understand anhow your BSN helped you. I did state that the degree needed for one’s position should be obtained. I just don’t agree that some places are demanding that nurses have their BSN to get a bedside job. Why does the ADN still exist then? 

 

[londonflo]

18 minutes ago, Delancree said:

I just don’t agree that some places are demanding that nurses have their BSN to get a bedside job. Why does the ADN still exist then? 

Because the ANA (American Nurses Association)  is pushing for hospitals to get magnet status....The ANA makes a lot of money from hospitals wanting to push their magnet status for the sake of prestige. I mean lots of money! They no longer support the average nurse who pays dues.  The ANA has totally lost it's way.....when Covid happened this is what they did : they  wrote letters to politicians and offered on line courses for exhausted nurses.. We needed action but their response was this for nurses struggling in the field.