Degree Question

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2008

they want to see a bachelor's degree in nursing. why? in bsn programs the curriculum has more coursework in nursing beyond the basic requirements of the state board of nursing. many times it is in leadership, community, or psych. a lot of times it also depends on what their professors are doing their research on or where the college is getting it's funding from. community colleges are often cramming course content into the limited hours they have the students. rns are expected to be able to think critically (make decisions) and manage and supervise. when i complete my bsn program, and i was an adn first i felt ready to be a case manager and i was promoted into supervision almost right away. my bosses saw the difference in my attitude and the way i was approaching my work differently. my bsn program was heavy on developing leadership and communication skills. i got very little of that in my community college program because they were training us to be hospital--that is what the community needed--that is what the tax dollars were paying for.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Oct 6, 2008

jrose,

I definitely agree with Daytonite - a BSN is a must. Actually, in my part of the world, management positions require graduate education - MSN preferred. Another reason to get your BSN - it is a requirement for obtaining many clinical specialty certifications.

I know that the an age-old argument (by kazillions of nurses who are opposed to advanced degrees) is that "more education won't make me a better nurse". But how do they know? AKA - You can't know what you don't know.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 6, 2008

Good to know, because my mother-in-law (a nurse) told me that because I already had a BA I didn't have to bother getting the BSN if I wanted to apply for management/other BSN positions; she said that my non-nursing BA plus the ADN would be considered equivalent. Thanks for clearing that up!