difference between associates and bachelors in nursing

MunoRN, RN · Sep 10, 2013

whats the difference between an associates in nursing or a bachelors in nursing?

Usually about $40,000

Steve123 · Sep 10, 2013

There is no difference from medical perspective. ADN and BSN nurses have the same instruction about pharmacology, diseases... The only difference is that BSN nurses indoctrinated more. For example BSN assigned to read more articles about gays and stuff. They are also more indoctrinated to believe as if RNs are the center of the health care system.

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2013

The only difference is that BSN nurses indoctrinated more. For example BSN assigned to read more articles about gays and stuff. They are also more indoctrinated to believe as if RNs are the center of the health care system.

Wow. Just wow.

OP, associates prepared RNs take the same NCLEX as bachelors prepared RNs. Much of the coursework is the same. The main difference is that BSNs are taught more nursing theory than ADNs.

Steve123 · Sep 11, 2013

The main difference is that BSNs are taught more nursing theory than ADNs.

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Exactly. That's what I've just said. BSNs are indoctrinated more.

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2013

The main difference is that BSNs are taught more nursing theory than ADNs.
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Exactly. That's what I've just said. BSNs are indoctrinated more.

Indoctrination and education are two entirely different things.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2013

There is no difference from medical perspective. ADN and BSN nurses have the same instruction about pharmacology, diseases... The only difference is that BSN nurses indoctrinated more. For example BSN assigned to read more articles about gays and stuff. They are also more indoctrinated to believe as if RNs are the center of the health care system.

I'm sorry, WHAT?

The difference, OP, is that one is an associate's degree while the other is a bachelor's degree.

Steve123 · Sep 11, 2013

In BSN program you are heavily brainwashed that RNs are in the center of health care system. You may call it "education" but I call it indoctrination. In ADN program you also will be indoctrinated but less.

lindarn · Sep 11, 2013

I am not sure what the RN to BSN programs have become. I was a Diploma grad originally. I went back for my BSN in the Cal State System.

I had clinicals in public heath, clinicals in out patient areas, (I did mine in Cardiac Rehab), Pathophysiology, Chem 200 and 300, etc. These were NOT fluff classes. I don't know where the idea has come from what BSN classes are just all fluff classes. I assure you that Chem 200 and Chem 300, Pathophysiology, etc, were NOT fluff classes.

Is this what nursing has digressed to? If it is, that it is pitiful. You are not getting your moneys worth, that is for sure.

And when I went to school in California in the 80's, the tuition was cheaper than dirt cheap there. I paid $10.00 a semester for Long Beach City College for two semesters. And that included a parking sticker.

When I transferred to Cal State Long Beach, the tuition was about $250.00 a semester. When I graduated, the tuition was going UP TO $400 a semester. I was working full time, and just paid for my education as I went, and graduated debt free, not needing to take out any loans. I even saved up enough money to buy a house in Southern California while I was working full time 12 hour shifts, and going to school part time to earn my BSN.

But it sounds like the education has really detiorated in the years since I graduated. I would be upset also, if that was the case.

Nurses need to get out and make a stink about not being grandfathered in with ADNs, and Diplomas. No excuse. Pharmacists were grandfathered in when they went to a Masters, and then a Doctorate, and the classes were given on site, and paid for by the hospital.

Nurses need to demand the same consideration as them. Make a stink, and make it happen.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

MunoRN, RN · Sep 11, 2013

I am not sure what the RN to BSN programs have become. I was a Diploma grad originally. I went back for my BSN in the Cal State System.
I had clinicals in public heath, clinicals in out patient areas, (I did mine in Cardiac Rehab), Pathophysiology, Chem 200 and 300, etc. These were NOT fluff classes. I don't know where the idea has come from what BSN classes are just all fluff classes. I assure you that Chem 200 and Chem 300, Pathophysiology, etc, were NOT fluff classes.
Is this what nursing has digressed to? If it is, that it is pitiful. You are not getting your moneys worth, that is for sure.

RN to BSN programs don't typically include Pathophys, Organic Chem, etc because many ADN graduates have often already taken these classes. As articulation agreements become more and more common, and even legally mandated in many states, prerequisite requirements between an ADN program and BSN program it has an agreement with are being standardized. Even when an RN to BSN student hasn't taken these classes as pre-reqs for their ADN, they then take them as pre-reqs for the RN to BSN program, rather than making it a core part of the program and requiring most of the student to take classes they've already taken.

lindarn · Sep 11, 2013

I graduated from a Diploma program about 100 years ago (1975). We were still fighting the Vietnam war. We had basic chemistry, only. Probably chem 100. We were affiliated with a four year college, and took classes there.

I know that now that ADN programs have added more classes then when I went to school.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

MunoRN, RN · Sep 11, 2013

I agree that RN to BSN programs could be so much better, but I also think that they should be a post-grad requirement for all ADN and BSN grads.

The source of the "fluff" is that there isn't 45 credits of difference anymore in the core Nursing program between an ADN and BSN program. Actually, in the ADN program that sit on the advisory board for, their core curriculum is just 6 credits short of their BSN "big sister", 3 credits of leadership and 3 credits of community health. Leaves another 39 credits of filler, which typically ends up being fluff.

Ideally, these remaining 39 credits would build off of what they already learned in their program, using some required amount of on-the-job time to give it context they couldn't conceive of while still a student. The problem with this though is that then the BSN graduates would now be 39 (legitimate) credits behind the RN to BSN grads, and the cycle continues.