Difference bet 2 yr and 4yr school

DaFreak71 · Jan 10, 2006

I am a nursing student ~on the way to a BS degree. We were told that the only differences in our program compared to the technical AS degree is that we receive courses in leadership and management, plus all our gen eds. My reason for choosing this program is because of the fact that I want to continue my education following my degree.

This is my understanding as well. In fact, my husband just started his RN-BSN program and the only classes he is taking that I won't be taking in my ADN course are courses related to research and leadership management issues. I understand, however, that there are differences between BSN degrees, some require more, some less. I think this is the reason why it is not fair to say that BSN degrees are more "well rounded" or conversely, that all ADN programs are alike. Each school dictates what classes they teach and what pre-requisites they will have. The end result though is that we all take the same standardized test regardless of BSN or ADN status. It's the great equalizer.

I chose to go the ADN route for simple reasons. My local 4 year university has a poor reputation and a low NCLEX pass rate for their graduates. I know several people who have gone through the ADN program I am attending and they all said the same thing "It's a challenging program that will prepare you well for your RN career". Considering that "in my area" there aren't any differences in pay, it didn't make sense to pay a ton more money for a lesser quality education when I could simply do a RN-BSN program after I begin working as an RN. If the circumstances were different and I thought I would get a better education at the 4 year university, I would do it in a heart beat without regard to the extra tuition costs.

Most of my classmates plan to get a BSN at some point. I don't really think that a bias exists among students, I think it's a matter of wanting to make wise choices on an educational path that leads to the same license, while trying to make sense out of the various paths that we are offered. The bias "seems" to exist among existing RN's who either feel defensive about not having a BSN or among BSN holders who feel like they are somehow more qualified in some regard. I recall an article in a nursing journal about this very topic. The responders to the article were very vocal about their opinions and there didn't seem to be a concensus about what degree is "better". There are positive factors working for both degree paths. The one arguement that I can definitely see for having a 4 year degree is that if during the course of your career you wanted to specialize in anesthesia, research, etc..a BSN will get you into grad school whereas an ADN will not. Although I think some programs now offer a ADN-MSN program, it would just take longer to complete. If you have an eye towards management, a BSN is a must have. Basically having a BSN broadens your employement/educational horizons.

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