difference in degrees

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Dec 10, 2014

Because you haven't taken bachelor level NURSING courses.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 10, 2014

I wish I had some answers for you there, but hopefully someone will come along soon who does. I just wanted to say Hello and welcome you to Allnurses. If you haven't already, I suggest you jump right in and look around the site; there is something here for everybody, students and nurses alike. Enjoy!

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Dec 10, 2014

If you think about it..

It's kind of like getting a BA in Psychology, then getting a Associate of Science in Biology. You can't say you have a Bachelor of Science in Biology. You haven't taken the upper level biology courses.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 10, 2014

One of the more interesting aspects of nursing school is that the core coursework that you find in both ADN and BSN programs are identical, or effectively so. This is because both programs are designed for the entry level nurse. I could actually say the same thing about the ELM. Where things differ is going to be is in the coursework that supports the core courses. BSNs usually have some kind of nursing advocacy, nursing research, and public health courses in addition to the core courses... and perhaps some kind of logic course. I imagine that some of those courses double count as an upper division writing course and/or may double count as upper division general education.

I actually looked at the coursework and compared the courses with courses I've already taken for my prior Bachelors and what I've taken for my ADN. I was "missing" something like 4-5 courses, each of which was typically a 3 unit course. Spread those out over 4 semesters... and your 10-12 unit/semester nursing program becomes a 15 unit/semester nursing program and you're done in "just" 2 years after gaining entry to the BSN program. If my ADN program was "allowed" to offer a BSN program on it's own, they would only need to add 2 nursing courses and 2 UDGE courses to what they already offer now.

As I stated above, I also have a BS degree, it's in an allied healthcare field and I happen to be very well educated. Unfortunately the Nursing Powers that Be will not recognize that because it's not in nursing, and therefore is worthless for nursing purposes. For me to "gain" a BSN, I have to take a whole host of effectively redundant courses and hopefully can CLEP out of some of the courses that are "close enough" to make it possible. I certainly plan to earn my BSN as soon as I can afford it because I do value education greatly. The only mind-set that I do not value much at all is the "not invented here" that discounts everything that wasn't...

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2014

I have a BA in psychology and I'm an RN. I'm told that this is not equivalent to a BSN. Does anyone know why they are not looked at as the same?

Simply put, you have earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, not a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They aren't looked at the same because....they're not interchangeable Bachelor degrees.

Did you graduate as an ADN to become an RN....or did you graduate from a Diploma program to become an RN? Either way, while the concentration of that educational content was focused on nursing, a Bachelor in Nursing continues the focus (where a Bachelor's in Psychology does not).

I am currently looking at a program that would complete a BSN for me, and every single class is a nursing course; general education classes are already met with a prior degree. But for the BSN, must have the additional nursing classes.

Does this help?

elkpark · Dec 10, 2014

I find it really helpful to reframe these kinds of questions. You have a BA in psychology. If someone had an associate's degree in psychology and a baccalaureate degree in something else, say, literature, would that be considered the equivalent of a BA in psychology? Why not? Why wouldn't they be the same?

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Dec 10, 2014

they are not the same because they are different. 'nuf said

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 10, 2014

Because of the way nursing school is now, it's less of a comparison/analogy to use an Associates in Psychology and a Bachelor's in Psychology. In that case, one is a continuation of the other with greater depth and focus in the core area of study. The BSN has additional coursework that enhances the core, but the core is common with ADN and ELM programs. The same can be said for an ELM. They're all designed to prepare the nurse for entry level work.

My Bachelor's was in Sports Med. I could have earned an Associates in Sports Med. Only one of those degrees actually prepared me for entry into the field, ready to practice.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Dec 10, 2014

RN to BSN programs are designed for ADN or diploma nurses to complete only those classes required for a BSN, usually research, ethics, and community health. They give you credit hours for already having an ADN, to get around the 120 credit hours required for a bachelor's degree. You most likely will not have to do clinicals.

VANurse2010 · Dec 10, 2014

They're not the same because somebody wants to make money. Trust me, you are more educated than someone with only a BSN.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 11, 2014

They're not the same because somebody wants to make money. Trust me, you are more educated than someone with only a BSN.

I'm sorry, but how did you conclude this? Someone with an ADN (nursing) is "more educated" than someone with a BSN (nursing)? While she may have a better 'general' education because of more 'gen ed' classes, she has fewer nursing courses under her belt than a BSN so.....again, how do you translate that she is more educated AS A NURSE than someone with a higher nursing degree?

And who is it that makes more money? Not the employers, but the schools....who do not require anyone to attend.