Do I NEED to get my BSN?

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For lots of reasons, even though I already have a BA in Psychology and if I took another 3 or 4 courses I could apply for an ABSN program, I'm thinking it's not worth it.The fact that I would have to take a semester's worth of courses before I'd be eligible is one of my reasons (I already don't have money for school, so spending more money makes no sense). Also, I live in an area that still hires LPNs, even in the hospitals, and while I don't know where I'll end up being permanently, I can definitely see myself being there for awhile. And then of course, there is no BSN program where I live, just an associates program. So like I said, lots of reasons I think a BSN might not be worth it for me.

Is a BSN absolutely necessary? I know there's been a push to only hire BSNs, but I also know that there are plenty of places that only care about your license, not your degree...and I can't imagine I would ever want to work somewhere where degree mattered -- I want to be a nurse in a PCPs office or at an urgent care.

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Look at the websites of the facilities you are planning to work and see what their requirements say. That is the only way to know which degree you need at this time.

Usually, for urgent care and PCP offices you do not need a BSN initially. Speak wth recruiters to find out which degree would be best for you. There is no point in having a degree if you cannot find a job. Good luck.

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I live in a very small city, so the websites of places don't really have any information on them except what position are open. But like the hospital for example (yes, we only have one hospital for the entire county, not even just city) posts the most information, and I have never in a job posting seen BSN requierd, just NYS LPN/RN license required...and the main urgent care is technically a part of the county hospital. So yeah...

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

My thought is unless someone is a fresh faced 18yo with Mommy and Daddy paying for the college experience I don't really understand why anyone would not take advantage of community college's reasonable tuition and quicker path to becoming a RN. The BSN component is really easy to get while you are working as a nurse, making money and gaining important experience. Some hospitals will even pay for it. JMO.

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Yeah...mommy and daddy aren't paying for this one. They paid for my BA 100% though, so I really can't complain. I'm almost 25 years old, and I've worked full time, in fact, I started on one career path, and realized that there wasn't really anywhere for me to go, so I became less interested in it.

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My thought is unless someone is a fresh faced 18yo with Mommy and Daddy paying for the college experience I don't really understand why anyone would not take advantage of community college's reasonable tuition and quicker path to becoming a RN. The BSN component is really easy to get while you are working as a nurse, making money and gaining important experience. Some hospitals will even pay for it. JMO.

Things are really local employment market dependent.

Here in NYC the three major healthcare systems (Mount Sinai, NYP, NS-LIJ,) and the remaining private unaffiliated hospital in Manhattan (NYU) all strongly prefer BSN if not mandate the BSN for new grad hires. Some places may take an ADN grad if she or he is already enrolled in a bridge program, others mean what they say. Others if they take an ADN make it clear the nurse must have their BSN by a certain date or they are out. These four make up a majority of the hospitals in NYC. The remaining such as Health and Hospitals Corporation (NYC hospital system) also has moved to BSN from what I have heard.

Places in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island who aren't part of the above systems still pretty much want the BSN.

In all situations happily there is almost a surplus of BSN students between undergraduate, second degree and bridge completion. An experienced ADN nurse who has received her or his BSN will trump a new graduate with no experience.

What it all adds up to is many ADN grads here either must look elsewhere for work and or start working on that BSN. The latter could very well be on their own dime if they aren't working for a place that offers reimbursement.

From what one has been told upstate New York is a different story. They really need nurses and ADNs have no problems being hired on average.

My advice to anyone considering nursing school especially those with previous four year degrees is to go for the BSN and get it over with. Either way one is going to be in school for about the same time period (two and one half to three years for ABSN or ADN) so why bother with the latter.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
My thought is unless someone is a fresh faced 18yo with Mommy and Daddy paying for the college experience I don't really understand why anyone would not take advantage of community college's reasonable tuition and quicker path to becoming a RN. The BSN component is really easy to get while you are working as a nurse, making money and gaining important experience. Some hospitals will even pay for it. JMO.

My local community college charges almost $300 per credit. Not exactly reasonable tuition.

It also depends on the job market. I graduated with an ADN in Boston just before the 2008 economic collapse. Even nursing homes wanted a BSN and 1 year of experience. I finally found a job after 10 months and a 250-mile move.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
My local community college charges almost $300 per credit. Not exactly reasonable tuition.

Thats crazy, in Baltimore, community college credits are between $100-$120.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

Look at it this way eventually you will need to have a B.S.N, thus you are better off just getting it done now! Nursing is headed in the direction of requiring a BSN to work in a hospital and I don't see that changing anytime soon. If you look at most hospital websites it will either say BSN required, BSN preferred, or must obtain BSN by a certain year. You will have far more job opportunities as a new grad with a BSN... I am not a new grad and have 8 years of experience as a nurse and cannot get a my dream job in pediatrics because I don't yet have a BSN (will be done this semester though).

So yes, get the BSN!

ANnie

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So I guess it really just depends on the area then. Like I said, my area still hires LPNs in the hospitals which is why I had been planning on getting my LPN, but getting my RN at the community college would cost less than finishing my LPN program (I had to not attend this semester due to lack of funds) if I could get into the second semester which they said might be possible depending on my transcripts...and well, last semester alone I took 14 nursing credits, and in their first semester they only have 7 in the curriculum, and I also have a semester's worth of credits from an RN program, so I think it's a definite possibility.

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Look at it this way eventually you will need to have a B.S.N, thus you are better off just getting it done now! Nursing is headed in the direction of requiring a BSN to work in a hospital and I don't see that changing anytime soon. If you look at most hospital websites it will either say BSN required, BSN preferred, or must obtain BSN by a certain year. You will have far more job opportunities as a new grad with a BSN... I am not a new grad and have 8 years of experience as a nurse and cannot get a my dream job in pediatrics because I don't yet have a BSN (will be done this semester though).

So yes, get the BSN!

ANnie

What if I have literally no desire whatsoever to ever work in a hospital? Because I don't. And I never have. My dream job is at a pediatrician's office -- yes, if I could choose to do anything out of the million things you can do in nursing, that's what I would choose without a doubt.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

The focus from many posters also seems to be that eventually you will need a BSN and while I agree that would probably be a good idea to increase work opportunities I still feel that working as an ADN, in whatever area you can get, in the meantime is a decent option.

I made over $80,000 working as a ADN in the time it took to add my BSN.

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