Do We All Need To Have a BSN Now?

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I keep hearing that hospitals are now raising the educational levels of their staff by only hiring BSNs and not RNs. I wasn't so concerned till I heard that the hospital I really wanted to work for is ONLY hiring BSNs. Is this a rumor or are you guys seeing this as well?

What's the point of me doing my ADN then? :(

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A BSN is an educational degree. The RN license is required to work. Those persons with BSN degrees who were hired, were hired to work as RNs. You do not necessarily need a BSN, but it helps you stand out over those who do not have the degree.

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Specializes in oncology, med surg & corrections.

In my area of the country, several hospitals are only hiring nurses with a BSN, they do consider you for a moment if you are currently enrolled in a BSN program, but it doesn't appear your going to get a higher salery:eek::eek::eek:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

As an individual with a BSN I have to admit that most of my BSN classes could be described as "puff classes" (leadership, ethics etc.) Don't get me wrong I am proud of my education and highly value it. It seems like the ADN prepares you to work (and some of the best RN's I know have their associates) where as BSN prepares you to go back to grad school. Keep in mind the BSN opens up way more doors than a associates

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I'm seeing ads that state a preference for BSN. With fewer positions open, facilities are certainly able to choose BSN-prepared RNs over ADN-prepared RNs ... in some places, even the BSN RNs are having a tough time finding employment. And with more hospitals seeking Magnet status, BSNs are preferred, and they do have to have a certain number of BSN-prepared RNs on staff.

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No difference in job performance between an ADN and a BSN when it comes to the RN position. ADNs are taught how to do the job of a RN... BSNs have well, wasted their money on taking BS classes that have no relevance at all when it comes to the role of an RN. I am in a BSN program and know this first hand, half these classes have nothing to do with what I will be doing when I work.

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I most definitely plan on persuing a BSN once I'm finished with my two year degree. Ideally I'd like to get hired into a hospital and get tuition reimbursement to help me pay for it all.

Now that jobs are scarce I'm thinking that I might need to plan on just continuing on for a RN-BSN and maybe then I'll have a chance of finding a job.

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i'll be graduating with my ADN in December. I originally had planned to get my BSN from the getgo but our local u dereg'd tuition and now it would cost me nearly 10k to get that BSN and the pay difference (in the couple of systems there is a pay difference) is only 50cents an hour!! that's an awful lot of shifts to pay back the investment for that 10k when i've been able to pay for my ADN as i went along...plus i enjoy being at that bedside, i have no interest in management or admin.

JMHO, but with the pay diff being so crappy and with the fact that in another 11 years i will have a child in college to pay for, i think for now i will skip the BSN. i have been to several recruitment events lately and noone seemed to mind a bit that i have the ADN.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I'm seeing ads that state a preference for BSN. With fewer positions open, facilities are certainly able to choose BSN-prepared RNs over ADN-prepared RNs ... in some places, even the BSN RNs are having a tough time finding employment. And with more hospitals seeking Magnet status, BSNs are preferred, and they do have to have a certain number of BSN-prepared RNs on staff.

*** I work in the SICU of a large trauma center. In our unit we recover open hearts, all types of neurosurgery and crashing general surgery patients. We (SICU RNs) respond to the trauma bays for all trauma activations where we serve as the primary nurse while the ER RN writes down vital signs and go and gets things. We are also the code response team and the rapid response team. We operate with tremendous autonomy with standing order and protocols to deal with most anything. We must operate this way as we don't have any doctors in our unit except for a few hours in the morning when they round. Our nurses are regularly hired by flight programs and get accepted to CRNA school. In fact I don't know of a single one of our nurses who didn't get into CRNA school, some had to apply twice but every one got in.

Our hospital has a 7 month nurse residency program to train new grads to work in the SICU and the MICU. I went through the program 4 years ago, of my class of 9, seven went to or are currently in CRNA school. Some of them didn't even finish their two year contract. For the most recent residency class they only hired 5 people for both units and they where very selective. They also didn't hire a single BSN despite the fact that our hospital actually has an on sight BSN program in association with a local state college. While it isn't written anywhere I have personally heard our nurse manager say that she is actively selecting BSNs out and will continue to do so. BSNs not welcome to apply.

Now that they have several years worth of data on their residency program it is abundantly clear that their return on investment is much better with ADNs than it is for BSNs.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Our hospital has a 7 month nurse residency program to train new grads to work in the SICU and the MICU. I went through the program 4 years ago, of my class of 9, seven went to or are currently in CRNA school. Some of them didn't even finish their two year contract. For the most recent residency class they only hired 5 people for both units and they where very selective. They also didn't hire a single BSN despite the fact that our hospital actually has an on sight BSN program in association with a local state college. While it isn't written anywhere I have personally heard our nurse manager say that she is actively selecting BSNs out and will continue to do so. BSNs not welcome to apply.

Now that they have several years worth of data on their residency program it is abundantly clear that their return on investment is much better with ADNs than it is for BSNs.

Is she screening out the baccalaureate nurses because everybody keeps bailing out to become CRNAs or because they're not sufficiently prepared?

I could certainly understand why they wouldn't want to continue hiring folks who quickly bail out for greener pastures once they're trained and experienced.

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BSNs have well, wasted their money on taking BS classes that have no relevance at all when it comes to the role of an RN. I am in a BSN program and know this first hand, half these classes have nothing to do with what I will be doing when I work.

Well, that's the difference between a baccalaureate degree and vocational/technical training. Baccalaureate programs (in any major) are intended to provide you with a reasonably comprehensive education, not (just) a particular set of job skills. Whether or not that's a "waste" is a v. personal judgment.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
HumptyDumpty viewpost.gif

BSNs have well, wasted their money on taking BS classes that have no relevance at all when it comes to the role of an
RN
. I am in a BSN program and know this first hand, half these classes have nothing to do with what I will be doing when I work.

Well, that's the difference between a baccalaureate degree and vocational/technical training. Baccalaureate programs (in any major) are intended to provide you with a reasonably comprehensive education, not (just) a particular set of job skills. Whether or not that's a "waste" is a v. personal judgment.
It's sort of the difference between blue collar and white collar. Certainly my BS in engineering mandated many, many subjects which were not directly applicable, even - given the specialties in which I ultimately worked - some of those in my major.

I could, I suppose, argue that my women's health or psych rotations were a complete waste because it has "nothing to do with what I will be doing when I work." On the other hand, they make me a more well-rounded nurse.

I think that my upper division classes in healthcare finance, ethics, systems analysis, etc do actually have some bearing on my role as a bedside nurse because they provide the context in which to frame the daily activities of the unit.

Personally, I'm totally in support of all the education one can get (as my transcripts would attest).

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