wouldn't it be easier

Nurses General Nursing

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Wouldn't it be eaiser for nurses if there were not different degrees in the nursing feild. With all this LPN not able to find hospital jobs, and employers wanting BSNs, and RN thinking that working in nursing homes is beneith them. Anyways everyone basically seems to get their BSNs to be competitive anyways. LPNs are told to get their RN and RN getting their BSNs I feel wouldn't it make sence to just have all nurses get the same education and be on the same playing feild. If everyone just had to get the education of a BSN to be a nurse it would make things so much easier.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I hear the argument that there's a lack of respect for the Nursing profession quite a bit in these threads, despite the fact that we're typically one of most highly respected professions in various polls. By "respect", do we actually mean compensation? If so, why do we think we'll get paid more if we all have BSN's? We've got the perfect set-up to study this theory with both ADN and BSN prepared Nurses in the same marketplace, and it doesn't appear that the marketplace is willing to pay more, particularly when you figure in the additional cost of a BSN as negative income.

There's a pretty simple solution to this - if BSN nurses want to be differentiated, then they should take different, more difficult boards. As long as all RNs are taking and passing the same boards, this will continue to be an issue.

Specializes in Med/Surg.
I think it should be noted that these types of discussions tend to take place only in places like this and conference rooms. When you're on the floor, few people will know or care which degree anyone has. In fact, I'd go as far to say it would be considered inappropriate and unprofessional to "debate" about this on the floor and differentiate nurses as such in the workplace.

Agree with this, I seldom if ever ,know what degree the others I am working with have.I think I can tell sometimes by the way they function but that probably has more to do with their work ethic.

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Its my understanding that a BSN is basically just a two year degree your "Minor" the basic education classes, and what you are "majoring" in, your nursing classes.

So a ADN nurse who holds a separate associate degree in Science basically has the same amount of education as a BSN.

I have 187 college credits, with a 3.7 GPA, I don't want to get my BSN. I worked with BSN nurses, and wouldn't have known it if they didn't tell me.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Its my understanding that a BSN is basically just a two year degree your "Minor" the basic education classes, and what you are "majoring" in, your nursing classes.

Your understanding is incomplete/erroneous. That would be like saying a BSN who has another BS in another discipline has the same amount of education as an MSN or PhD.

Most BSN programs go further in depth into community health, nursing theory, evidence-based practice, and leadership. It's not just an ADN with other basic education classes.

Umm, my BSN completion program did require supervised clinical time in community health nursing and nursing leadership/management. There are lots of programs "out there" that don't require any clinical, I hear, but, IMO, people need to make smart choices about programs they choose to spend money, time, and effort on. Don't sign up for a crummy, bare-minimum program and then complain that the program isn't challenging or offering meaningful education, like many people on this site do.

No additional clinical RN-to-BSN programs seem to be the norm, not the "crummy" exception.

Specializes in Registered Nurse.

A BSN education is not a ticket to a job. Experienced is valued more in nursing. If competing for an entry level job, the BSN may be an advantage. I graduated in 1989, and there were more job openings for nurses. In spite of this, my BSN, did not get me the type of choice nursing positions that I thought I wanted. If you search this board, you will find many unemployed BSN graduates. I don't believe the BSN should be required for entry to nursing. The over saturation of the nursing field is sure to end, with the inflation in education requirements by providers and cost of this education. It would not surprise me to see the MSN become a requirement for entry into practice in the future. I would not invest that kind of money in nursing education. The job prospects are limited. Nurses start at the bottom and work their way up. It can be a long road to the top. The public may like their nurses, but I don't believe, they respect nurses. I see a demand for nurse practitioners, but not for the bedside nurse.

Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I am seeing a down-sizing of NPs. Where there were nurses, there are MAs and many of the specialties, at least around here, are phasing out the NP to make room for new grad MDs. I was told it is a reimbursement thing. They don't want to reimburse for an NP; they want a physician.

My son's endo practice lost 2 of the best NPs for a revolving door of new endos. It is not a teaching facility.

I am afraid that the NP market is going to get too saturated. The only place I see them going is to the corner "Minute Clinic" @ the drugstore. That is not where I want to go.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
Since nursing has so many levels of acuities in so many different fields, there will always be a need for different levels or tiers or whatever you want to call it.

I agree that having two educational pathways to the same RN license is cumbersome. Something needs to be done about that.

But no one on this board who advocates "BSN only" to the point of eliminating the LPN has ever, ever explained what will happen to non acute settings like LTC. Who will be the nurse in these settings?

And if you're so fired up about advancing the RN role (a noble goal) why are so many so reluctant to accept that this entails giving up a large chunk of bedside tasks? Who do you want to delegate all of this to? Unlicensed techs?

It needs to be acknowledged that a change in the level of education for the RN means that there will also be a chug in the role of the RN. It dumbfounds me that people think that a mandate of BSN only for RN will lead to an elimination of the LPN. If anything, it would likely lead to an expansion of where LPNs are utilized. I believe that a BSN only for RNs would lead to a return of the RN/LPN team model.

I can see a return to the RN/LPN team model as well. Seems more cost effective for employers than all RN staff. At some point employers have to spend money on wages to maintain minimum effective staffing. It seems more logical to me to spend that money on an RN/LPN mix instead of cutting RN hours and freezing wages to make their budget work.

Nursing's largest argument is to be respected as a profession. If that is the case then why shouldn't the necessary education reflect that? I began as an ADN but feel the BSN should be the entry point. I completed an RN to BSN program because if you want to anything further than bedside nursing more education is required. Now I am in a BSN to DNP program because I would like a terminal degree in my field. There are no 2 year programs in pharmacy, physical therapy, or medicine. Two year programs in PT give you a PTA. A meaning Assistant. One of the largest issues with nurses in my opinion is that we can not even reach a consensus amongst ourselves. Why would other professions respect ours when we aren't on the same page?

Ms. Pot meet Mr. Kettle... You began as an ASN/ADN and yet you want BSN to be the entry?

By your logic a becoming the likes of a Plumber, Electrician, Locksmith etc should also require a Bachelors minimum in order to be considered "professional".

Wouldn't it be eaiser for nurses if there were not different degrees in the nursing feild. With all this LPN not able to find hospital jobs, and employers wanting BSNs, and RN thinking that working in nursing homes is beneith them. Anyways everyone basically seems to get their BSNs to be competitive anyways. LPNs are told to get their RN and RN getting their BSNs I feel wouldn't it make sence to just have all nurses get the same education and be on the same playing feild. If everyone just had to get the education of a BSN to be a nurse it would make things so much easier.

I see the OP is not a nurse. His/her observation falls under the category of "intuitively obvious to the casual observer," as the engineers in my family say.

Got it in one, OP. Let the firestorm begin!

I'm well aware of the research, but I believe that over time you may see quality of care decline as nursing education becomes less and less accessible to the population, just as a college education in general is becoming.

I have a four year degree - not in nursing - I fail to see how taking some extra courses in "leadership" and community health without extra clinical time or skills training is going to improve my practice. In fact, I consider myself - on the whole in a general sense - more educated than an RN with just a BSN and no other education.

Interestingly, or perhaps tellingly, this line is most often promulgated by people who do not have more nursing education. Those who do, know better. I very, very rarely hear anything a lot like this from someone who has actually been there. Education is not wasted.

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