Finding employment with an associates degree...

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Hi all!

Right now I am pre-nursing in an associates program. I've decided that associates is best for me for the time being as I have a one year old and need to get right to work as soon as I can. I plan on completing a bridge program later as my son gets older. My mother in law is a nurse with her associates, and she has been helping me and answering most of my questions. She's said in our particular location, a lot of hospitals prefer bachelors over associates, associates with experience, or associates (as long as they start a bridge program within a certain amount of time).

I don't know if this is fairly common everywhere, but I do not plan on practicing in my current state of residence. My husband and I are making plans to move once we have finished school. Anyone have experience in this? If you have your associates, was it hard to find work? Did you go for your bachelors?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

It all depends on the area you plan to work in. Some areas are extremely competitive, and while they don't necessarily come out and say BSN required, it pretty much is if you want to get a job in a reasonable time frame after graduation. Other areas are not as bad, and associate-holding nurses have no trouble getting hired. Your best bet is to research the hospitals and jobs in the area you plan to move to, as it is different everywhere.

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Where I work, the hospitals are hiring ADN's...if they are needed. The first wave of new hire BSN's (like myself) all quit a particular floor in my hospital, and all the new hires after that were ADN's. I am not sure if that was just a coincidence, though.

I am applying for jobs at a large midwest hospital since I am moving there after getting married soon and I was surprised that many of the posting stated that you HAD to have a BSN to apply, and if you were already an employee with an ADN, you have to sign an agreement that you will get your Bachelors within 4 years. I thought that was interesting. This hospital is jockeying pretty hard for magnet status, though, so maybe that is why.

I would say overall, it is TOTALLY dependent on where you live.

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I'm still in school but have had people in clinical tell me they have a better chance of the hire sticking around if they hire from the local CC. They have a lot of trouble keeping nurses in the rural communities. BSN grads get a little experience and move on. Where ASN grads tend to be a little more grounded in the local community and stay at the local hospitals. This isn't the case everywhere so I guess it depends where you plan to work.

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Thanks for you answers, everyone! :)

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If you can get a job in a hospital or healthcare setting they will accept you with an associates. I work at a hospital as a CNA so when I get my nursing license I can apply to transfer to whatever unit even with an adn.

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My next door neighbor only has her ADN and she's been working in the same hospital for almost 10years and she gets paid $48 an hour...

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My next door neighbor only has her ADN and she's been working in the same hospital for almost 10years and she gets paid $48 an hour...

Somehow I believe she's lying to you. Sorry, but maybe if she's working overtime, but not as base pay.

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Specializes in Emergency.
Somehow I believe she's lying to you. Sorry, but maybe if she's working overtime, but not as base pay.

Pretty common up here in the Northeast! Who's lying??? The only problem up here right now besides finding a hospital that will hire an ADN new grad...they do exist-is the fact that the greedy CEO's of most of these so called "health networks" are firing...I'm sorry..."laying off" all of these seasoned veteran nurses that are making that kind of bread!

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