What can I do with my BSN that Assoc. RN's can't?

Nurses General Nursing

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I just graduated with my BSN this spring. I'm working as a PCA2/Graduate Nurse at a local hospital until I take my boards... I am taking my HESI tomorrow at the college I graduated from. This is an 'exit' type of exam that we have to pass before taking our boards. I'm feeling down about not being able to pass and have this huge fear that I am not going to pass my boards!

Amidst my fear, I am questioning taking a role as an RN on floor nursing. It seems like most of the RN's on my floor have an associates degree, and I am questioning if I should be doing something different since I have my bachelor's? The pay is the same for an Assoc. or BSN, which doesn't make any sense to me. Just wondering what else is available that I might not be looking for, or what your opinions are!?

Another BSN student who just graduated as well was speaking with me, and said she wonders if the Assoc. degree RN's laugh thinking that we have wasted our time getting our BSN when we get the same pay/same responsibilities. Is this a big issue?

Thanks!

Miranda

Hyp, that's like me. Maybe after I "become" a nurse I will be more interested in getting a BSN but right now I am just not interested. My MIL has an ADN with no bachelors and is a great nurse, loves it, and makes a very good living for herself. :balloons:

It was wonderful to pay for school as I went (I graduated in 2001 -- I really haven't been a nurse that long). And more wonderful still not to have any student loans to be paying on now (especially since my daughter started college last year! :eek:)

I'd like an advanced degree because you can't apply for research grants unless you have a PhD...the alternative is to have a PhD on the grant (but then the PhD is the principal investigator no matter who wrote the grant or did the work). I don't know that I want to do that much more school but I'm thinking about it.

You get to take the side of "A BSN is better than an ASN/ADN/Diploma/Regent's/Foreign trained/everyone else debate"

That's always fun....

Yes it is fun!! The "Only those people with my credentials should be nurses" are the best messages to read and participate in!!

Bitter CNA's and stuck up BSN's write the best ones!!

But seriously, get some experience as a floor nurse for a few years before venturing elsewhere. A BSN is very valuable and in time it will fit in somewhere in your life down the road that you may not even have imagined yet.

Your LPN and ADN co-workers generally do not see the BSN as a waste of time. You will find that many of them are working on achieving their own BSN so they too must see it's value.

Yes it is fun!! The "Only those people with my credentials should be nurses" are the best messages to read and participate in!!

Bitter CNA's and stuck up BSN's write the best ones!!

But seriously, get some experience as a floor nurse for a few years before venturing elsewhere. A BSN is very valuable and in time it will fit in somewhere in your life down the road that you may not even have imagined yet.

Your LPN and ADN co-workers generally do not see the BSN as a waste of time. You will find that many of them are working on achieving their own BSN so they too must see it's value.

Right on!!! :)

Congrats on getting your BSN!

I'm just starting mine in August..... :balloons:

I'm older. I've had other careers. I was a publisher (excuse me, did I say "publisher"? I meant a grossly unsuccessful publisher) an eduction counselor, and was in the military for 10 years. I have a B.Sc. in Liberal Arts and three Associate degrees of various sorts including my ADN. I came to nursing /p a religious conversion, and I love it. All I want to be is a staff nurse for the next 30 years. I hope everyone gets their BSN, because I desperately need a good manager and/or an NP who will write me orders for my pt. We need BSN nurses, but the nursing shortage is really about staff nursing. The glory of nursing, IMO, is in staff nursing. When it comes to staff nursing, you need to have an R.N. license. I have one.

Personally, I think it may be better to have a BA or BSc in another feild and an ADN, If "well-rounded" is what matters. For that matter, why not require a B.Sc. and then make nursing school a masters program?

I have no position either way; I see myself as an oddity in nursing, anyway (male, non-nursing bachelors, older, all whacked out religiously, etc.). As for entry level, that's for future nurses to worry about. Where I work, management requires a BSN. But I can't imagine going back to school in order to get a job doing what I consider a lesser occupation than staff nursing.

JMBO (just my babbling opinion)

Acosmic

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

great info:

what can i do with my nursing degree?

http://www.tobeanurse.com/passport_degree.htm

for ideas about avenues in hospitals and other settings nurses practice

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I just want to clarify the misconception that some people seem to have that you only need a BSN if you want to pursue a management position or a Master's Degree. There are a lot of clinical (direct patient care) positions that also require a BSN -- and many others for which the employer would strongly prefer to hire a nurse with a BSN over someone without.

These clinical positions are generally ones in which the nurse has a lot of autonomy, may need the ability to evaluate the current literature for applicability to practice, establish policies/procedures, be seen as an "equal" member of an interdisciplinary team, etc. For these positions, the general education provided by the "liberal arts" portion of a BSN program and the additional emphasis on nursing theory and research are considered relevant to the person's ability to do the job well. Such positions include things like -- wound care specialist, diabetes educator, infection control specialist, continuity of care coordinator, discharge planner, ostomy specialist, pain specialist, etc. Some home health agencies also require BSN's.

Some people feel that they will never want BSN because they don't want to go into management -- and I read them telling students and perspective students that management (or grad school) is the only reason to get a BSN. They fail to see that the lack of a BSN limits their job options more than just with management positions. They are limiting the accessibility of these clinical positions that might be very appealing to them someday.

llg

Hi

I know this question/statement has nothing to do with the question that was asked, but this is just a general question.

Why is it that when someone post a thread in association with BSN or ADN , it could be a simple question, someone always has to get offended ?.

I have been on this board for quite a while and yes I have read every thread pertaining to bsn -adn . From what I have seen so far from reading those posts are that some of the people who reply get offended or take it personally, for what I dont know. I was always just curious as to why some people on this thread always act as if people cant ask a question pertaining to bsn-adn without making snide remarks .

I am sure someone will take this post in a wrong way , but I am entitled to ask a question. Then some people just cant understand why some nurses are disrespected , but look at how most of the nurses, non-nurses or soon to nurses treat the other posters on this thread.

Nicole

I am an auditor and needed the BSN for this job. The research classes I took in the BSN program was beneficial.

The research classes I took in the BSN program was beneficial.

And the "nursing theory" classes I took for my BSN were very helpful too...

they made me realize I could endure any form of torture and brainwashing...

Specializes in Emergency Room.
I just want to clarify the misconception that some people seem to have that you only need a BSN if you want to pursue a management position or a Master's Degree. There are a lot of clinical (direct patient care) positions that also require a BSN -- and many others for which the employer would strongly prefer to hire a nurse with a BSN over someone without.

These clinical positions are generally ones in which the nurse has a lot of autonomy, may need the ability to evaluate the current literature for applicability to practice, establish policies/procedures, be seen as an "equal" member of an interdisciplinary team, etc. For these positions, the general education provided by the "liberal arts" portion of a BSN program and the additional emphasis on nursing theory and research are considered relevant to the person's ability to do the job well. Such positions include things like -- wound care specialist, diabetes educator, infection control specialist, continuity of care coordinator, discharge planner, ostomy specialist, pain specialist, etc. Some home health agencies also require BSN's.

Some people feel that they will never want BSN because they don't want to go into management -- and I read them telling students and perspective students that management (or grad school) is the only reason to get a BSN. They fail to see that the lack of a BSN limits their job options more than just with management positions. They are limiting the accessibility of these clinical positions that might be very appealing to them someday.

llg

well said. i never understood why people think a bachelors degree will only get you management positions. maybe it varies from state to state, but here i see ALOT of job postings for bsn patient care. some of these positions are mon-fri, some are even floor nursing positions, same day surgery, OR , ED and of course clinics. its nice to know that you can do something with a bsn besides management.

Hi

I know this question/statement has nothing to do with the question that was asked, but this is just a general question.

Why is it that when someone post a thread in association with BSN or ADN , it could be a simple question, someone always has to get offended ?.

I have been on this board for quite a while and yes I have read every thread pertaining to bsn -adn . From what I have seen so far from reading those posts are that some of the people who reply get offended or take it personally, for what I dont know. I was always just curious as to why some people on this thread always act as if people cant ask a question pertaining to bsn-adn without making snide remarks .

I am sure someone will take this post in a wrong way , but I am entitled to ask a question. Then some people just cant understand why some nurses are disrespected , but look at how most of the nurses, non-nurses or soon to nurses treat the other posters on this thread.

Nicole

I have read this whole thread, and have not seen a single person express defensiveness or being offended. Did I miss something?

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