Why are we so nit-picky? I drives my crazy.

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

A co-worker is on a committee to up-date our clinical ladder for RNs within my hosp.

Currently, there are 4 levels, CN-I thru CN-IV, with a CN-IV requiring a minimum of a Masters in Nursing. There is talk about allowing BSNs to apply for the CN-IV if they can show they are performing at a "Master's level". What is driving my co-worker (and me!) crazy is the nit-picking of the MSNs and BSNs. They are questioning whether or not this should include RNs with BSs with a focus in Nursing. My response to this was, "Huh?"

It was explained to me that if one graduates from a college that has an official "School of Nursing", one graduates with a BSN. But if one graduates from a college that does not have a School of Nursing, but the focus is nursing, one graduates with a BS with a focus in Nursing. It has even been brought up that if you graduated from one of these colleges, you should not be allowed to put "BSN" after your name on your badge, just a BS.

Now they are thinking about whether or not nurses with a 'BS' should be included with their 'BSN' sisters/brothers in applying for the CN-IV, since the new minimum requirement would be a 'BSN'.

Is that stupid or what? Am I missing something? Or are a few of the nurses on this committee just being elitist? AaaaaaaH! This is how it is at my hosp, though. These are the nurses who walk around in labcoats all day and no one actually knows what they do except go to meetings all day. (I am not talking about the NPs or CNSs who are wonderful, I am talking about those who love to tell you how to be a nurse today but have not actually seen a patient up close for 10 yrs.)

My manager told me the other day our VP of Nursing had told her that she was concerned why the RNs were not taking advantage of the clinical ladder to improve themselves and collect the bonuses involved. :rolleyes: My mgr suggested she get a clue and attend one of these meetings. I doubt if she ever does though.

Has anyone else ever heard of such trivial bulls**t?

Your pal,

Sherri

I've never had a problem with it but I have a BS, not BSN. As far as elitsm, our instructors told us that BS was BETTER than BSN!! Why, I don't remember now. I always have put on job applications, surveys, etc "BS" but it always seems to come out BSN as if there's no difference anyway. Personally, I don't care. 4 year degree in nursing is a 4 year degree in nursing, as far as I'm concerned. It's just that the department of nursing fell under the school of science at my school.

Semantics.

I may get flamed for posting this, but if the minimum requirement for a CN IV is an MSN, then require a MSN and nothing less. Sounds like a bunch of conflict hooey to me, and an issue like this will only decrease morale and pit nurse against nurse. Why not leave the CN IV alone and update CN I - III to allow nurses to move up the clinical ladder based on experience, education and performance. Just my opinion, but it irks me when facilities instigate conflict between staff and then wonder why all hell breaks loose.

I'm surrounded by corn and soybeans. it sounds like these are what fills the cranial cavities of some of those in charge of the clinical ladder!

Okay, I have a 4 year BN degree = bachelor of nursing. According to my old university, it cannot be called a BscN, because it is 3 science credit hours too short. Silly, I know. All I could say is that Ï'd be mighty cheesed off if I was passed over for a job just for those 3 science credits. I kind of wish there was a little bit of consistency everywhere, but that's asking for too much in nursing. I figure that as long as the learning institution is accredited, nobody's got a right to say this isn't a real nursing degree.

In my humble opinion they should fire all the nurses that are trying to figure out this B.S. And pay the nurses that take care of patients more. I take care of patients (I dont take B.S.) from those who dont. Hope everyone is having a great weekend

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

JMHO, those clinical ladders aren't worth the aggravation at ANY level...

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

One of the reasons they are revamping the CN-IV to include BSNs is that we only have ONE RN who is currently a CN-IV. This is one out of about 400 RNs. The other RNs in our hosp that have their MSNs are mostly the NPS and CNSs, and since the clinical ladder is for non-exempt nurses only, they are not eligible. I am sure there are other staff nurses here that have their MSNs, but because of the hassle you have to go thru to be a CN-IV, I am sure they are just not pursuing it. AND the one RN who is a CN-IV is the Education Coordinator for her unit and is 72 yrs old. She is wonderful and just a sharp as ever, but has not done bedside nursing for 15 years.

VickyRN, you are so right! And to think you would have to reapply every year after year after year. . .yuck.

Don't get me wrong. I think anything a nurse can do to improve him/herself is great, and clinical ladders have their place. In fact, getting my CCRN will not get me a raise or even a promotion, but it will help me in becoming a CN-III, which includes a $500 bonus every quarter. It's just the nit-picking among ourselves that just drives my nutty. I have read over the years the many posts in this website regarding LPNs vs ASNs vs BSNs, ....but now BSNs vs BSs? Come on, give me a break! Aren't we all smart and wonderful and the BEST DAMN NURSES IN THE WORLD?!!!!!!

I am sorry. I am on cold medicine and I just had a beer. . .so I tend to get passionate about things. . .

I just have to add, wherever I go, if I happen to meet another nurse, I don't ask his/her degree, I just immediately feel like they are my sister or brother and I have to give them a hug!!!

I should also mention when I am drunk or on cold medicine or both (like tonight) I feel like giving everyone a hug!!!

Thanks for listening. I am going to bed now. (((I love you all!)))

Sherri

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

911fltrn--I'm with you.

st4304--Didn't you ever play "king (or queen, if you prefer) of the mountain" when you were in grade school? Same game, different name.

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

sjoe,

No. I was playing with my Barbie nursing GI Joe on the battlefield. LOL.

(Deep sigh.) I just roll my eyes and get back to my patients doing what I love to do. Nurse.

Sherri

oh my look a new thing to fight and bicker over just what we need another who is better thread!

hey mark... mine is better than yours.... na na na....na na...na

LOL

carol

How about congrats to all those with a bachelors degree, still struggling for mine... love ya!

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