BSN vs. BS???

PennyLane, RN · Oct 22, 2002

Uh, I think they're the same thing? Bachelor of Science in Nursing? Anyone, anyone.....Bueller, Beuller?

Mattigan, RN · Oct 22, 2002

When I was in school they tried to make a big deal out of the difference. I didn't take with me because I don't remember but I do remember the ex- army nurse Dean repeatedly saying.... "You have a B.S. with a major in Nursing. NOT a BSN" like one was "better" than the other then she complained to the bookstore because the school rings said BSN on one side and the year on the other and we weren't BSN's.

In other words I don't know what the difference is.

Anybody????

Gigglesforall, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2002

This is weird...we just had this discussion in class yesterday. My professor said that there basically is not a difference, that you graduate with a B.S. with focus in nursing. She also said that even though you graduate with a B.S. you can still put "BSN" behind your name. Does that sound right? Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

Jackie

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2002

I have a BS and my major is nutrition. All hard classes. In Australia where I wanted to do traveling nursing they would not accept my BS and I would have to go to school first there to work in that country. I could not afford to that either. The BS can give you many majors, not just nursing specific but could definately improve your patient care. I use my nutrition ed all the time for caring for patients.

renerian

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 22, 2002

In the United States, there is a technical difference between BS(in nursing) and BSN just as their are differences in MSN and MS and between PhD and DSN (or DNSc, etc.) However, most people are not aware of it and it rarely makes a difference at the undergraduate or Master's levels.

The more specific BSN, MSN, DNS, etc. means that the degree is awarded from a professional school (of nursing) that determines the rules that govern the program. That school might be a designated school within a larger college/university, but the key fact is that it is recognized as a separate school in terms of some of the university's internal rules that govern how programs are run.

In PhD, MS, BS programs, the degree is award by the entire college or university -- in which the school of nursing is a "department," not a separate school. The total academic community usually has more influence in setting standards, etc. in such a program. At the undergraduate level, such things rarely make a difference. However, at the PhD level, it sometimes does. At the doctoral level, having your degree confirmed by the entire academic community (and NOT just the school of nursing) sometimes matters when seeking respect and acknowledgement from people in other disciplines. They want to know that the standards of the program were as high as they are for other disciplines. A DSN, etc. program can be just as good and maintain standards that are just as high, but if it has not gone through the same official approval process that other PhD programs have, there is not the official documentation of those standards and some people in other disciplines may not be so accepting of the degree -- particularly when it comes to evaluating academic standards.

llg

EMT-Native · Jun 9, 2011

I am enrolled in Stony Brook's BS program focusing in nursing and the difference explained to me are what the post above says and the BS program takes classes with Med Students like Pharm and Patho.

NursingGCW · Jun 10, 2011

Uh, I think they're the same thing? Bachelor of Science in Nursing? Anyone, anyone.....Bueller, Beuller?

hahaha beuller! :lol2:

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jun 10, 2011

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but is there a difference between a BS and a BSN degree? They are both in nursing, so why do some schools give you a BS and others a full BSN?

They do it with a lot of degrees. I have a BSME - Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Still just a bachelor's degree.

That being said, either a Bachelor's or Associate's degree in *Nursing* gets you a ticket to the NCLEX and RN licensure. That is indeed a very special type of program and degree and some of us like to make a big hairy deal about it. :cool: