General, Pre-nursing education questions.

kataraang, BSN · Nov 13, 2016

You can certainly move around to different specialties. There are positions open for experienced nurses, but new in that field. You have to look for those kinds of job descriptions. Or, if the specialties are close enough and have overlap in skill, then they would probably hire someone with no experience too. For example, someone who has been in med-surg for 2 years may decide they want to try critical care. Even without critical care experience, those skills can be taught pretty easy to an already experienced nurse.

As for starting right out of college, yes. I am a new grad with an associates and I'm in an IMC unit (kinda like a step-down from ICU). I have no training in anything critical care. But I intend to learn.

I am lucky to have been hired with an ADN. You do often need a BSN. I am told I must get my BSN by 2020 though. So my hire was dependent on me continuing my education.

Pudding212 · Nov 13, 2016

Thanks so much for your feedback!

On the topic of your comment on BSN. I read online that it will be generally required to receive the BSN by 2020.. of course I was not sure how accurate this is.

Davey Do · Nov 13, 2016

I'd heard that they were trying to get rid of LPNs since I went through the program in '83. Then there was talk of all nurses being some level of RN. LPNs would become RN-As, ADNs would be RN-Bs, and so on.

I worked in ER as an EMT and in psych and OR as an LPN. As an RN with a ADN, I've worked psych, CD tx, OR, ER, med/surg, home health and administration.

HeySis, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2016

I've been a nurse for a long time and a few specialities, The great thing about nursing is if you get burned out in one area you can move to a different area. Lots of skills translate, assessment skills, time management, critical thinking. You may have to learn to do them in a different way, but that's part of the fun.

it seems as if you have to have certain education and previous experience for a certain specialty. Can you start out in your preferred specialty right out of college?

That all depends on your speciality. If it's going to be LTC then you can get hired right out of school, if you mean critical care... that depends. Some critical care units have New Grad Residency Programs and will ire a limited number of new grads (although most of their hires have some medical experience/background, which you do).

Where I live most job postings for bedside care state required RN prefer BSN. I got in a critical care unit (PACU) as a new grad RN (with lots of LPN years before that). My facility will give you money towards getting your BSN after you've worked there 6 months and with a time commitment after. I have quite a few co-workers that do not have a BSN and have no intentions of getting it. I'm doing mine now, while I'm still in the habit of studying.

I'm working in the PACU now, and I love it! I love learning the skills needed to protect an airway, assess an unconscious patient and treat them accordingly. I love the open pit we work in, and the fact that coworkers are within ear shot if you need help. I love doing one on one care. I love that if my patient is super frustrating, I only have them for a short time (30 mins to an hour and half are normal for us). I get to work closely with other RN's and the anesthesiologists, and they are a great group of people.

Don't like, sometimes theres down time that makes the day drag (if ORs are behind). I don't particularly love doing the paper work that comes with admitting a new patient and discharging them within the a short about of time. And there can be a few surgeons (not most) that don't put in their orders and then are hard to deal with/get them to do it. Most of my critical orders come from anesthesia, so I have time to get what I need from the surgeon once my patient is stable.

Good Luck whatever you decide.

Buyer beware, BSN · Nov 20, 2016

The ANA promulgated a "white paper" in 1965 designating the BSN as the future entry level academic degree to become branded a RN.

May I remind you the year is 2016 Ripp Van Winkle. Any movement on that one yet?

Why no.

Since the "nursing profession" does not own the means of production, in the eyes of the people that do, and the state, it matters not which one of the above mentioned degrees you have in order for anyone to employ you as an RN.

Nursing itself has no say in the issue of employment. Never has, never will.

RNs are a commodity and any business who employs them will try to get the most warm bodies at the lowest cost. (that's business)

Now there are some hospitals, designated as "magnet hospitals" by "The Commission on Magnet Accreditation," who in order to be able to claim magnet status will have a bias toward hiring nurses with a BSN. (that's the deal)

Nursing's and Nursing Education's Conventional Wisdom Tells Us:

The BSN degree through its more enlightened approach to decreasing patient falls, pressure ulcers, DVTs and nosicomial infections has been proven through "studies" and its apparent ability to imbue supernatural powers on all who are willing to pay the academic price for the BSN is astounding.

And this given the fact that many AD prepared nurses and even LVN/LPN prepared nurses have historically trained the new BSN prepared nurses who in many instances couldn't find their way out of the paper bag.

So what is going on here? Why do we as RNs continue to blindly propagate the myth that academic achievement correlates in any way with superior or even better patient care?

At this juncture you must know that I believe, as well as the ANA believes, as well as the states' believe, as well as employers believe, that the AD vs. BSN issue is more of a hyperbolic marketing ploy and cash cow for the nursing schools and accrediting agencies and magnet designated hospitals than a serious and urgent public health issue mitigated only by more BSN graduates.

And everyone is in on this gravy train but the worker bee nurses themselves.