higher pay for BSN grads?

123456yy · Feb 22, 2007

This is a difficult subject for all the great reasons that have been previously discussed on this thread. Question: Can we justify paying entry level BSNs, with no experience, a higher salary than RNs with years of experience? Especially when those more experienced RNs are providing more expert care? The bottom line is this.... Do you want to be compensated for the extra education you have worked hard for and EARNED? Nursing is one of the ONLY fields in which higher education (your BSN), on average gets you NOTHING (or next to nothing) in the area of compensation. The only way the nursing community will ever be fully recognized as a profession, and properly compensated for the hard and technically difficult work we do is to start CHARGING for it! It has to start somewhere, people! Do paralegals (even those with years of experience) make the same salaries as the lawyers they work for? NO! Why? The lawyers won't allow it! We are one of the only professional communities who allow our new members to be treated this way! We penalize higher education with average pay.

I do understand the opinions of all those with decades of experience who say that new nurses shouldn't be paid more, and that there is no substitute for experience. You're right! But in 2 or 3 years, those new nurses will be more experienced, with a BSN perspective, making them more valuable than ever to the advancement of the profession.

This profession has a history of being taken what we are handed, and for bickering amoungst ourselves. And I say again, it has to start somewhere! For the advancement of the discipline of nursing as a profession, this has to stop! We, as a community, have to start recognizing the long term benefits of higher education (both for the patient, and the nurse), and compensating accordingly! (I will now get off my high horse!)

TennesseeERnurse · Feb 22, 2007

I think many hospitals are moving toward requiring a BSN degree in order to practice. Until we as a profession acknowlede that standard education requirements are a necessity, our pay will not increase and our responsibilities will remain the same. It is difficult to justify more pay in a profession where there are so many entry level degrees.

TennesseeERnurse · Feb 22, 2007

I need to add something to my previous post. Research has shown time and time again that mortality rates and patient oucomes are better in hospitals where MORE BSN nurses are employed and involved in direct patient care. Research numbers are what they are. Should BSN nurses be paid more? Yes.

elizabeth321 · Feb 22, 2007

But in 2 or 3 years, those new nurses will be more experienced, with a BSN perspective, making them more valuable than ever to the advancement of the profession.
This profession has a history of being taken what we are handed, and for bickering amoungst ourselves. And I say again, it has to start somewhere! For the advancement of the discipline of nursing as a profession, this has to stop! We, as a community, have to start recognizing the long term benefits of higher education (both for the patient, and the nurse), and compensating accordingly!

.....:making them more valuable than ever"....I disagree.....you make it sound like having your degree is a good thing...I don't agree....oh and by the way I am a couple courses short of having my degree....for reasons that are not related to this conversation....degree nurses are not better nurses....and personally I do not see how requiring degrees has made better nurses....not at all.

Liz

suzy253, RN · Feb 22, 2007

I need to add something to my previous post. Research has shown time and time again that mortality rates and patient oucomes are better in hospitals where MORE BSN nurses are employed and involved in direct patient care. Research numbers are what they are. Should BSN nurses be paid more? Yes.

Are you referring to the 2003 study that proved to be totally flawed?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2007

I need to add something to my previous post. Research has shown time and time again that mortality rates and patient oucomes are better in hospitals where MORE BSN nurses are employed and involved in direct patient care. Research numbers are what they are. Should BSN nurses be paid more? Yes.

Tims and time again? Has there really been that much research?

https://allnurses.com/forums/1379680-post3.html

Gramps · Feb 23, 2007

Quick poll here...
Does your hospital pay BSN nurses more?
If yes, how much?
If no, what are your thoughts on this?
On a side note:
Does Magnet status tie into BSN nurses?
I have heard that in order to become magnet, a certain percentage of nurses at your facility must have BSN degrees. Just a question..
Thanks!

I am a diploma graduate of 1971 and my BSN in 1997. My job description did not change nor did my hourly wage. Several years ago, the NLN did a study of the three programs to determine the real difference. They came up with two things. Reacearch and Public Health was seen more with the BSN prepared nurses than with the ADN or Diploma. More and more nursesw are utilizing sites such as this for research regardles of acidemic prep and home care agencies are now much more common rather than just Public Health Nurses going into homes. Until there is a real difference in a lisence exam and Job description, and expectations, there should not be a difference in pay. Gramps

Gramps · Feb 23, 2007

Not until they have different entrance exams into nursing and not until the job description is also different. We all worked hard in our programs. I am a diploma graduate from 1971. My BSN in 1997. I spent as much if not more time in the class room or clinical site than did friends in Four year programs at the same time. Our three year diploma program was year round for three years . . . including summers and very short breaks for christmas.

BeHappy! · Feb 23, 2007

OK folks...bottom line, GREAT NEED for RN's. The need is so large many healthcare provider's chose not to hire only BSN's as opposed to ADN's because they are so short staffed. Also, many nurses are second career nurses and have a Bachelor's in another degree, they also have done the research part of a degree. Shouldn't they also receive the same pay as a BSN? Many grey areas. Added note: Interviewed nursing staff in a previous hospital and city wher I lived....most of the nurses preferred working with /hiring the ADN students/RN's over BSN's simply because they had more clinical experience and were critical thinkers. I thought that was interesting as I thought it would be the opposite considering the added schooling and research etc that BSN students must do. Hmmm. :rolleyes:

troutfishinEMT · Feb 23, 2007

I wish everyone would just stop arguing.

Did you ever let a patient die with dignity?

Just... let them go? How much of an honor is that to be there for someone at that time.

With family or just with you.

This thread should be treated the same way.

Let the bickering go, because it's not helping anyone.

And we are all here to help; that's my reason for doing this job, anyway - not .50 an hour or more letters after my name - I do it because I care.

troutfishinEMT · Feb 23, 2007

I'm not a hospice nurse, but my point is that... damn - if all you care about is the money, or your degree, then maybe you should choose a different field.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Feb 23, 2007

The Aiken study was fatally flawed, and here's why:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/critique-study-more-bsns-equal-better-pt-outcomes-157387.html

The most important reason is this: the study never actually or even statistically compared BSN to ADN outcomes. It made abstractions based on assumptions that were in turn based upon first cherry picking which data made it into the study.

That study is akin to me saying that Toyotas get better gas mileage then Fords. It's what I expect to find, but in reality, what I really measured was that Toyota has more green-colored cars than Ford. Green painted cars must be more eco-conscious than other types, right?

~faith,

Timothy.