Hiring a BSN vs. ADN nurse

[Julie4804]

when hiring a nurse, do employers hire a bsn-rn before a adn-rn or does

that have no weighing factor?

[suzanne4, RN]

No weighing factor that I have come across. It depends 100% on the individual nurse.

For management positions in most areas of the country, you are going to need some type of bachelor's degree, but again it is not necessarily required that it be in nursing.

[TazziRN, RN]

For direct pt care, does not matter. What matters is the individual and the experience. And experienced ADN will be hired over a new grad BSN.

[Mourkoth]

I worked for 6 years as a director of nursing. With experienced nurses there was no difference. If they were both new grads, I'd go with the ADN every time.

JDTaylor

[alex1]

I worked for 6 years as a director of nursing. With experienced nurses there was no difference. If they were both new grads, I'd go with the ADN every time.

JDTaylor

If both nurses were new grads, why would you choose the adn? Just curious.

alex

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

If both nurses were new grads, why would you choose the adn? Just curious.

alex

I'm not going to answer for the above, but apparently in some parts of the country ADN nurses have more and better clinical experience and make better bedside nurses. That is not true here, the ADN schools and the BSN schools have equal the amount of clinical time.

I agree though it doesn't seem to make a difference here, it's experience that matters most. Lately there is a trend that almost all our new grads are employed as techs and get to stay on as RNs regardless of their degree.

[mandrews]

I'm not going to answer for the above, but apparently in some parts of the country ADN nurses have more and better clinical experience and make better bedside nurses. That is not true here, the ADN schools and the BSN schools have equal the amount of clinical time.

I agree though it doesn't seem to make a difference here, it's experience that matters most. Lately there is a trend that almost all our new grads are employed as techs and get to stay on as RNs regardless of their degree.

I am a diploma nurse and I graduated with over 900 hours of clinical experience. Some of the nursing students from the colllege in our town have told me they do not get much clinical experience and at some of their clinicals they can only observe or do cna work. I am not sure why.

melissa

[ljds]

I think another reason that ADNs are sometimes preferred is that, in our area, anyhow, the ADN nurses almost always have programs where, after the first year, they are an LPN. Many of them work part time as LPNs during the last year of nursing school. So not only do they often get more clinical experience, but they also have more NURSING experience.

Also, many in the ADN program are nontrads (in my program of 28 students, we had 2 that were right out of college, the rest were in their mid 20s or more, only 5 didn't have kids). The programs often cater to non-trads who have to work. So alot of the students work as nurses's aides. In the BSN programs in our area, often times they tell students they won't have time to work during school, that school is all they should be doing. Not always, these are some generalizations, but this is my experience in our area (I looked into all the BSN and RN programs in the area before making my choice).

I think for floor nursing, in our area anyhow, they don't really care one way or another. It's for the more advanced positions that I see a preference or requirement for BSN.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

To the original poster - as you can see there are some differences in different parts of the country but overall, as a staff nurse, it won't matter. The BSN does however (nowadays) give you more options.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I am a diploma nurse and I graduated with over 900 hours of clinical experience. Some of the nursing students from the colllege in our town have told me they do not get much clinical experience and at some of their clinicals they can only observe or do cna work. I am not sure why.

melissa

We don't have any diploma programs here. But I understand that the extra year allows for a lot of clinical time. Probably not a bad idea.

Here the students are tied to their instructor or preceptor with tight apron strings, but they go get to do nursing work. I bet those students where you are feel completely inadequate when they get out.

To the original poster - as you can see there are some differences in different parts of the country but overall, as a staff nurse, it won't matter. The BSN does however (nowadays) give you more options.

I agree.

The BSN is worthwhile for those positions "BSN preferred". While the right ADN can get those jobs, or be promoted from within if they have a good reputation, there are positions where the BSN is either preferred and the BSN is preferred over the ADN.

[SFCardiacRN]

My brother trains new grads at an a LTC facility. He prefers ADN over BSN due to stronger clinical skills right out of school. However, BSN is still the preferred degree.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I worked for 6 years as a director of nursing. With experienced nurses there was no difference. If they were both new grads, I'd go with the ADN every time.

JDTaylor

You'd hire an ADN every time?

maybe it would depend on the program. The last 2 years of my nursing college were ALL clinicals......