Hiring outlook for ADN vs. BSN in your town?

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Hey y'all,

I am wondering what the job outlook is like in your town for an ADN vs. a BSN. Are hospitals still as willing to hire ADNs? ADNs, how fast were you able to find work when you graduated? Where are y'all located? I am in the Dallas, TX area and would love if anyone had any information on this area specifically. I am getting ready to apply to school (I will probably apply for an ADN program and a BSN program to cover all my bases)... I've read more than once that BSN is really the way to go in Dallas and need some feedback! Thanks!!

Graduated in 12/09 ADN

Licensed in 05/10

Employed 06/10 @ a SNF

Employed 01/11 @ a level II trauma center on a med surg floor

I work shoulder to shoulder with RNs that have their BSN, we are paid the same, we do the same job. A few very specialized positions "REQUIRE" a BSN or an MSN and even then with the proper experience, exceptions will almost always be made.

The REAL difference between BSN and ADN is I got my ADN for free going to community college, while many of my coworkers paid 30 -40 -or even 50,000 for their four year degree.... and their usually the ones asking me to start their IVs and Foleys ;). Some of charge nurses have their ADNs... If you have the time and money, extra education is always a good thing but IMO your time would be better spent doing something that could actually make you more marketable... (IE learning to speak another language, I learned to speak Spanish, I find it very marketable.... ) Being bold, and having confidence is something no body will be able to teach you no matter how long you go to school...

Dont be discouraged by negative posts you see here or anywhere else... I think that many people spend too much time complaining on the internet about the "bad economy" and the "tough job market" and not enough time pounding the pavement and and aggressively marketing themselves and creatively problem solving. Every day hundreds of nurses are getting new jobs. Some of those nurses are New Grads, you just got to make yourself one of them.... Becoming a nurse was one of the best decisions of my life... and I STRONGLY encourage any interested person to a career in nursing regardless of the challenges that may exist.

my :twocents:

The REAL difference with BSN vs ADN, relative to the OP's question, is that some employers WILL NOT HIRE YOU, won't even interview you, without a BSN. They don't care how good you are at IVs and Foleys because you won't get a chance to show them without a BSN. Others will hire ADNs but only after the BSNs. Again, as many have already stated, this is regional, which is why the OP is getting some VERY WISE ADVICE to research the area(s) she is willing to work in before making her decision. It does no one any good whatsoever to sugar coat the issue, and potentially causes great harm.

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Specializes in MS, ED.

OP, did you post this in the Texas forum as well to get feedback from some locals? I'm a fellow Texan but now live in the New York City area, or I'd be happy to offer you some tailored advice.

I am a diploma grad and didn't have an issue finding work; I already worked at a hospital and was hired after passing NCLEX. I also had offers from a doc and a hospice I had volunteered with throughout school. After starting at the hospital, I put out a ton of resumes to find opportunities for more experience and found per diem and seasonal work in vaccination clinics and risk assessments. I did (and do) a range of volunteer work in and out of the area. Now, coming up on a year, I accepted a second position at an outpatient facility after some interesting interviews in a variety of specialties.

Yes, there is a glut in higher-paying areas, no lie. There are more grads every year, and plenty of people are well or better qualified, but that doesn't mean the work isn't out there if you try hard enough. I have seen employers who 'require' BSNs, but not enough to shut me out of work. JME, of course.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Denver isn't Dallas, but:

Most job postings for hospitals say "BSN preferred." Many say "BSN required" or "BSN required within 2 years of hire."

However, ADNs with the right experience don't seem to be having much trouble.

New grad ADNs, on the other hand, are having a VERY difficult time finding hospital jobs (and some hospital truly refuse ADN new grads). BSN new grads are having a difficult time too, but not as difficult.

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Thank y'all!! I can't believe I didn't think to post this in the Texas section too :smackingf I did want to get a feel for what it's like in the rest of the country out of curiosity, but I will definitely put it in there too to get some local answers. Still, thanks for all the good input, I really do appreciate it!!

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In my area you'd definitely want to go the BSN route if you can. The local preference is for BSNs and the job prospects for ADNs are so bad that the city's newspaper did an article on it not too long ago. It's not impossible to get a job as an ADN, but you have fewer hospitals to choose from as several of the major systems in the city are BSN only.

It might not hurt to call around to local hospitals and explain that you are planning to pursue nursing and ask if they have a hiring preference for ADNs or BSNs and what they think of the schools you're considering.

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Specializes in FNP.

Not good for either, but better for degreed nurses. The hospital system does not hire ADNs. Nursing homes do, ut I don't think there is much demand right now.

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BSN in managerial positions. ADN floor positions.

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ADNs have a degree.

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Not good for either, but better for degreed nurses. The hospital system does not hire ADNs. Nursing homes do, ut I don't think there is much demand right now.

Uhh last time I checked the D in ADN stood for degree.....

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The BSN degree is more beneficial in the Dallas area due to the enhanced job opportunities that it will bring. For example, if you are a new grad with an associate's degree in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, some hospital systems absolutely do not want you because the poor economy has resulted in a glut of too many nurses. This means that hospital systems can adopt more selective hiring processes that weed many good applicants out.

The BSN degree is a new weed-out tool for new grads. For example, the HCA hospitals (Medical Center of McKinney, Medical City Dallas, Medical City Children's Hospital, Medical Center of Arlington, Denton Regional, Medical Center of Plano, Plaza Medical Center, North Hills Hospital, Green Oaks Hospital) have resorted to only considering BSN degree-holders for their new grad RN internships. This means that the many wonderful new grads with associates degrees won't be working for any of these facilities unless the economy turns around (or unless they have an inside connection to HR).

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Thanks Commuter! That was really the kind of info I was looking for about DFW. Given that information, do you think it's worth it to go for BSN instead of ADN? My only real options would be Baylor (which would break me financially!) or UTA (which is pretty far from where I am)... right now my tentative plan is to do Brookhaven and then their Texas Tech RN-BSN program immediately after. Thanks again for your advice!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

While we're around the topic, I still can't believe UTD doesn't have a Nursing program! They offer a certificate in Chess Education... no Nursing! :(

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