Hospitals only hiring BSN degrees, and no ADN?

[CheckThePoo]

Is anyone else having an issue in their area about hospitals only wanting to hire BSN degrees and not ADN? I'm just curious what the thought process behind that is? Do BSN RNs receive a "better" education than ADN in your opinion? I know they receive MORE classes, but does it distinguish abilities in your experience?

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

In my area many of the hospitals prefer BSN new grads and a couple hospital systems only hire new BSNs. These institutions are all university teaching hospitals and are Magnet facilities.

Locally there's also no shortage of new grads as there are at least 7 BSN programs in the immediate area (that I can think of off the top of my head) and the number rises if you look outside the immediate metropolitan area.

This was the main factor that prompted me to pick a BSN program instead of the much cheaper ADN program I was also accepted to. I was planning to stay in the area and I knew it was going to be hard enough to find a job with a BSN as a new grad.

[STLCCSTUDENT]

I live in the St. Louis area and from what i can see some hospitals prefer BSN but that doesn't mean you can't find a job with only your ADN. I am getting my RN, i have a friend who just graduated with her BSN. She has $50,000 in student loans and i will have no debt when i graduate, and starting pay is about the same ADN-$20.00/hr BSN-$20.50. Is 50 cents an hour more really worth $50,000 in loans plus interest? I didn't think so. Plus if you want your BSN a lot of times you can get the hospital to pay for it.

[fromtheseaRN, BSN, RN]

a lot in my area prefer to hire BSN as they are trying to achieve magnet status, but they still do hire ADNs. in the programs here, the difference between ADN and BSN is only 3 theory courses.

[STLCCSTUDENT]

It seems like there is a war between ADN's and BSN's. Be kind, because everyone you meet is fighting their own battle too.

[all4ofus, ASN, RN]

In the Dallas/Ft Worth area there is definitely a shift towards a preference for BSNs. Only one of the big chains posted that they only want BSNs, but two more have something along the lines of "BSN preferred" in their new grad job postings. I believe this is a fairly recent shift considering that I have talked with nurses who graduated as recently as two years ago and had no problem finding jobs as ADNs. I can't tell a difference between BSNs and ADNs when working with nurses in clinicals. It really depends mostly on attitude, I think. I also know several nurses who bridged to BSNs after receiving their ADNs, and you can't tell a difference between them and the nurses who graduated straight out of a BSN. So I think that the thing that is driving this BSN push is the desire to be a magnet hospital. There are people who argue that there is no relationship between going magnet and requiring BSNs, but you can't deny that there is a correlation of some sort. There are also numerous people who will say that going magnet actually worsened their working conditions. I guess it's all hearsay, but I know from my own personal clinical experiences that I would rather work at any other hospital chain in Dallas than the big "known" magnet hospital. During clinicals, those nurses were more stressed out and assigned a larger patient load than any other nurses I have worked with so far. Plus they had to carry cell phones and field phone calls from family and friends of their patients through their whole shifts, with only a 30-minute time frame to get meds out for all 6 (average) patients. Miserable. I would take a job there if I could find no other, but in a way, I am secretly relieved they don't hire ADNs (I am an ADN). I may regret saying that later, though. We'll see. I am graduating this semester and so far hospitals aren't jumping out of the woodwork to grab me. Good luck with whatever you choose!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

New grad BSN are far more likley to come to their first job with a large amount of student debt vs ADNs who usually have very little of no debt. Some managers see the BSN grads, with their large debt load, as being less likely to rock the boat and more likely to tolerate poor working conditions. In the past when nearly any RN could leave one job and have another the next day there was far less "BSN required" on job listings. Now that jobs for new grads are hard to come by there is less risk of nurses voting with their feet when faced with poor working conditions. BSN grads are seen by at least some managers as being much less likely to vote with their feet related to the high debt they have. An ADN with no debt is seen as more likely to vote with their feet even in the tough job market.

Considering this it is no mystery why the preference for BSN grads.

As for Magnet there is not cause and effect. The AACN does not require hospitals to hire only BSNs for staff nurse positions for Magnet. As one person said above there does seem to be a correlation. I believe the correleation is that both Magnet and BSN only hireing demonstrate a certain mentality among that hospitals administration.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I am of the opion that the BSN only hireing is actually a back door anti men in nursing attitude. The majority of men come to nursing as second or third career through ADN programs. The desire to prevent men form entering the field is, I believe, at least partialy the reason for the greater preference for BSN grads.

[WanderingSagehen]

Interesting comment about men. You may be right. How many men really want to spend 4 years to get a BSN? Many women would if money was not the issue. BTW an ADN takes 4 years with the pre-reqs. In my area the ADN's come out of school with more "hands on" good clinical skills than the BSN's who had more book time.

[kimsjc]

Like a previous poster stated, most ADN degrees require two years of prereqs and two years of nursing classes. A BSN requires about the same timeframe, perhaps a semester longer. Why not take an extra semester, and get a degree that will open more doors for you?

I have a BA in a non-related field, and elected to get a BSN through an accelerated program. It was one year, whereas getting a ADN would have been two years.

[STLCCSTUDENT]

I think it depends on the person and there situation. My ADN only cost about $10,000. But for me to get my BSN it would of been at least $50,000-$80,000 and i would of had to get loans. It was easy for me to work and pay for my nursing degree out of pocket. Plus i didn't qualify for any financial aid.

[WanderingSagehen]

Same here ($10,000)- but now when I go for my BSN I will be working and can pay as I go. It all depends on age, finances, situation, previous education etc. Really only $6,000 and a lot of lost wages for 2 years. I am saving my money for the fabulous vacation in the bahamas behind door #2! Oh and a new car will be nice.