How do you feel about ADN nurses?

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My name is Stacy and i will be graduating in May with my ADN nursing degree. I was wondering what everyone thinks about nurses with ADN degrees? Do you think they should go on? Let me know what you all think.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Michelle G., your comment about being smarter than BSNs because you passed NCLEX with 2 years of education is silly at best! If you think hard enough about the curriculum structure differences between the two, you would not have said that comment (even in parenthesis)! This kind of comment is reflective of the 2-year education you have.

ah, as if to prove my point: here we go.......Another post insulting an entire group of ADN degree-holders in one fell swoop. THIS is what I am talking about. If you have a concern with ONE individual's comment, kindly address THAT and keep it FOCUSED on that one comment/poster---please refrain from insulting an entire group in order to make a point.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Anyhow, back to the OP. Check out that site I posted early for information about ADN nursing and its advocacy. In case you missed it, here it is again:

http://www.noadn.org

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I have heard BSNs complain of being less prepared than either diploma or ASNs, and the best education I've obtained has been experience & a willingness to learn as opportunities arose. The hospital I worked at saw that I became ACLS/ATLS/PALS certified since 1987, they also encouraged us to obtain certifications in our speciality areas w/pay raises as incentives. (there is no incentive for advanced degrees w/our respective depts). I have also had the privilege of taking a 6 mo PACU/Critical Care course, and was chosen to be sent to a larger teaching hospital for an OR Circulator course offered for experienced RNs; I was then utilized in the OR as well as PACU/ASU/Pre-Admission Screening. I originally started college as an English major, (under pressure by my advisors b/c I was an english honors student) but switched to nursing. I lack a few classes towards my BSN (Western Civ, Statistics, some literature course)- yet nothing would be as helpful & pertinent to what I do as the options offered & paid for by the hospitals I've worked at- although I should add that they do have a good tuition reimbursement program. My advice to anyone questioning whether to go on to obtain the BSN is do it part time while working & gaining expertise as an RN- and take any opportunity you can to further your goals- a good nurse IS a professional- those hung up on what "degree" you have are truly ignorant & have lost sight of the big picture. Good Luck!

This debate has been going on since BSN programs started. I am an RN (diploma school) with almost 30 years of clinical experience(in patient and ambulatory care). In that time I have come to realize that the "BEST" nurses are those whose use the education they have had to the best of their ability for the good of the patient. A million dollar education from the best school in the country doesn't guarantee the smartest or best prepared nurse. As a professional organization we will NEVER gain the respect or recognition we deserve untill we stop fighting and debating among ourselves. Nursing education should always grow and respond to the changing needs of a population and not rely on who or what deems a Professional. We are professional by virtue of our license not by what program we attended.
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Michelle G., your comment about being smarter than BSNs because you passed NCLEX with 2 years of education is silly at best! If you think hard enough about the curriculum structure differences between the two, you would not have said that comment (even in parenthesis)! This kind of comment is reflective of the 2-year education you have.

I meant it to be silly, it was a joke, that is why I put LOL after it. I was just trying to get a point accross, since some people think they are better and smarter than me because they have a BSN, I was just trying to defend my self. I feel it doesn't matter if you went to college or not, it comes down to what you know, and experience... for all I know someone who didnt even graduate high school could also be smarter than me, but doesnt give the right to constantly rub it in my face and tell me that I am not a good nurse or I don't know what I am doing, or not qualified enough because I only have a ASN. If you read all my previous posts, you will see that I feel no matter what degree you have, it really depends on the individual, the schools we came from, and the experience we have, and that's what makes us a good nurse, it doesnt matter if you have a BSN or ASN. Having a BSN doesnt make that person any better than anyone else, we are equals, we are all RN's, we all took the same test, and we all need to work together, we all balance eachother out, and are supposed to be a team. Also for your information I did have more than 2 years of education. I'm soory but I think you took it the wrong way. Now you are the one being a little rude with your last comment, and this is the kind of stuff us ASN's have to deal with and try to defend ourselves against, and it should not be that way....Once again WE ARE ALL RN'S, it doesnt matter what degree we have, we all worked hard to become an RN. I dont know how many times I have to say it!!

Thanks

Michele

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okay, I'm still a little new to this, but what's up with the rude remarks? we are all adults, why can't we just respect other people's education and comments? yes, this topic has been on here for a while, but I enjoy reading what others have to say about it. I'm going after my second bachelor's degree (obviously in nursing) and I honestly want to know if my extra time, effort, and money were all worth it. besides, if you don't want to see another one you don't have to reply it.

:o

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ADN is great, but you need to go on with your BSN to have more nursing opportunities aside from bedside. Having a BSN will open many more doors and you will get the respect that all nurses deserve. I has an ADN for 26 years before I went back to school. I just got the BSN and starting the MSN in two weeks. At work many new nurses were getting paid more than I, because they had a BSN. Many years of experience was ignored when it came to pay. After all getting the BSN was not difficult.

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your goals should help you with that decision. from a clinical standpoint, i think an adn grad is far better off when starting out because they have far stronger clinical skills than their bsn counterparts. after a year, though, you cannot tell them apart. some people have it and some don't. your hospital will probably pay for you to continue for your bsn. good luck.

please elaborate on 'some people have it and some don't' i always think about that - so what if i get all a's and everything - what if "i don't have it" - please as an experienced rn help me understand what is included in this "it" and if there's any way i can get a feeling now as a student if i have it or not so i don't find that out in 2 years after i went through all this..... :uhoh21:

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well... I'm not a nurse yet... but it's just a calling that some poeple have to helping others. If you feel that you can dedicate your life to helping other people over your own personal gains then you might have something in the health care field. I was a computer engineering major the first semester and I liked it but I felt there was something missing... I didn't want to be designing a processor or a computer program while there are people out there who need help. Maybe you should try volunteering at a hospital or do community service and see how you like it.

I don't really think anyone can truly define "it" Heck I might end up not even being a nurse... There's something about being a male in the nursing field that's still holding me back, and the amount of hostility I just received from some people certainly didn't help, but we'll see... everyone is different I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough... Good luck!

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We were just having this discussion today, and one of the BSNs said she has not rec'd any perks or higher pay in her 15 yrs of experience for her BSN. She is also our DON, (formerly one of our staff nurses) & her pay rate is higher b/c of the position, not her degree. Previously that position was held by an ASN. Our clinical coordinators & resource RNs are all ASNs. When hiring, our administration looks for experience first, and pays for experience; higher pay based on a person's degree does not happen. As for opportunities away from the bedside, I've never cared to leave the bedside, I love working w/people & keeping up my skills. However, when I read the classifieds, I do see that most of the teaching opportunities are for MSNs- we do have one ASN (working towards BSN) who teaches clinicals for CNAs & LPNs. I guess there's no rule when it comes to wages for ASN vs BSN, but if teaching is your goal then apparently you really benefit by having an MSN-- although the pay scales reported on the news for professors of nursing are lower than our staff RNs are making!! (Incidentally, one of our BSN's just turned down a part-time teaching position at a local college b/c the pay was less than she makes as a per diem). I have a close friend who is an IT Manager, when she got her Associates Degree she got a 10K/yr salary increase- she is now working towards her Bachelors which will also bring a hefty pay raise-- if nursing ever catches up w/the business world we'll know we've made some progress!!

ADN is great, but you need to go on with your BSN to have more nursing opportunities aside from bedside. Having a BSN will open many more doors and you will get the respect that all nurses deserve. I has an ADN for 26 years before I went back to school. I just got the BSN and starting the MSN in two weeks. At work many new nurses were getting paid more than I, because they had a BSN. Many years of experience was ignored when it came to pay. After all getting the BSN was not difficult.
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ADNs are one of the reasons nursing cannot be considered a profession

I agree with the ANA in that the BSN should be the minimum level of education.

This is exactly why nursing is not considered a profession.

WE are indeed divided about which is what.

Just the other day, I heard from a AJN article and WE as nurses, have so many associations,ie. state associations, ANA, UAN,

The list goes on endlessly.

No wonder no one knows which way to go.

Here we are, the nurses caring and making plans for the patient to get betterand yet, we do not know how to make nursing better.

It would be nice if we had one union over us all (as the teachers do), and know where we stand.

We have to fight to stay together.

And, not pull each other apart.

I have seen A BSN nurse ask a LPN what to do .... now, this opened my eyes of how the LPNs get that clinical experience.

In my personal opinion, the best RN was the Diploma RN..........of which they did away with. It is a shame.

The Diploma had the clinical and theory...had discipline and maybe were the most professional.

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okay, I'm still a little new to this, but what's up with the rude remarks? we are all adults, why can't we just respect other people's education and comments? yes, this topic has been on here for a while, but I enjoy reading what others have to say about it. I'm going after my second bachelor's degree (obviously in nursing) and I honestly want to know if my extra time, effort, and money were all worth it. besides, if you don't want to see another one you don't have to reply it.

:o

Hi ...I know someone who is going for her 3rd Bachelors.. all different areas.

Wish I had the money....but at the moment(clearing throat) I am unemployed.

And, have a son in college.

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I'm a BSN from West Virginia...and yea I have a southern hillbilly appalachian accent....Be proud of your heritage!!!!!....I was researching the origins of accents once and came across a post from a PhD who said that some people place too much emphasis on how one talks....accents....correct grammer etc...and they felt it wasn't important at all.....it's just communicating and doesn't always indicate a persons education level...In other words as long as the person you're talking to understands what you're saying who cares what you sound like...lol....This professor indicated that the written word is where the emphasis should be placed....when writing papers etc...I for one agree with this philosophy....C'mon.... ya'll know when writing "formal" papers we don't write the same way we talk....

As for ADNs and BSNs....you can't tell who's who when practicing nursing....You have good and not so good nurses with both degrees... I do however feel like you should be compensated somewhat for you're education..

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