How much harder is it to find a job with an ADN?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If you read these threads it's hard not to get the impression that ADN new graduate Nurses are significantly less likely to find employment after graduation, this claim gets thrown around with a surprising lack of data to support these claims.

At 4 months after graduation:

69% of Diploma grads were employed as an RN

68% of traditional BSN grads were employed as an RN

(65% of all types of BSN grads were employed as an RN)

61% of ADN grads were employed as an RN

54% of Accelerated BSN grads were employed as an RN

65% vs 61%. A BSN averages $30,000 and runs as high as $150,000, compared to around $10,000 for an ADN. That's a lot of money for a 4% difference in probability of landing a job in 4 months.

http://www.ajj.com/sites/default/files/services/publishing/deansnotes/nov11.pdf

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The article/publication says the data was collected from a survey of the National Student Nurses' Association new grad RN members.

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That whole article was pretty interesting. What really stood out to me, however, was that only 2% saw ADN as their highest educational goal, while a full 24% of new grads planned to go on to earn their doctorate. Wow! What an ambitious group....will be interesting to see what happens there.

I am part of the lowly 2%. I have an ADN and a BS in another field and am soooo done with school. I am very happy with the position I was able to land with my degree and previous experience.

I think the BSN definitely makes sense if it is your first run through college. It is that crazy ABSN that I just can't fathom. Those things are expensive as all get out. I graduated with my ADN with zero debt (the program was about $10k). A new grad ABSN I hired....yes, I was her supervisor....had nearly $80k in loans. At 40 years old no less! If I have a 180 degree change of heart and decide to go back to school I can earn my BSN for about another $12k. Doesn't this just make sense or am I really missing something?

I understand that everybody's journey is different, but to spend 4+times as much money for the same/similar outcome seems just awful. I do know, however, that many of the CC ADN programs are extremely competitive and more challenging to get accepted into than many BSN programs.....maybe that is part of the reason some choose to go the expensive route.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

I get a kick out of reading some of the ADN vs BSN threads. Where I'm at, nearly all nurses I know started with an ADN and may or may not continue for BSN. Just not all that relevant in being hired (currently) for my area unless you want to go into management. Even then, my hospital just placed an ADN nurse in a NM position while she's taking BSN courses.

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I went the ABSN route as a second degree (it leverages your previous degree's gen eds).

1. I cannot fathom paying 80k for a BSN - no idea where she went to school. I didn't pay anything near that

2. It's a love hate relationship with the pace. Sometimes it was great, other times you despised it

3. Depends on the area - some places will only hire BSNs or perhaps ADNs who plan on getting BSN at some point in the future

To me it's about getting bang for your buck. With my ABSN being attained in 15months, I planned well so I didn't need to fork out all that moolah! And because I eventually also want to get a phD for research.

As far as challenging, it's tough to get into any nursing program. I can't imagine someone paying more just to get into a less competitive program...

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This study is interesting, but limited in usefulness. One failing is that it only measures employment in "an RN position." Without information on the specific type of employment, it could well be that ADN grads are primarily being employed in LTC and other lower paying nursing positions. That would argue for getting a BSN. By the way, that is precisely what has happened in my area: While all new grad nurses are finding it difficult to land a nursing job, the majority of my fellow CC graduates lucky enough to even find a job, are working in nursing homes or in other non-hospital settings. This was not the case in the recent past.

While the difference between ADN and BSN nurses finding employment in "an RN position" is modest (and probably not statistically significant) what is really striking about the study is that more than one-third of nursing grads are not employed as nurses at all. At the same time, we see article after article painting a rosy picture of nursing employment and even repeating the canard of the nursing shortage. What is worse, nursing school enrollment continues to increase - this must surely be worsening the numbers of un- or under-employed new nursing grads.

What other employment are ADNs or BSNs for that matter, qualified for? If they can't work in "an RN position", what positions can they work in? Most places won't hire RNs as PCTs or other UAPs, so it's not clear to me that the third of nursing grads not working as RNs are even employed in health care.

Would like to see a more detailed study to answer these kinds of questions.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

In my neck of the woods, some hospitals won't even look at a new grad without a BSN because the competition is so fierce. I'll take that article with a grain of salt.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Supervisory, HEDIS, IT.

I got a job within a month of passing my NCLEX. I have an ADN and there were a lot of BSNs in the running for the new grad program at a local hospital.

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Specializes in Acute Rehab, IMCU, ED, med-surg.
I got a job within a month of passing my NCLEX. I have an ADN and there were a lot of BSNs in the running for the new grad program at a local hospital.

Ditto. At a magnet hospital, no less. Although the majority of the new grads hired had the BSN.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Onc.

I'm an ADN student graduating in 55 days. I've already had an offer for a hospital. The students that graduated in May all had jobs within a couple months of passing NCLEX. The ones that wanted to work in hospitals got a hospital job, maybe not in their dream speciality but that will come eventually. Event the magnet hospitals in my area are hiring us.

While there are areas that definitely have issues not all places a re dire for ADNs. Everyone I know that is graduating has plans for BSN eventually right now.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I got hired into a within 3 months of graduating as an ADN. I also was able to get a major hospital organization in CA as an experienced ADN. So it's not impossible.

However, I found out during my job hunt that, like it or not, there is a very real preference for BSNs among employers. Despite being experienced and holding specialty certifications, more than once I've been told that I had the wrong degree.

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I think it also depends on where you live. Some states require a bsn more than others like Pennsylvania

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