If I am aiming to be an RN, should I get my ASN or BSN?

BahoRN · Jun 25, 2014

As with many other things, it depends a lot on the school you're attending, and the city you live in. But, that aside, I had no experience in health care when deciding to become a nurse. For this reason, I took the 2 year ASN course, graduated, found work, and continued with my ASN for @ 5 years. I feel the clinical experiences and skills learned were fantastic compared to BSN-only prepared RNs. I also saw that me and my ASN counterparts emotionally acclimated sooner to the hospital environment and complexity of acute care.

Once I received my BSN degree through a RN-to-BSN course, the entire focus was not on patient care, but rather community nursing, public health nursing, nursing research and nursing leadership.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the decision to get the ASN first and to have naturally evolved into the BSN degree.

Smaller, regional, non-teaching hospitals will continue to hire ASNs for some time to come. They don't have the budgets for a fully prepared BSN staff.

Be confident in your studies, actively learn and participate in the course and clinical segments, and be prepared to wait for that dream nursing job just a little while longer :)

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 25, 2014

In general, I agree with BahoRN ^^^^. Just want to point out that there is unfortunately very little salary differential for BSN in most organizations. So that is usually not a consideration when deciding to restrict hiring to BSNs.

In the US, acute care is highly regulated at the Federal level. Based on irrefutable evidence on patient outcomes, the Feds (IOM) have 'recommended' that hospital RN staffs are 80% BSN by 2020. Other 'bodies of influence' have adopted the same stance. Hospital Liability Insurance premiums are being affected - better rates for those who meet this standard & higher rates for those who don't. So - in the US, the 'BSNs for entry level in acute care' movement has reached critical mass - it's not going to stop. Some hospitals have made a dramatic change and others are doing it by attrition... hiring only BSNs to replace exiting staff. Some are beginning to raise the bar even higher - to "MSN preferred" for clinical nurse positions.

If you want to work in acute care (hospitals) you are going to need a BSN. But I am also sure that there will still be plenty of non-acute options available for ADNs.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2014

Good day, alconos:

Go for your AD to get your RN, and plan for the BSN right away (either through work -- best case, or right after).

Thank you.

dt70 · Jun 25, 2014

This is what I have observed:

BSN > ASN Market demand. BSN Market Value = ASN Market value.

ASN > ROI - Delayed Opportunities. BSN

ASN + RN to BSN = BSN.

ASN vs BSN = TIE ?

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 25, 2014

It all depends on:

1. Where you live

2. What type of job you want as a new grad (and long term)

3. The quality of the schools available to you

In some circumstances, not getting the BSN first will prevent you from getting a good 1st job ... which will make it harder for you to get a good 2nd job and on the career path you want. However, in other place (and for certain career tracks), the ADN is not much of a disadvantage.

You really need to investigate your LOCAL job market related to the type of job and nursing career that you want.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2014

There are many different factors that you should consider. My advice is to research at least 5 programs and figure out the different requirements for each program and the method they admit. I would also recommend you should also consider the cost.

First, find a handful of ADN programs and get information such as the pass rate, the admission style, the cost, and whether the ADN programs have partnerships with RN to BSN schools and the cost of those.

Then find a handful of BSN programs and get the same info with the exception of the RN to BSN info.

Then look at the different hospitals and see what type of job postings you see. See if you can find Facebook groups of the different schools and ask what their experiences are.

The admission style is important because some will admit on a waiting list and those lists can be quite long. Some people report waiting 4 years to start clinicals. There is another style that is where you get points for admission such as GPA, test scores, individual grades, etc and you find out whether you get to start the next semester. Keep in mind that there could be over 100 applicants for 20 spots.

I have an ADN and I have had no trouble finding a job because I worked in an ER and was a volunteer ff/EMT. I worked in an ICU but hated it so I quit and I am starting a job in an ER in a different hospital. My old ER wanted me back but the main company refuses to hire contingent nurses. I am now in a different company. However, both BSN and ADN graduates had issues in my job market finding jobs.

alconos · Jun 26, 2014

I appreciate the info guys. And I live in central florida if that matters.