I'm not going to lie...

[StudentOfHealing]

Some people genuinely annoy me on here, I'm ALL for furthering education but dreading those of us who choose to start with our ADN is complete disrespect.

Had my mother been healthier (she has RA and her pain is becoming unbearable.... she's a massage therapist ... her hands are her money makers) I would have gone the BSN route.

There's nothing more that I want than to retire my poor old mom.

Going the BSN route would have meant

a) A further drive... lets just say our vehicles SUCK! My community college is even walking distance .. need be!!!

b) I would have had to pay 25K for the BSN... my ADN costs 5K.

c) Graduating later...I need to retire my mom... NOW ... she's 57 ... has HTN ... she's already had 2 hypertensive crises. Her RA puts her in awful pain

I appreciate higher education. I know I will bridge for my BSN and I plan to obtain my MSN by age 24.

I'm currently 20 and in my second semester.

side note: I hope that after I obtain my BSN THEN I will be qualified worthy of obtaining a job in the ICU. I will apply everywhere either way....

what do I have to lose? My friend graduated with her ADN and received a position as a NICU nurse... as a new grad!

I'm glad to say that everywhere I go the nurses truly enjoy us... and tell as graduates from our college make some good nurses.

For a community college we've done pretty well. Recently spent millions on a simulation lab... new lecture rooms... ect. I personally am learning a lot here and he best part is that if I graduate with a 3.0 I AUTOMATICALLY am accepted into UTMB upon applying because my college has a deal with them.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Just curious, what program/school do you go to and how many semesters?

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

Just curious, what program/school do you go to and how many semesters?

I attend a community college in the Houston area and the ADN program is 4 semesters (2 years) after being admitted and after pre-reqs of Algebra, English, Bio A&P 1 and 2, Micro-Bio, Pharmacology, Sociology, and Psych and Psych Life Span, Humanities or qualifying Cultural Art and PE. I began very slow the first 2 semesters to get back in the groove of learning, because it had been 20+ years since I had taken a college course. So for me it was 4 years January since I took my first class. At 48 I am the 3rd oldest student in my graduating class. I am so proud of myself, because this has truly been the hardest thing I have ever done!! Lord knows I know difficult, since I've given birth to 2- 9 1/2 lb babies and raised 3 children lol I know I will also enjoy getting my BSN, but it could never mean as much to me as graduating from Nursing school will with my current classmates.

[FDW630]

I'm in a 4-semester ADN program, too. It took me 3yrs to do my prereqs as a stay-at-home mom, working around schedules of my babysitters. As soon as I pass my NCLEX, I can take the RN to BSN courses that my college offers. So I am getting my BSN from a glorified community college with a great reputation among local hospitals for about $16k, including books and uniforms during the ADN program. Steal. :)

[cm13sc]

I do not understand why people are going back and forth over the issue. There are great BSN programs and there are great ADN programs. Everyone chooses to attend a certain program based on what works for them at the time. I am in a BSN program but I do not think that I am any better than ADN students(I have plenty of friends in ADN programs). However, I do think that there should only be one level of entry into the nursing field. I think nursing would be more respected as a profession if BSN was the minimum entry level. Lets all be honest even an ADN (which is considered a two year degree) takes longer than two years. The fact that there are three ways in which one can enter the field is quite confusing and seems skeptical to people that aren't in the field. I know cost is a factor for many who choose to go the ADN route. Hopefully BSN programs can become more affordable in the future.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

I about to graduate from an ADN program in 3 months. People do a lot of talking....... And that's all it is inane cases useless banter. All I can say is let them talk and let time and opportunity be your friend. Also let statistics be your ally. In the past year I've seen the release of many articles in professional/academic journals, "leisure/entertainment journals, in the president's and governor's speeches etc... About the increasing value of community college and technical education as time moves forward.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2012/12/31/forget-four-more-years-why-community-college-could-be-your-ticket-to-financial-success/

http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/12/30/16193094-in-the-math-of-education-two-years-sometimes-is-worth-more-than-four-years

It scares me when some people talk about how much they have to pay back loans right out if school, and they shoot me nasty looks when they ask and I tell them I haven't had to take out one loan yet, and will not have to for my BSN, that I will start the summer after I graduate.

With all the time added up to get my ADN and BSN, yes it will be 4 years, but I would have started working after 3.

So one day when your sitting at a desk and everyone is talking about school, you can feel confident that you made the right decision. In my area ADNs can still get jobs easily.

Really when someone educated at a level higher than yours, shows disdain or preference for individuals with specific credentials, it A.) Shows that college doesn't necessarily make you open-minded and B.) Put plain and simply, they're acting as if they're envious or jealous because you were "qualified" enough to do the exact same job they are doing.

No matter what many may argue, the plain fact is, nursing school prepared you to enter into practice and pass NCLEX as a minimally competent nurse. The NCSBN apparently doesn't see a gap in ADN and BSN education as to require two different licensure examinations. Enough said right there.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Put plain and simply, they're acting as if they're envious or jealous because you were "qualified" enough to do the exact same job they are doing.

No matter what many may argue, the plain fact is, nursing school prepared you to enter into practice and pass NCLEX as a minimally competent nurse. Enough said right there.

Enough said.

Qualified in quotes and minimally competent.

This should be nursing educations goal?

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

I about to graduate from an ADN program in 3 months. People do a lot of talking....... And that's all it is inane cases useless banter. All I can say is let them talk and let time and opportunity be your friend. Also let statistics be your ally. In the past year I've seen the release of many articles in professional/academic journals, "leisure/entertainment journals, in the president's and governor's speeches etc... About the increasing value of community college and technical education as time moves forward.

Forget Four More Years: Why Community College Could Be Your Ticket To Financial Success - Forbes

In the math of education, two years sometimes is worth more than four years - Life Inc.

It scares me when some people talk about how much they have to pay back loans right out if school, and they shoot me nasty looks when they ask and I tell them I haven't had to take out one loan yet, and will not have to for my BSN, that I will start the summer after I graduate.

With all the time added up to get my ADN and BSN, yes it will be 4 years, but I would have started working after 3.

So one day when your sitting at a desk and everyone is talking about school, you can feel confident that you made the right decision. In my area ADNs can still get jobs easily.

Really when someone educated at a level higher than yours, shows disdain or preference for individuals with specific credentials, it A.) Shows that college doesn't necessarily make you open-minded and B.) Put plain and simply, they're acting as if they're envious or jealous because you were "qualified" enough to do the exact same job they are doing.

No matter what many may argue, the plain fact is, nursing school prepared you to enter into practice and pass NCLEX as a minimally competent nurse. The NCSBN apparently doesn't see a gap in ADN and BSN education as to require two different licensure examinations. Enough said right there.

Very well said

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

Enough said.

Qualified in quotes and minimally competent.

This should be nursing educations goal?

Did I ever say that this should be our goals? If I did or implied that I apologize because that is not my belief that those should be our goals. On the contrary. I will graduate when I'm 20 and WILL be an FNP by the time I'm 24. Of course I believe continuing your education is good, I did emphasize I was starting my BSN immediately after I graduate.

However, I am saying that it is a fact that the purpose of NCLEX is to assess that you are minimally competent. Nursing school prepared you to enter practice as a Novice nurse.

Please don't over analyze my seemingly simple statements. I hope I've clarified my position.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Please don't over analyze my seemingly simple statements. I hope I've clarified my position.

It's great you want to continue your education, it's such an important part of nursing.

It's true that both ADNs and BSNs pass the same basic competency exam to enter practice. There is just so much more to nursing than basic competency and as you gain education and experience you will (hopefully) come to realize it more and more.

[Anoetos, BSN, RN]

All you'd need to do is look at the website of a BON. There is a minimum, not a maximum. By virtue of that, you cannot accurately say it's impossible for different programs to have varying amounts of clinical time. So will have the bare minimum. Some will have more. The curriculum isn't that standardized (at least not everywhere.)

exactly as boston has said, what i am intrested in seeing supported is the claim that adn programs regularly exceed or ever did regularly exceed these minimums while bsn programs merely meet them.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

exactly as boston has said, what i am intrested in seeing supported is the claim that adn programs regularly exceed or ever did regularly exceed these minimums while bsn programs merely meet them.

I can't speak for all places. The case in my local area is that some BSN get the same clinical time, but it's not necessarily as hands-on as some if their other clinicals will be.

For example, one local BSN program have multiple observational experiences that count as "clinical time". My ADN program also has select observational experiences but no more than 2, if we are going to a new area or an area that is a privilege like watching open heart surgery.

I just completed an assigned independent community mental health project where I had to have an observational experience at a mental health facility. This was not counted as clinical time, however.

In observational experiences student simply just observe. Also where I am into last semester and dating for 4 or 5 patients with minimal oversight, our local BSN students in their last semester are caring for 1 to 3 pt. Now this is one specific school in my area.

I know other BSN programs that give a "better" clinical experience, so that students receive a QUALITY Clinical experience. There are gear ADN and BSN programs.

Also, I imagine it would be difficult to produce much useful statistical data on whether ADN school are going over the minimum required hours for clinical training as it can vary year to year and program to program. At our program, during our final preceptorship we can choose to do more than the required 120 hours with our individual preceptor. The last 6 weeks of our semester we are returning to regular clinical with instructors.

[Anoetos, BSN, RN]

Without questioning your analysis or the size of your data set, I'll just say that it's hardly overwhelming and it's certainly not adequate to make sweeping generalizations about quality and depth of clinical education. That said, and since we're comparing experience, my own clinical immersion as a BSN student was both broad and deep. The irony is that I never hear BSN prepared nurses or students insist that they are or will necessarily be better nurses than their ADN prepared colleagues merely because of their training.