Is having an ADN really a terrible choice?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Hello!! I just recently graduated with an ADN degree one week ago and waiting to take my boards. I been.an LPN 8yrs amd finally decided togo back for my RN anf here i am...but i digress...

Is having an ADN REALLY that? I already have a job lined up and i will be starting soon....the main reason i offered the position was becuz of my RN completion and i will be takin my NCLEX soon. Grant it, it at a LTAC facility but i figure this is a great way for me to get experience and.not become part of the sooo many new grads (ADN&BSN) that are not employed becuz they soooo desire to work in a hospital.

So please can someone clarify, IS HAVING AN A.D.N. DEGREE A TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD WASTE??

(some post i read sure makes it feel that way) :-(

Being as all this may just published an article from local NJ newspaper that hospitals in that state are starting to *require* all nursing staff without to complete their BSN in a given time frame. This follows what is going on across the Hudson in many areas of NY including NYC where BSN is probably the de facto requirement for at least new grads.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
Being as all this may just published an article from local NJ newspaper that hospitals in that state are starting to *require* all nursing staff without to complete their BSN in a given time frame. This follows what is going on across the Hudson in many areas of NY including NYC where BSN is probably the de facto requirement for at least new grads.

I think my BSN was the only reason I got a job offer. The nurse manager mentioned that she decided to set up an interview because of it. It may be that hospitals are trying to shy away from the tuition reimbursement thing..just a thought. For many years the school of thought was "get your ADN and then find a hospital to pay for your BSN."

I'm not trying to start a BSN vs ADN war.. Fwiw I think ADN nurses are awesome, and they get tons of clinical experience. In my BSN program, we were heavy on theory, light on clinical experience. But the market is tough for even a BSN trained nurse. When I was still actively job hunting, a lot of nursing homes in my area said they couldn't hire new grads at this time :(

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

I got my ADN 20 years ago and have never been denied a job because I didn't have a BSN. I have only 10 years left to work so NO WAY will I go back to school.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I got my ADN 20 years ago and have never been denied a job because I didn't have a BSN. I have only 10 years left to work so NO WAY will I go back to school.

The job market was a lot different 20 years ago. And after you got a couple of years experience under your belt, your experience level trumped your academic creditials. Today's new grads face a different situation -- one in which their academic credentials matter a lot as they try to get that first job with no previous nursing experience.

It's not realistic to base recommendations for students today on what was true for new grads 20 years ago. They need to base their decisions on what is likely to be true for new grades in 2 or 3 years. The clear trend for most competitive jobs is "BSN preferred" and it is moving towards "BSN required" in many job markets.

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Depends on the area you reside in and your specialty area. I did the CNA class during pre reqs to see if nursing was a good fit. Then after pre reqs and while wait listed, a got a hospital paid PCT and phlebotomy class I worked as a CNA PCT and MHT (behavioral nursing home experience and an AA plus AGS degrees qualified me for that title) while in school. Half way throuugh I got my LPN. Six months after completing the ADN and working as a RN in rehab I went back for the BSN because hospital jobs were hard to get and prefered the BSN

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Specializes in Med Surg.
So please can someone clarify, IS HAVING AN A.D.N. DEGREE A TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD WASTE??

Yes, a total waste. Although the $167,907.94 I have made since earning that degree and starting work in July, 2011 sure as heck takes the sting out.

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My ADN was a great choice back in 1993! I never had trouble finding a job. I worked soley in hospitals (NICU) until last year. The whole ADN vs BSN thing simply was never an issue until recently. Now I have experience on my side.

I honestly think it is silly to hire RNs simply based on a few letters behind the RN. If they are great nurses, GREAT! But I fear some awesome nurses are being overlooked based on some letters and no other reason.

To the OP, I don't think your degree is a waste at all, but it certainly lacks the "buying power" it had when I was starting out.

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BSN Prepared Nurses Connected to Fewer Patient Deaths

This is one of the reason. New York will stop hiring ADN next year. I don't know which classes BSN students take which is not in the ADN program but if that equates to lesser mortality, BSN is worth pursuing.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Purdue-Calumet offers RN to BSN in fifteen months. You take ONE class at time for five weeks, with a week off between clesses. All online. :yes: I think the credits are around $375.00. A total of around $11, 000.

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Specializes in Critical care, ER, Med surg, Cardiovasc.

ADN and BSN take the same NCLEX exam. Until they change that format, they are basically the same. BSN focuses on leadership and management roles. If everyone wants to be in management, who will care for the patients? Besides, I have seen ADNs and even LPNs with more leadership skills than a BSN nurse.....

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To answer the question, it's not terrible. A degree is a degree and a certification is a certification. If you want to advance yourself, it should be for your own satisfaction. My husband do not have a degree but earns more money than me and neither is his boss who makes millions. What matters is, are you a safe and knowledgeable nurse?

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I got my ADN 20 years ago and have never been denied a job because I didn't have a BSN. I have only 10 years left to work so NO WAY will I go back to school.

With all due respect you are a seasoned RN with nearly a quarter century of experience under your belt. It is not quite fair to compare yourself to new grads entering the nursing employment market today.

Twenty years ago wait lists for entry into nursing programs were are and often standards a bit lower. One not only could enter a program with a 2.5 GPA with ease but remain, graduate, and sit for state boards (a two or three day pencil and paper affair given twice a year only in most states) all with that same low grade point average. One could also graduate on a Friday and start working the next following Monday as a GN all with that same minimal GPA, no certs or anything else required.

Know plenty of ADN nurses at least here in NYC with equal if not a bit more years than your good self that have been *informed* they need to get their BSN. A few work at NS-LIJ facilities and like yourself had no plans on "going back" but when their hospital became part of the NS-LIJ system and that place instituted a BSN policy things were what they were.

Obviously cannot speak for the rest of the USA but here in the NYC/NJ area new grads without a BSN are low on the totem pole when it comes to hiring. An outstanding ADN grad *might* get an open slot but she/he also will likely be informed continued employment past a certain point requires obtaining the BSN. Have no proof but feel certain the various software programs used for online submission of applications in this area screen out new grads and or others without "BSN".

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