Is having a ADN useless these days?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Do employers favor those with a BSN ?

I 100% agree with you. For some reason there are some nurses out there that think just because they can get by with the bare minimum, they never have to improve themselves again. To be honest, I would much rather hire a new grad BSN that values education than an ADN with 25 years of experience. I mentioned previously that here there is a 10 cent difference in pay for new ADNs and BSNs, but that would not deter me from pursuing higher education and I think it's a shame that some people don't think it's worth it. Those aren't the type of people I want to work with.

Totally true. I always wondered about the adn nurses who have 25 years experience that say you don't need a bsn.I wonder when it comes down to an adn with 25 years experience vs a bsn with 5 years experience,who would get hired first?

To be honest,we can't complain when they import nurses from others countries because we can't compete in terms of education. They are getting hired for that bsn,and if we don't have one, well,we really can't do anything but go back to school and get the bsn then so we can be on a level playing field.

For adns they have rn to bsn programs online,at state colleges ,everywhere. They are making it so much easier these days to get an advanced degree.

C'mom,you could even get the bsn without leaving your home. Not saying its easy or anything to get a bsn online,because I will definately takwe that route. But,someone really needs to address the cost of the rn to bsn programs. It's $15,000 for 3 semesters at Chamberlain. Who has that type of money?

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Specializes in Hospice.
At my hospital in South Florida, I am positive I got my job only because I have a BSN. They are looking to get magnet status and most of the nurses there graduated from a community college, so to get someone who already has a BSN helps their ratings. I was told that there were many people who applied to my position, but that my BSN was desirable. And I was out of the bedside for a couple years.

There will always be the debate of: which is better BSN or ADN, but many employers want a higher degree. It looks better on their hospital records to have a high number of bachlor prepared nurses.

So, the importance is not patient care or experience, it's how you made the hospital look as far as ratings? Perfect example of what's wrong with our field.

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psych, Primary Care and Triage.

Honestly, I think so. Most employers try seeking out those with BSN's, which my nursing instructor reports as just a degree full of "fluff" classes. The changes I have seen in the past with phasing out the LPN's in acute care setting or in hospitals all together and basically filling those positions with RN's with ADN/BSN and now the all of these facilities are moving towards hiring those who have BSN's. It basically makes it look like those who went from being an LPN to an RN-ADN is just a lateral move. The 2 year RN is now the new LPN. I personally think its a bunch of crap, but whatever. I have my ADN, but plan to go back to school for my MSN-Clinical Nurse Specialist, because I can't stand being a floor nurse anymore. Too much melodramatics and politics involved, along with the large number of insecure power hungry trolls running around the profession. Going higher so I don't have to be subjected to that as much.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

"Most employers try seeking out those with BSN's, which my nursing instructor reports as just a degree full of "fluff" classes."

Um, NO! Useless?

Who the hell sold you that false bill of goods?

Yes, Having my ADN is worthless...

The $11,000/month I'm currently pulling in Riverside California really has me down and out. I feel so inadequate making twice what advanced-practice nurses are making in the same field back in Atlanta.

For those of you with your BSN congratulations for a job well done. One day I might do the same but I DO NOT feel that I'm somehow lacking in any skills, education, or salary holding the 2-year degree. I've met some real bone-heads that made it thru the BSN program too. I guess it's what you do with it that counts.

Sheesh.... quite the egos here.

Vanity check anyone?

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"Most employers try seeking out those with BSN's, which my nursing instructor reports as just a degree full of "fluff" classes."

Um, NO! Useless?

Who the hell sold you that false bill of goods?

Yes, Having my ADN is worthless...

The $11,000/month I'm currently pulling in Riverside California really has me down and out. I feel so inadequate making twice what advanced-practice nurses are making in the same field back in Atlanta.

For those of you with your BSN congratulations for a job well done. One day I might do the same but I DO NOT feel that I'm somehow lacking in any skills, education, or salary holding the 2-year degree. I've met some real bone-heads that made it thru the BSN program too. I guess it's what you do with it that counts.

Sheesh.... quite the egos here.

Vanity check anyone?

No one here has said that the ADN is useless. As for vanity, you threw a bit of your own into the mix by tossing out your salary as if it's something we should be impressed with. But those of us who know better understand that you aren't making that much without working overtime. Plus, the cost of living where you live offsets a good deal of it. You could have made your point without even mentioning a dollar figure.

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All an adn like me and everyone has to do is take those fluff classes via the internet,its that simple. We don't even need to leave the house for that. Why are we complaining? As I said before,more people would porbably be more open to the rn to bsn if they lower the price,because at 15,000 for 3 semesters that's not exactly chump change.

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No one here has said that the ADN is useless. As for vanity, you threw a bit of your own into the mix by tossing out your salary as if it's something we should be impressed with. But those of us who know better understand that you aren't making that much without working overtime. Plus, the cost of living where you live offsets a good deal of it. You could have made your point without even mentioning a dollar figure.

That's accurate. Places like California,New York,and Nj are going to have higher salaries. Sure,I made 100,000 the year before but what people don't mention is overtime. For me,I had 2 full time jobs and a per diem one. But a 3 bed apt is 1700 in Nj,so that's where. Most of the money went.

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Specializes in Hospice.
Honestly, I think so. Most employers try seeking out those with BSN's, which my nursing instructor reports as just a degree full of "fluff" classes. The changes I have seen in the past with phasing out the LPN's in acute care setting or in hospitals all together and basically filling those positions with RN's with ADN/BSN and now the all of these facilities are moving towards hiring those who have BSN's. It basically makes it look like those who went from being an LPN to an RN-ADN is just a lateral move. The 2 year RN is now the new LPN. I personally think its a bunch of crap, but whatever. I have my ADN, but plan to go back to school for my MSN-Clinical Nurse Specialist, because I can't stand being a floor nurse anymore. Too much melodramatics and politics involved, along with the large number of insecure power hungry trolls running around the profession. Going higher so I don't have to be subjected to that as much.

I agree with your statements. I am not going any further in education but believe it is a terrible shame that the BSN's see little more money, respect, etc for their investment

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

I am an ADN RN who got a BSN through a state university's online program. Took me 18 months of part time online, study. It was easy. I didn't learn anything about nursing as there was only one nursing class, community health nursing, but it don't cover any ground not covered in my ADN program. I did get good at writing APA fluff papers about silly subjects. There was a a class designed to teach cultural sensitivity but it was shallow and superficial.

For me it was simply a box to be checked. My hospital paid for it. I don't make any more money. It seems to me that if a BSN was valuable it would bring in more money than an ADN. I understand that some hospitals pay a small pittance more.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
No one here has said that the ADN is useless...

Um, yes it was...

It was the intent of the original author AND as it turns out the title and focus of the thread.

Is having a ADN useless these days?

But those of us who know better understand that you aren't making that much without working overtime. Plus, the cost of living where you live offsets a good deal of it. You could have made your point without even mentioning a dollar figure.

Sure, for "all of you that know better"... I'm working exactly 4 shifts/week. 48-hrs. A whopping 8-hrs overtime! Not a great deal of overtime mind you. I certainly have worked MUCH harder for MUCH less.

My salary/wage was emphasized simply to demonstrate that for the impact of the ADN I possess, I know of a great deal of NP's that don't make near as much. My point... ADN, NOT so worthless.

As for cost of living... let me elaborate some more.

Little to NONE. Yep NONE

Travelers are compensated for cost of living in the form of stipends ($1500.00/WEEK that's NOT a part of my wages and is Tax-Free) The quick math 6000.00/month, 72,000.00/year Tax-Free that's not even my income.

I pay no rent, no utilities. Just food & gas.

Hell, My insurance is even comp-ed by the company. Yours probably comes out of your check and your wages. I don't care where you're living, which cost of living do you think is greater? Yours.

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Here in the Philly/South Jersey area, BSNs are more in demand, probably because there are so many nursing schools. Some of the biggest hospital systems no longer hire new ASN grads, and Jefferson discontinued its ASN degree program last year, citing employer desires for the BSN. Additionally, there are a bunch more magnet hospitals and now they want more BSNs. Hospitals around here can afford to be as picky as they like, because there is a glut of new grads.

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As long as we refer to nursing scholarship as "fluff", our profession will not get the respect it deserves.

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