Is it harder to find a job as an RN with an ADN only than with a BSN? (San Francisco)

U.S.A. California

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I want to get my associate's degree from the community college that I am currently attending. I live in San Francisco, CA and almost all the nursing school's near SF are highly impacted. But if I do get into the ADN program and earn my ADN and become an RN, will it be harder to find an ADN-RN job than an RN-BSN? Do places require than RN's have BSNs only? I would love to get my BSN but all the schools that offer BSN programs are highly impacted and super competitive. My plan right now is to go for my ADN then maybe get my BSN online, is that a good plan? Has anyone ever done that, get their BSN online? How much is the pay difference between an ADN and BSN?

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Specializes in wound care.

no i would say almost not at all, being licensed in your state is whats important, now with that being said if your are trying to get a admin job , or eventually become a DON then a bsn helps , but just working on a floor doesnt matter at all , as for pay difference here in texas its a quarter to 50 cents in some facility's, but that really depends on the place

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

In some areas, ADN vs. BSN makes no difference at all. In your area, the BSN would probably be a better choice unless you want to relocate. And you might need to relocate even with a BSN.

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Specializes in ER.

Sometimes having the ADN can affect you getting a job. It depends if that hospital is trying to get or stay magnet status. When I graduated it took me several months to find a job in 4 different states. Some places told me not to apply because I didn't have my BSN, others because they didn't want new grads. Pay difference depends on the hospital or state. Here in New Orleans there is no pay difference in degree, only in position. I hope this helps

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In Northern California, many hospitals are preferentially hiring BSNs. This is partly a function of hospitals seeking magnet status, which requires that a large proportion of nurses hold BSN degrees. However, the vast oversupply of jobseekers in the region is also allowing hospitals to be very picky about who they hire. Many managers find it easy to narrow a large field of applicants by screening according to the degree held.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

In my area OR, I think it is harder if you want to get a hospital position. Most LTC, clinics and offices don't care they just want you to have your liscence.

Now the hospital systems in my area are moving to BSN required, one the requirment is by 2018 all RNs will be BSN

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Pretty much all of the hospitals in Philadelphia are requiring a BSN. As in don't even bother applying if you don't have one.

I think it's a good plan to get your ADN first because even if you can't find work (unlikely if you really try), think about how much money you'll save in tuition. Those 2 years of community college would cost you 2-3 times more per credit at a college or university. And as long as you stay in the same area, you should have no problem transferring all of your credits to count towards your BSN.

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Specializes in Infusion.

Rural and semi-rural areas are far more accepting of ADN new grads than big city hospitals. That's what I've found around Oregon.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

More often than not you'll find a preference for BSN's if there is any preference. Although at my hospital we are currently only hiring ADN's, BSN applications are not currently being accepted.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I attended a conference the other day and heard from Karen Daley, who is the President of the ANA, talk about the direction of nursing in light of the Institute of Medicine report (http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health/Report-Brief-Education.aspx). The challenge per that report is for ADN to be phased down, much the same way that diploma nurses have been. The goal she mentioned is that 80% of the RN workforce be educated to the level of BSN or higher by 2020. I encourage you to read at least the brief (which I linked to) of that report if you are considering a program.

Personally, I am in a community college ADN program, but plan to immediately enter an RN-BSN or RN-MSN program on graduation. I know most hospitals in my state hire ADNs frequently, but there are some health systems in nearby cities that will not hire new-grads without a minimum of a BSN. If they hire an ADN, they have significant experience.

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I'm from San Francisco and am planning on getting my ADN. Can anyone from the Bay Area, or anybody who knows, tell me if it's harder to find a job as an RN with an ADN only? I know it's probably a better plan to get a BSN first, but I just can't at the moment because I can't afford it. My plan is to get my ADN then work for a couple years and then go back to school to get my BSN. Any help/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

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It will be incredibly difficult in the sf bay area without a BSN. as you may know, one of the focal points in the latest strike referenced hospitals eliminating their non-BSN nurses, or rather, not hiring new RNs without BSNs. Inevitably, that's the road these hospitals are going, whether sooner or later. I'd put money on it. Better to exceed qualifications, it's competitive out here.

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