Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

mcorrao77 · Jun 5, 2005

Well, I didn't want to step on toes, but as an AA nurse who went on to get a BSN I can say that there is a difference between the two. You may not get a major incentive from your employer for having the BSN, but I believe that doors of opportunity will open to you. They did for me. Within a few months of getting my BSN I was offered a position as a supervisor. With subsequent jobs I was moved into supervision or management positions if I wanted them quite quickly.
There is a difference is the training a person receives at a baccalaureate level of college. BSNs stay with me on this. How many term papers did you have to write for your upper division nursing classes? We had to write one for every class, footnoted and referenced! I never had to do one term paper in my AA program or any kind of research. Almost every BSN I've talked to has commented about all the writing that had to be done. And, it seems that process recordings are a big part of most BSN programs too. For my program, we had to do a couple of them for each clinical class. How many people have had to turn in comprehensive care plans that were 40 pages long and loaded with references to nursing texts. We were never given a model of nursing to follow for my AA program, but we sure were for my BSN program (had a whole course on it) and every care plan had to reflect that nursing model or your grade suffered. My professors in my BSN program constantly challenged us to self-analyze our actions and re-evaluate what we were doing with patients whether it was patient teaching or patient care. It was a very indepth and concentrated type of learning, not just memorizing facts and spitting them back out on a test. We were taught to really think problems through and to seek out solutions by using references.

I agree with you 100%!! My BSN program is exactly like this. When I first applied to nursing school, I was thinking "Great, no papers!!" (Since I hated writing papers in my first college degree experience. (My BSN is my 2nd bachelors degree) But it's all about critical thinking and what you as the nurse can do to increase your understanding of nursing practice. It's definately not about memorizing your notes and "spitting them back out on a test". I totally, 100% agree that my BSN program will make me a better nurse because of this. But for me my program is one year long! Of course, it was a very intensive program, but since I went to a SUNY school, it was so much cheaper than other schools I was looking at. It is an accelerated nursing program and if anyone who has a previous BS degree and wants to get into nursing, I recommend this.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2005

Well, I didn't want to step on toes, but as an AA nurse who went on to get a BSN I can say that there is a difference between the two. You may not get a major incentive from your employer for having the BSN, but I believe that doors of opportunity will open to you. They did for me. Within a few months of getting my BSN I was offered a position as a supervisor. With subsequent jobs I was moved into supervision or management positions if I wanted them quite quickly.
There is a difference is the training a person receives at a baccalaureate level of college. BSNs stay with me on this. How many term papers did you have to write for your upper division nursing classes? We had to write one for every class, footnoted and referenced! I never had to do one term paper in my AA program or any kind of research. Almost every BSN I've talked to has commented about all the writing that had to be done. And, it seems that process recordings are a big part of most BSN programs too. For my program, we had to do a couple of them for each clinical class. How many people have had to turn in comprehensive care plans that were 40 pages long and loaded with references to nursing texts. We were never given a model of nursing to follow for my AA program, but we sure were for my BSN program (had a whole course on it) and every care plan had to reflect that nursing model or your grade suffered. My professors in my BSN program constantly challenged us to self-analyze our actions and re-evaluate what we were doing with patients whether it was patient teaching or patient care. It was a very indepth and concentrated type of learning, not just memorizing facts and spitting them back out on a test. We were taught to really think problems through and to seek out solutions by using references.

I think because the AA/ADN programs are geared towards NCLEX is the reason not many papers are written. I didn't write many papers in my ADN program either. I think too BSN programs that aren't RN to BSN program, do have a lot of those memorizing facts and spitting them out, otherwise they wouldn't be prepared for the NCLEX style of testing.

In the RN to BSN program I am in now, I've written more papers in the first course than I did the entire time in my ADN nursing courses. :)

So yes, there is a different focus in the two in some areas, but not all as Carolina has pointed out.

mcorrao77 · Jun 6, 2005

I think because the AA/ADN programs are geared towards NCLEX is the reason not many papers are written. I didn't write many papers in my ADN program either. I think too BSN programs that aren't RN to BSN program, do have a lot of those memorizing facts and spitting them out, otherwise they wouldn't be prepared for the NCLEX style of testing.
In the RN to BSN program I am in now, I've written more papers in the first course than I did the entire time in my ADN nursing courses. :)
So yes, there is a different focus in the two in some areas, but not all as Carolina has pointed out.

My BSN program is not "a lot of those memorizing facts and spitting them out" schools. I will be prepared for the NCLEX by utilizing my critical thinking skills and my knowledge of nursing by applying it, not spitting back information! Anyone can spit back information.

daisybaby, LPN · Jun 7, 2005

Come out to the Golden State. Wages and differentials are pretty good here.

:) I actually visited UCLA's MSN program last year, during my first ever trip to the West Coast and I LOVED everything California! :) I applied, was accepted...and then chickened out when I thought about how far away it would be from my family.

Now I'm back to the "what if....?" stage again. If you have any thoughts on where the good MS programs are, I'd appreciate your comments. I'm really thinking about taking the plunge, for real this time.

DCB · Jan 23, 2006

Hello, I am a diploma nurse with 33 years of many facets of Pediatric Nursing. I am currently a Pediatric Plastic Surgery Nurse Coordinator.

DCB · Jan 23, 2006

As an old diploma RN (30 +years), I am very saddened with the way we have been treated. As far as I am concerned, diploma programs were the best for teaching bedside care which included physical, social, psychological etc. And we wrote papers up the you know what!! 20-30 page care plans (2 per week) with a large requirement of references.

I have worked in Pediatrics most of my career from inpatient to ambulatory settings to Private offices. My doctors have loved my experience and care and did not ask about my degree. I listen to PNP around me with 5 years of experience and they do not have 1/2 the knowledge I have learned from experience.

I will soon complete a BA in Health Management. Mainly, because I am so close and want to accomplish it. The reason it is not a BSN is this:

If we are so short of nurses and they want us all to have a BSN, then why are diploma nurses not allowed into the programs without retaking most of our subjects? My instructors were from a 4 year college and a few had PHD's in Nursing, yet they look at my transcripts like they are Greek!!

This is one of the biggest problems in Nursing. Administrative Nurses and Colleges not acknowledging diploma nurses' training or experience.

Thanks

tinyrita · Jan 27, 2006

It will never happen.As it is the United States is headed for an unprecendented recession.Why pay an Rn when you can pay someone else less.

I know.I know.Its not ethical, but welcome to the United States of America.Money talks.The agenda of the world controllers is to equalize the united States with the rest of the third world.Hence importation of cheap labor and exportation of jobs.Add to this a 300-400 trillion deficit.

Youll be lucky to have a job in a few years.

Listen to any major economist.The ship is sinking.Only the very elite will have a good time of it.

Thats more than a grand a year types.Everyone else better make plans.HAHAHAhAh.

casper1 · Jan 28, 2006

When I first heard about this change I was not happy. I graduated from an associate degree progran in 1993 and have been working full time in a hospital since then. Over the years I haven't felt a BSN education prepared you any better for hospital nursing. Experience working in a hospital is the best preparation.

The hospital I work at recently became a magnet hospital. Their has been a push for Nurses to be BSN educated. Their are more opportunitys for Nurses with a BSN. I've started an accelerated RN to BSN program through my hospital. They have made it so easy. Classes are held at the hospital once a week. The hospital helps with tuition cost. The program in informative and interesting. Going back to school has helped me to renew my enthusiam for nursing. Exploring new ideas and concepts is exciting. I would recommend returning to school for any nurse who is feeling burned out with nursing. It really has helped me re-kindle my love for the profession.

JoshuaC · Aug 13, 2006

Maybe for a start they could just give more perks to RN's who have their BSN. Personally I'm going to school to get my ADN but then going right back into school to get my BSN. I have a pretty good reason: I get free tuition at a school my dad works for, but they only offer an ADN program (brand new actually). So I'm getting my ADN without having to pay, then going right back into school to get my RN-BSN. I wish I could just get my BSN straight through, but two years of college paid for, I can't pass that up.

I do feel for the people with only the ambition to get their ADN. A lot of factors go into education (time, family, money, ect..), so it's easier for students already in BSN programs, or going into BSN programs, or RNs who have already gotten their BSN to throw words around. Although that's how I feel, I agree that the BSN should be the entry level degree for nurses; nurses are the backbone of healthcare, and they need more empowerment.

I mean, think of what would happen if there were no nurses. The world would fall apart!

fgoff · Aug 13, 2006

I wonder???? If we think a BSN will equal more respect/empowerment and thus more money from hospitals: Where will the hopsitals get the money? Past it on to consumers? Lower the CEO's expense account???

Just wondering??

I have a BSN & it has opened more doors in nursing than what would have opened without it, for that I'm grateful, but I was never told that I would be paid more so I didn't expect it.

As noted by another poster (sorry forgot title) the USA is behind other countries in not requiring a BSN as its enter level. But I'm guessing that a good number of those countries have a very different payment system for health care.

middleageNP · Aug 13, 2006

Does anybody wonder why so many hospitals are incouraging their ADNs to receive their BSN? I agree that 2 additional yrs of liberal arts are not going to make a BSN a better nurse than a ADN. But the reality is, internationally, higher education is always viewed as a positive advancement. Because it equates to more dedication, and willingness to do whatever it takes to get you to where you want to be. Whether that is true in every case is insignificant, the main point is that, that is the general thinking.

How many of us feel superior to a person who has a less than a high school acheivement? Be honest... In that sense, the more knowledge, the more empowerment.

Given the constant shortage of nurses, I don't believe the government would ever require all nurses to have a baccalaureate. In my opionion, that serves as a ploy to continue the low wages nurses are getting. In almost every other profession, one that requires higher education, salary is a matter of price and demand. The more demand the higher the wages, so why are nurses who purportedly are always in demand don't get the higher wages they deserve? I personally think it's because LPN and ADN are considered an occupation skill, not a profession. Thus, nurses don't receive the respect they deserve. Admittedly, I don't know the ratio of LPNs/ADNs vs. BSN. But I'd venture a guess to say there is a higher number of LPNs and ADNs than BSNs. If all it takes is a few more classes to help us get more respect and pay, why should we not be for it?

Please note that I haven't even started nursing school yet, but I decided to go straight for my BSN instead of ADN because my goal is to be a nurse anethesist or nurse practitioner one day and that would mean I'd have to have a BSN anyway. With that reason, BSN does indeed open more doors.

Palmo · Aug 15, 2006

Hi,

I have heard alot about this lately...

I am in a RN bridge program...which is ASN...

I plan to get my BSN but I also think that with the shortage of nurses these days... the whole thing is unrealistic...they have been saying this on and off for years...threatening to drop a ASN to LPN....but this to me can't realistically "fly"