Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

Pompom · Oct 28, 2006

I am finishing up a BSN program and I can honestly say it does not make you a "better" nurse. The BSN program is really "BS", all research and writing, very little to do with nursing at all. I think this is a mistake for ny state to make. Of course this battle has been fought before and ADN did not go away.

Halinja, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2006

Personally, I can't see how it could possibly work logistically. The percentage of ADN's to RN's comes down heavily on the side of ADNs. If all the ADN's dug in their heels, at the 10 year mark, how would the hospitals staff their units?

oneLoneNurse · Oct 28, 2006

Most Canadian provinces I think make new graduates take a BSN. If you have had an RN for many years you will probably be grandfathered in.

NurseguyFL · Oct 29, 2006

I've been hearing about this mandatory BSN thing for years and I seriously doubt it will ever happen. I admit, it would be nice if we all had the same standard educational background, be it a BSN or an MSN or whatever. But, I really do not see the relationship between having a BSN and being a good nurse. I have a BSN and although a lot of the research I did for my degree was interesting and educational, most of it had nothing at all to do with actual patient care. I will even go a step further and say that most of the BSN program is nothing but a seemingly endless series of research papers about nursing theory---a lot of which is ancient history and no longer relevant to modern healthcare practice. I've been working with RNs who were RNs from before I was even born. Many of them do not have a BSN degree but they still have more knowledge and much more of a practical background of experience than I do. When it comes to critical patient care, these people would waltz circles around me and my BSN degree.

With so many nurses retiring and so many others quitting to pursue other careers, who will they hire to take care of the patients after they get done revoking and suspending all those licenses?

BSNtobe2009 · Oct 29, 2006

bad, bad, bad idea.

an rn with a bsn is no more qualified to care for a patient than an rn with a diploma/adn.

i can understand the desire to "upgrade" the minimal education requirements for rns, to keep us in line with the minimum degree requirements of other health professionals.

however, other health disciplines "grandfathered in" people who were licensed with lower degrees (for example, when pharmd became the standard for pharmacists, they didn't require that all pharmacists get their doctorates, just the new pharmacists. others were allowed to continue to practice.)

and given that there isn't exactly a surplus of rns running around, requiring the bsn boarders on insane.

right now, the hospital system where i work is requiring anyone in middle-management get their bsn. upper management has to get their msn. more understandable, since bsn has more to do with management and research. however, the hospital is having a hard time getting people to comply. some just don't have the time to go back to school.

but requiring everyone to get their bsn or no longer be able to practice? not a good idea at all.

(by the way, if anyone is wondering, i do have a bsn)

even though i can understand why states would want to move to a bsn requirement, i am totally against making everyone in the profession, that is a currently licensed rn, to have to get a bsn for the very reasons you described.

if they want to make the requirement, fine, but the ones that already have their rn's need to be grandfathered in.

that just isn't fair, and if they think rn's are leaving hospitals now, they'll need to install extra doors to accomodate the flood out.

firstyearstudent · Oct 29, 2006

I think something similar goes on in education. In many school districts and perhaps even states you can get a teaching certificate with a bachelor's degree but must earn a master's within a certain time in order to maintain the credential. This is for teaching public school, naturally.

Moneypitt · Oct 29, 2006

I just wonder how many nurses will choose to pursue a different career path if more college education is required. If I had to go back to school, then I would choose something different. That is just my thoughts, but I am sure that there are others who feel the same way.

SueBee RN-BSN · Oct 29, 2006

This is good news, I wish all states would require a BSN as entry into nursing.

Halinja, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

This is good news, I wish all states would require a BSN as entry into nursing.

I think it might be a good thing for the profession as a whole, to be seen by the rest of the world as a profession. But they should make it a 'from this point forward' and grandfather in the ADN's.

There are a TON of fabulous nurses out there, that know more than the prof's at any BSN school, that seriously should not be forced to go back to school if they don't want to.

I'm in a BSN program myself, but that's because of the direction I want to go in the future. It certainly isn't because I'll be a better nurse than an ADN.

Yes, we want to be seen as a profession deserving of respect. But we are in the midst of a nursing/staffing shortage already (yes, I know, if they paid better, there wouldn't be such a shortage yada yada, but that doesn't change the fact that right now we need more nurses in the hospitals...today!) But if we cut out the ADN's, or force them back to school...not everyone is going to want to. The state would be cutting out a valuable resource. Make changes, fine. But by forcing the current ADN's to go back to school, we are implying they aren't good enough at the level they're at. Nonsense! Grandfather them in and let the next generation coming in be BSN's.

Oh! And where would all these RN's be getting their educations? There were over 300 applicants for 70 or so slots at our school last year. If we suddenly require all ADN's to go back to school, AND require that all new nurses be BSN's, where on earth are they going to go to school? The ADN programs wouldn't be able to 'upgrade', they're in junior colleges. And they turn out a larger percentage of the nurses. There simply aren't enough programs in the country to handle the current demand, let alone closing all the ADN programs.

It just doesn't seem feasible to me. Good idea but a logistical nightmare.

RunningWithScissors · Oct 29, 2006

This has been an Urban Legend in nursing since I graduated 26 years ago.

Perhaps NM is considering it now, but this is an old,old idea that never ends up coming to fruition.

tiredfeetED · Oct 29, 2006

This is good news, I wish all states would require a BSN as entry into nursing.

Are they saying that BSN would make a better nurse or that the degree would portray RNs more professional than vocational? hmm...the idea of suspending licences is just silly. There is already a shortage of RNs and as others have posted this would only make it worse. If a state makes BSN the entry level, those without should be grandfathered in just like all the other professions ( pharm, PT, MD).

mvsnurse2b · Oct 29, 2006

Since all Associate Degree programs have the same clinical requirements that prepare us for the same NCLEX exam that the BSN program requires- I think the requirement by any BON for the more advanced degree is ridiculous! I am currently in my forties with two kids in college and have recently become an RN-this is my second career in life. While I plan to continue with school to enable me to teach as I get older, I truly don't believe additional courses in nursing theory will add anything to experienced nurses who could easily teach the courses-I truly believe that advance degrees have become the norm, instead of the exception-this norm is being set by a generation that was able to, and expected to access education.

On the other hand, education never hurt anyone...do it for yourself-learns something new-make more money-ask for tuition reimbursement.