Lpn & asn are are being phased out.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · May 25, 2016

My school always made a big deal about saying we were not getting a BSN. What we have is a "Bachelor's of Science with a Major in Nursing". I think the point of that is that it isn't a special nursing degree. The nursing aspect is probably very similar to that of an ADN. We were getting a Bachelor's of Science degree. Our degree had the same requirements as any other Bachelor's of Science degree in terms of required courses outside the major. It's meant to be a broad education in science, math, the social sciences, literature, history, government, foreign language, etc. It's a "University" education vs. a professional school. That's not everyone's cup of tea, and isn't a necessary part of a nursing career. It really just has more to do with the desire to receive a broad education. And by that, I do not mean "fluff." Some of my non nursing courses were hard!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 26, 2016

It is this type of crap that is so saddening for our profession. Nursing, again, is the only "profession" that puts down other members for having an appropriately-leveled education to legitimately be called a profession. A Bachelors degree is more than fluff and pomp. You DO learn more than an ADN and you DO have a more well-rounded college education.
This is NOT calling ADN/LPNs stupid or less capable. I have no idea why so many ADN/LPN nurses are adamantly against getting a Bachelors degree. It can only help nursing as a whole.

What exactly did you learn, that makes you a better nurse than me?

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 26, 2016

Most hospitals require a BSN degree upon hire now. Especially magnet hospitals. It's becoming a baseline necessity for RN's. Would be smart to acquire one. I started out with my ADN then did ADN to BSN. Now doing BSN to MSN.

Magnet hospitals are a joke. My last bedside position was at a "Magnet facility". I had 7 patients.. with one on an insulin drip. Magnet means... push the nurse to the max... make money for the man.

smartnurse1982 · May 26, 2016

Those would actually be positives of having an all-Bsn workforce.
Who knows....maybe we all would be phased out when they start building robot nurses.

Ha...Coming soon to America:

[h=3]Robotic Nurses | Computers and Robots: Decision-Makers in an ...[/h]https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/...11/.../robotic-nurses/index.html

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · May 26, 2016

I think the entry requirement for a candidate to sit for the NCLEX RN should be a BSN. This is no knock against the ADN or whether they're competent or not. I just think as a profession an ADN shouldn't be sufficent. Where i come from a BSN is mandatory to sit for the boards, an LPN is NOT a nurse they're officail title is Patient Care Assistant. An LPN can't give meds period, Can't do dressings, and are regulated to UAP duties.
An enrolled nursing assistant however functions like a U.S LPN, they posses 2 years of training and practice directly under the RN. A enroll assistant cannot bridge to an RN program, they have to start a BSN from scratch.

Are you in the US?

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 26, 2016

My feelings about the BSN as entry haven nothing to do with someone who is already a nurse and working. I am talking about the FUTURE. Where do we want our profession to go?
If we want to legitimately be considered as a "profession", we CANNOT continue to degrade further nursing education and courses. We cannot degrade those wanting a higher education level. A bachelors degree is the MINIMUM, repeat, MINIMUM entry to practice in any other profession that is respected and in high esteem. This is the present and the future.
Again, I AM talking about the first time college students who are entering the nursing profession. It should be a BSN entry only going forward. It shouldn't be some trade job that requires 15 months of training. We may as well be plumbers (not that anything is wrong with plumbers, but we should aspire for more). I don't see why people are so against this.

What EXACTLY would I learn in 2 more years of frou-frou classes, that would make me a better nurse? Nursing IS a trade. Pretty sure I couldn't learn plumbing, though.

Ackeem, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · May 26, 2016

What EXACTLY would I learn in 2 more years of frou-frou classes, that would make me a better nurse? Nursing IS a trade. Pretty sure I couldn't learn plumbing, though.

The poster is more referring professional formality and structure rather than competence. One can also argue if a doctorate and a 4 year residency is necessary to practice anesthesia, when CRNAs are doing the same job after ataining only a masters.

Yes we understand that an ADN is not less safer than a BSN, however that is not the point is it? it seems this is what we're failing to comprehend.

@Not_A_Hat_Person, RN- yes and licensed also

Farawyn · May 26, 2016

The poster is more referring professional formality and structure rather than competence. One can also argue if a doctorate and a 4 year residency is necessary to practice anesthesia, when CRNAs are doing the same job after ataining only a masters.
Yes we understand that an ADN is not less safer than a BSN, however that is not the point is it? it seems this is what we're failing to comprehend.
@Not_A_Hat_Person, RN- yes and licensed also

There is no failure to comprehend. The OP has gotten some great answers.

If it is not cost effective for us who have been working for years to go back for the bridge, we will weigh in on that.

As long as the NCLEX is appropriate for both, and ADNs are still being hired and retained (and they are) many of us will forgo the almighty BSN.

I have a BA degree in Psych. My timing is off. I'm not going back to school now.

If I was just starting out in nursing, I would get the 4 year degree.

JVLims · May 27, 2016

IMHO that is completely ridiculous. The bashing generally occurs in the opposite deflection-and I believe your rather blatant assertion that we "two year" nurses are somehow second class citizens rather supports my observation. I earned my ADN many years ago, and now hold both bachelors' and masters' degrees in non-nursing majors. I am employed full time at a 700 bed level 1 trauma center and have had the privilege of working on several service lines in my 30 years of nursing practice. I agree that education is never wasted and is to be encouraged and supported; I do not, however, agree with your premise that a BSN is the gold standard for producing good nurses. One only has to look at this forum to see how many new BSN grads are ill prepared for the actual workplace. Some BSN programs turn out excellent "beginners"-some not so much, and the same can be said for ASN programs. In addition, I submit to you the BSN requirement is a deck intrinsically stacked against rural students, middle income students (can't afford the price tag, wages too high for meaningful amounts of financial aid/subsidies/grants) and nontraditional students who are balancing work and family.The rallying cry of "BSN only" ignores the harsh reality that, as documented in The Atlantic's February 2016 article, fully one third of the nation's nurses will reach retirement age within 10-15 years. Elimination of the ASN path to the profession will only add to the looming disaster. In addition, the snobbery associated with a certain faction of "BSN only" proponents perpetuates one of our profession's embarassing tendencies-that of tearing each other down. And please don't suggest ADN prepared nurses do not have the critical thinking skills needed for today's practice. In our program, we were required to lead a team by our last semester-and believe me, it was a good atmosphere in which to develop critical thinking skills. At the end of the day, I passed the boards, the certification exams, the proficiencies....while my ASN allowed me to experience one of life's greatest ROIs.

JVLims · May 27, 2016

Why would one need a BSN to sit for NCLEX when ADN prepared nurses regularly pass the NCLEX without a problem? Conversely, if a BSN is the ideal preparation for the NCLEX, why does is this forum liberally sprinkled with posts from distressed BSN grads who failed the NCLEX? Please explain your rationale. If I possess the proficiency to pass the exam after completing my ASN, why would two more years of education be required? Not that I'm against earning a BSN-I just believe it is unnecessary, particularly in relation to your assertion that it should be a requirement to sit the exam.

Ackeem, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · May 27, 2016

Why would one need a BSN to sit for NCLEX when ADN prepared nurses regularly pass the NCLEX without a problem? Conversely, if a BSN is the ideal preparation for the NCLEX, why does is this forum liberally sprinkled with posts from distressed BSN grads who failed the NCLEX? Please explain your rationale. If I possess the proficiency to pass the exam after completing my ASN, why would two more years of education be required? Not that I'm against earning a BSN-I just believe it is unnecessary, particularly in relation to your assertion that it should be a requirement to sit the exam.

Its not a question of ADN competence, i think its very well clear that ADN prepared nurses aren't less safer than their BSN prepared colleagues. As a profession however, i believe the minimum requirement should be the atainment of atleast a BSN. No one is blaming prospective students to opt for the ADN, the knock is mostly on the leaders of our profression for stipulating an ADN as the minimum requirement.

An LPN prepared student can theoretically study and pass the NCLEX RN. with that said anyone, once well prepared can pass any written exam, this is just to illilustrate the fallacy in your argument.

Also you are correct in that many BSN candidates fail the exam, well ofcourse there are going to be failures, thats a statistical given. but while we're on statistics, it also a fact that 87 percent of BSN candidates pass the exam on the first try in 2015 and 82 percent of ADNs pass the first time said year. So far in 2016 its 86 percent BSN and 80 percent ADN, with pass percentages as low as 61 percent for ADNs in Nebraska.

Not that any of these statistics matters to me because its besides the point. My main point is that atleast a Bachelors degree is required for most professions, why not us? Aren't we not one of the most important professions?

justgonnagoforit · May 27, 2016

same here... I'm getting my RN but have no intentions of going for a BSN right off the bat, if at all. I think the hospitals just want boasting rights like some private colleges do. I'm aware that you will need that degree to get into admin or places like that. Where I work they are saying that by 2020, we all must have a BSN... or what? we get fired? don't think that's gonna be a problem.