Magnet status? Hospitals choosing BSN new grads. Important!!!! over ADN??

DemonWings · May 24, 2011

I just graduated an ADN program, and I was worried about this too, but a teacher of ours (this is california though) said that that rumor has been going around since the 80s when she graduated with her ADN. Jobs are not as easy to come by these days, however i believe about 3/4 of my fellow graduates have jobs lined up and we havent even taken boards yet. 14K a semester sounds outrageous, at least to me. I feel my ADN education has given me a solid foundation and always remember you can do a bridge ADN-BSN program after you graduate. Good Luck:)

PMFB-RN, RN · May 24, 2011

Couple things here. First of all there is absolutly NO nursing shortage. The nursing "shortage" is only propaganda put out by those with a vested interest (means they stand to gain financialy) in a nurse oversupply situation.

Second is that while it is true that in many areas of the country hospitals are choosing new grads with BSNs over grads with ADNs it is unrelated to the Magnet certification. They may both be happening at the same time and in the same place but as someone who sat on two hospital's "Journy to Magnet" committe I can tell you there is nothing about gaining Magnet that requires a hospital to only hire BSN nurses. That they can be so picky is evidence that there is no nuring shortage.

I don't know anything about the nurse job market in Texas but here in the upper midwest new grads are having a hard time finding jobs reguardless of the program they attended. TCU seems like a LOT of money. It might make you more competative for a new grad position but, unless there is something I don't know about TCU nursing grads, by no means a guarentee.

mirc88sl · May 24, 2011

yes, i have considered that option. i am personally really scared of debt, but also am thinking about our weird economy and really just want to be as competitive as I can be. I don't want to sit out for a while having to wait for a job. So did you find a job right away? or what is the process like? thanks!!

mirc88sl · May 24, 2011

very true! thanks!

helicoptergal, BSN, RN · May 24, 2011

( I am replying from Calif) Jobs are hard to come by, however not impossible. I currently work in a Magnet Children's Hospital where I was hired as a new grad. I am thinking about pursuing my BSN, but I do not feel any less employable without one. Personally I would be very scared about spending 14k a semester for a BSN when I had a perfectly good ASN opportunity waiting in the wings. That is $70.000. You can always get established in a job and then go pursue your BSN at a later date. Good Luck!!

GivingLove · May 24, 2011

First off, congratulations for getting accepted into the TCU. I dont know if you get financial aid, 14k is alot! If it were me, I would definately go the BSN route. Ive been told that nowa days, having an ADN is almost equivalent to having a high school diploma. I think doing the 5 semesters for the BSN is better than doing the ADN, because in the future if you decide to go back to get your BSN, youre going to have to go for another couple years. So might as well do the BSN route now. You should feel very proud! I am still on my pre reqs and cannot wait until I am in your shoes! So great job! I know it is very hard work! Please let us know what you decide.

Moogie · May 24, 2011

So, I have been accepted into TCU's nursing program and into El centro college of nursing in Dallas tx. I am having a hard time deciding which route will be better for me. TCU has been the school of my choice since day 1, i believe that it is a very competitive school and i was accepted as a transfer student ( which is really hard to get in nowadays since they first take their own students). I will earn a BSN with them and it will open me a lot of other doors. What i am not really looking for is the high private tuition they carry ( 14,000 per semester) i really have my heart in to this school, but im scared of the debt.

Honestly, I get the feeling that you're going to regret it if you don't go to TCU. Yes, it's very expensive and you're wise to be concerned about taking on too much debt. However, private colleges sometimes have more leeway in terms of scholarships and financial aid than do public schools. According to the TCU website, students can apply for nursing scholarships after successful completion of their first semester of clinical nursing courses. You could do ROTC if you're interested in a military nursing career. If you're smart enough to get accepted, you're smart enough to figure out a way to pay for your education.

The ADN may be a more practical choice but I think you're going to always second-guess your choice and wonder what would have happened had you gone to the school of your dreams. Unfortunately, TCU does not offer an ADN-BSN bridge so you don't have the option of doing the ADN now and finishing your BSN at the school. You could do graduate school there but that's far into the future and chances are the costs of grad school will be prohibitive.

It's impossible to predict what the job market will be like when you finish. My question to you is: how will you feel if you go the ADN route and then can't find a job when you graduate? Will you regret not having gone to your first choice?

ETA: PMFB-RN is right. There are no guarantees, regardless of what you eventually decide. I wish you the best!

N.U.R.S.E. · May 24, 2011

That's a lot of debt I am assuming you are young u can always take online classes to continue to get ur bsn get ur and then work towards ur bsn that's a lot of debt also compare the pay difference no new skills are required just more paper writing or so I've heard who will help u pay for this if on your own where are u going to stay on campus at home then that goes up significantly transportation needs and working family considerations children etc. One thing u can always upgrade when you need to

Old.Timer · May 24, 2011

When you say you've had your heart set on TCU since Day 1, can you put into words all that encompasses for you? Don't think that anything is too frivolous to mention. You say you are transferring in - from what type environment?

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · May 24, 2011

Please forgive my ignorance but what states that magnet status = BSN.

I understand hospitals are now preferring more BSNs then ADN but how is it related to magnet status.

I thought magnet status was the meant to use more evidenced based practice.

Sorry again for my ignorance. Can someone please explain ? I'm going to google also.

chicookie, BSN, RN · May 24, 2011

The hospital where I work is a Magnet hospital, and they are no longer hiring ADN. I do know that in order for a hospital to maintain its Magnet status it has to have a certain percentage of nurses that are BSN, or at least that is what the nurse recruiter is telling everyone. I think with a hospital being Magnet status they can use that as an excuse to be super picky; last year an ADN could be hired if they had connections. Last week my coworker was talking to a nurse manager about a friend of his that has her ADN and the first words out of the mangers mouth was "Does she have her BSN?" and then the manager proceeded to tell us unless she has her BSN or is in a program to receive it then she could not hire her.

I know its more expense but trust me go for your BSN. You have to get eventually anyway. I spent 15k on my BSN alone and it was a waste of time as it was pretty much the same classes I took for my ADN. If I had gone straight for my BSN I would have saved at least 7k. -___- and wouldn't have wasted as much time.