No BSN required if 20 yrs or more experience!

[Emergent]

I received a recruitment email from a hospital system I had once applied to. I'm not really looking, but out of curiosity looked at their job descriptions.

Formerly they required a BSN within 5 years. Now they give you 6 years, but it's waived if the applicant has 20 or more years RN experience.

Either it's a swing in the direction of common sense, or, more likely, a response to the current increased need for RNs in my region. But it warmed my old heart.

[jena5111, ASN, RN]

A BSN probably shouldn't be required with 5-10 years of experience, let alone 20 years.

I am all for subbing education with experience when it comes to nursing. One can read and write about nursing...but PRACTICING nursing is the way to become a solid nurse!

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

The email was from the Swedish hospital system in Western Washington, although I'm in a different part of the state.

Interesting. Maybe it is because they cannot recruit enough nurses with the out of control housing costs in Western Wa. I lived there long ago (worked at V. Mason) and when I was back in February the average junky home cost was 700 grand. Insane.

[Farawyn]

I received a recruitment email from a hospital system I had once applied to. I'm not really looking, but out of curiosity looked at their job descriptions.

Formerly they required a BSN within 5 years. Now they give you 6 years, but it's waived if the applicant has 20 or more years RN experience.

Either it's a swing in the direction of common sense, or, more likely, a response to the current increased need for RNs in my region. But it warmed my old heart.

I love it.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

That seems pretty common sense to me, though a 20 year experience requirement seems a bit much.

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

Yay , but oh darn ,too bad I can't get back my $$$$.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

I have never understood why people think the "diploma" nurse is sub-standard. Those diploma RNs usually had 3 years of hospital-based education, including tons of hands-on skills hours. I initially obtained the ADN simply because I already had a degree. It took me 1 1/2 years from start to finish. When I went back to take classes for the BSN, I was dumbfounded as to what the big deal was. Those BSN classes were so easy, NOTHING compared to my ADN education! It seemed to be a waste of time and money, and contributed very little towards my nursing ability. We have BSN nurses now who have never placed an NG tube, started an IV, and other simple, basic skills, and did not have to take chemistry or research classes. Not trying to bash a BSN education, but just stating that I fail to see why it started being in such demand. Oh, I also had to do 180 hours extra clinical for the BSN, even though I was already an RN. From what I understand, if you take those classes online, you don't even have to do any extra clinicals, so just what, exactly, is the point of it?

The BSN requires a research class and chemistry. Not sure how that could have happened.

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

Everyone and their mother is getting their BSN. Some are waiting to pass NCLEX with their ADN to enroll into the BSN+ because they want to run away from bedside. All these nurses I precept don't want to invest anything, are not motivated to learn because they have made it clear they want to pursue higher education to be managers or work away from bedside. Seems like we have lots of chiefs and not enough Indians. Our current managers have hardly any clinical experience because they went to school to be "managers".

Then there are the rest of us who would never want to be one, are happy at the bedside and want to be left the heck alone about pursuing further education. I-don't-want-to. I don't care what you think or want for me. If I am phased out due to my ADN then it will be time to find a different career or job. I am not going to turn into a super nurse because you think a BSN is going to turn me into one. I am happy where I am at and just want to be left alone. If I choose to go back it will probably be in an unrelated field to have a back up but not to be a manager! Leave me alone.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

This is getting old.

PEOPLE! Getting a BSN has nothing to do with your ability to provide nursing care. It is a sham requirement that hospitals have come to believe the public wants. They target their marketing to that unsuspecting public getting them to think theirs is the better hospital and said public will choose that hospital for their care. That's why they don't want your MSN or BS or BA. The bean counters are only counting BSN degrees in their reporting of % staff with BSNs.

Total bastardization of the Magnet concept which once meant a hospital was a magnet for NURSES. It has now been monetized to mean they are a magnet for PATIENTS.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

I get it. It seems ridiculous to require a BSN of nurses who are looking at retirement in 5 years.

If I were queen of the world, I would go so far as to waive it if you have 10+ years of experience, rather than 20.

Actually, if I were queen of the world, I would not require a BSN at all for direct care nurses, but instead, offer a robust incentive package for those who CHOOSE to go back and further their education, the form of a healthy tuition reimbursement package and an increase in pay for those who have obtained their degree or have specialty certifications.

I was in a meeting and admin was insisting this nurse get her BSN. She wants to retire soon and was in tears. She is an experienced, capable nurse and every time she raised a valid point the admin just insisted "Your practice will improve with a BSN." I think it's unconscionable that the admin is trying to tell people to spend money on tuition when they are almost 70. They keep saying "We reimburse you" but that's not the point and to get the degree done in the time they want it, you go over their reimbursement cap.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

Everyone and their mother is getting their BSN. Some are waiting to pass NCLEX with their ADN to enroll into the BSN+ because they want to run away from bedside. All these nurses I precept don't want to invest anything, are not motivated to learn because they have made it clear they want to pursue higher education to be managers or work away from bedside. Seems like we have lots of chiefs and not enough Indians. Our current managers have hardly any clinical experience because they went to school to be "managers".

Then there are the rest of us who would never want to be one, are happy at the bedside and want to be left the heck alone about pursuing further education. I-don't-want-to. I don't care what you think or want for me. If I am phased out due to my ADN then it will be time to find a different career or job. I am not going to turn into a super nurse because you think a BSN is going to turn me into one. I am happy where I am at and just want to be left alone. If I choose to go back it will probably be in an unrelated field to have a back up but not to be a manager! Leave me alone.

I don't like this, I LOVE this.

And I went to a diploma school.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I think this is fantastic!! A degree certainly isn't everything. Heck one of the best nurses I ever worked with was a diploma nurse!

Thank you!

[TriciaJ, RN]

I was in a meeting and admin was insisting this nurse get her BSN. She wants to retire soon and was in tears. She is an experienced, capable nurse and every time she raised a valid point the admin just insisted "Your practice will improve with a BSN." I think it's unconscionable that the admin is trying to tell people to spend money on tuition when they are almost 70. They keep saying "We reimburse you" but that's not the point and to get the degree done in the time they want it, you go over their reimbursement cap.

"Your practice will improve..."? Really? Show me where the bodies are piling up.