Now receiving deceptinve resumes from ADN students: What gives?

Nurses General Nursing

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In the past couple of weeks, I have received 2 applications for my extern program from ADN students who are being deceptive on their resumes. They are saying that they are currently working towards their BSN -- when in actuality, they are ADN students who plan on getting a BSN later. Their resumes make no mention of the fact that they are ADN students -- but knowing the schools they are attending, I know the truth.

When I asked them about it, one was quite straightforward about being an ADN student and planning to apply for a BSN right after graduation. (But she had not listed the ADN anywhere on her resume.) The other was evasive and didn't seem to fully understand her own situation as she planned on getting her BSN at the same school as her ADN. She even listed her "planned graduation date" as her BSN graduation date and asked about being a student extern NEXT summer! I had to tell her that as she would be an RN that summer, she would have to apply for an RN job then.

What gives? I understand that they want to make a good impression by saying that they plan on continuing their education (even if they don't.) But I have never encountered this failure to acknowledge their ADN's on their resume. That failure bothers me. We regularly accept ADN students into our program -- but I doubt these 2 people will be accepted. I don't think I can trust them or their judgmentfully. I'm not sure it they are being "sneaky and deceptive" on purpose ... or whether they truly didn't understand the program they are enrolled in ... or what.

Any opinions? I'd appreciate any comments/insights the rest of you might want to offer me.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Well, I am an LPN, but I'll try and take a stab at it. Could it be that they are assuming that the only way to obtain a job is to aspire to be a BSN since the focus is raising RNs to a professional standard? Or that they would not be hired if they didn't wish to become one?

From my experience being an LPN who does not really wish to become an RN, I have been to places where I got the feeling that if I were honest and stated I did not wish to go further in school that I was perceived as lazy, no ambition or non-productive. I remember a conversation I had once with one of my professors in my program. I told her that I really didn't have the interest or incentive to become an RN. This shocks most people because I graduated at the top of my class. She immediately snapped and said to me that it was my "obligation to nursing to go further with education". That shut me up immediately, and I never discussed it with her again. I had a automatic job when I completed my program since my job sponsored me, but again, I was made to feel several times that I am supposed to want to go further. I do often wonder if I did decide to actually leave my facility to go elsewhere if I would encounter this, and if so, would I lie, or would I be truthful and wish for the best.

Now, I am not sure, but maybe, it was implied somewhere (maybe not with you), that this is a requirement or that this is desired and they felt to lie. Just a thought.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Well, I am an LPN, but I'll try and take a stab at it. Could it be that they are assuming that the only way to obtain a job is to aspire to be a BSN since the focus is raising RNs to a professional standard? Or that they would not be hired if they didn't wish to become one?

I suspect that such thinking may be a piece of the picture, but things still don't add up exactly. Our program has always accepted ADN students and our hospital regularly hires ADN RN's. So, while they may have wanted their resumes to appear more impressive, there was really no need to be deceptive. Also, neither school that they attend even HAS an entry-level BSN. One is a community college that only offers an ADN and the other a school whose BSN program is a BSN completion program only and does not provide entry-level education.

If they were simply trying to "brush up" their resumes a little, why complete omit any reference to the ADN? Why list their "anticipated date of graduation" as the date when they will receive their BSN if they enroll in a BSN program?

I've been hiring Student Nurses as externs and new grads for over 20 years and have never seen anything like it. Now, I suddenly have 2 people with apparently no connection to each other doing the same thing. It's weird.

Thank you to everyone who is contributing to this thread. :typing

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Is what they did any different than me putting "CRNA graduation date: May 2012" on my resume (I'm an ABSN student graduating in May with plans to go on to a CRNA program later)? Not one bit. I'm not currently enrolled in a CRNA program, just as they are not currently enrolled in the CON at a university that will grant them a BSN. It makes no sense, and whether their attempt was deceit or not, I would never hire someone who so obviously doesn't even know what they're going to school for. Very, very strange.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Is what they did any different than me putting "CRNA graduation date: May 2012" on my resume (I'm an ABSN student graduating in May with plans to go on to a CRNA program later)? Not one bit. I'm not currently enrolled in a CRNA program, just as they are not currently enrolled in the CON at a university that will grant them a BSN. It makes no sense, and whether their attempt was deceit or not, I would never hire someone who so obviously doesn't even know what they're going to school for. Very, very strange.

Whew! .... For a minute there, I thought you WERE doing the same thing and approved of it. I thouht I was going to have to tell you that you were wrong to do that. As I read further, I could see that you agreed with the rest of us. Ha ha ha ha. I'm happy I don't have to try to change your mind. :lol2:

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My resume:

Date I will be Queen of the Universe:

May, 3037.

:lol2:

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I suspect that such thinking may be a piece of the picture, but things still don't add up exactly. Our program has always accepted ADN students and our hospital regularly hires ADN RN's. So, while they may have wanted their resumes to appear more impressive, there was really no need to be deceptive. Also, neither school that they attend even HAS an entry-level BSN. One is a community college that only offers an ADN and the other a school whose BSN program is a BSN completion program only and does not provide entry-level education.

If they were simply trying to "brush up" their resumes a little, why complete omit any reference to the ADN? Why list their "anticipated date of graduation" as the date when they will receive their BSN if they enroll in a BSN program?

I've been hiring Student Nurses as externs and new grads for over 20 years and have never seen anything like it. Now, I suddenly have 2 people with apparently no connection to each other doing the same thing. It's weird.

Thank you to everyone who is contributing to this thread. :typing

Whew! .... For a minute there, I thought you WERE doing the same thing and approved of it. I thouht I was going to have to tell you that you were wrong to do that. As I read further, I could see that you agreed with the rest of us. Ha ha ha ha. I'm happy I don't have to try to change your mind. :lol2:

I thought the same thing, at first as well. :lol2::lol2:

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I am an ASN grad and proud of it. I show up to my interviews with my resume stating it under the education section, with transcripts in hand, denoting my cum laude honors. No one should feel ashamed of having an associate's degree in nursing and when asked about furthering my education, I do tell future employers that I will start a RN-toBSN completion program by fall. I then ask them if they have tuition reimbursement. Many jobs may prefer bachelor degrees but will still hire you, as in my case and many others, even if you don't have it.

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Delete.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
My resume:

Date I will be Queen of the Universe:

May, 3037.

:lol2:

When I was a kid, I fantasized regularly about being "Empress of the Universe." My older brother had told me that Emperors out-ranked Kings. Space aliens were going to come and tell everybody that I was really their Empress, having been placed in hiding on this relatively safe planet during an intergalactic war.

I guess, as the youngest child in my family -- living in a neighborhood of kids who were mostly older -- I felt a desire for power and status.

I'm still waiting for the Space aliens to come. :wink2:

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