I am taking a class in nursing school called Professional Roles and Issues. We have to do a debate and my groups topic is: In the future nurses will be required to have BSN's or higher.
Apparently some nurses in the field feel that we should do away with ADN degrees, I have not ever heard of this issue before today so I would really like to hear some other nurses ide on this subject! What do you guys think? I would appreciate views on both sides as it is required for my debate!
I agree that in order to be consider nursing to be a profession it should be raised to a BSN. She's right to compare us to lawyers and others. No one would even consider a lawyer if they only had a AS. That being said, if the only requirement was a BSN then I would never have chosen nursing. I would have chosen something else in another field. I think further education is never a bad thing, but when I was deciding which school to go to, I knew I would never get a BSN. I investigated the BSN program throughly and I really felt that I needed a more supportive environment that focused on clinical skills and academics, and whose main interests were getting me through nursing school and making me into a good nurse. I still will finish my bachelors degree and move on toward my masters-but it won't be in nursing.
I am going to agree with everyone that stated the pros and cons of the ADN. If we didn't have ADN nurses - the shortage would be even worse!! I myself am a BSN student....I wouldn't disagree with the arguement of having entry level nurses be BSN nurses....but like I stated before - the shortage would be even worse.
yes i also agree, the shortage of nurses would become so much worse if we didnt have ADN degrees, also a lot more ppl would not be able to afford a BSN education...those are def. two points I am using in my debate.
All I have to say about that is that I am currently in an ADN program and it is serving and preparing me quite well at the moment. In my city there is a University as well as the community college where I attend and the numbers seem to speak for themselves. The University (BSN program) has a 74% first time pass rate on the Boards, where the ADN program has a 94% first time pass rate. I think that it is possible to receive a great education in amy program, it is all what you make of it. I am proud of the ADN program that I attend and would fight tooth and nail with anyone who says that it is inferior to a BSN program. As for the rumor, say what you want to say, but ADN programs have to stay or the shortage will only get worse than predicted... I don't see them doing away with ADN's anytime soon. Best wishes on your paper and to everyone in school, whether BSN or ADN (it truly does not matter), just love your patients and keep up to date with new technology. Study hard. God Bless.
Big debate that I went over when I thought about which school I was going to apply to. I was going to go wherever I got in but I definately knew that I was going to keep going. I have to say reading some of the things on this website and listening to so many different nurses point of view has made my decision to not only go with my BSN but also with my master's because you are right about the fact that we have to be prepared for the future and where nursing is going to take us. I keep hearing about all the nurses becoming burnt out from working in the hospitals. Luckily, I am in the position to keep going through school before I decide to have children or take a class here and there around that time, but I am definately keeping my options open and looking down the road twenty to thirty years.
Very wise of you sunshine9! :) I wish you much success! :)
I have an ADN and it has served me quite well. I work in a CVICU and I have never once been asked for credentials by a cardiac surgeon while I was taking care of their open heart patient. In fact, I don't even know what degrees most of my fellow nurses have--I could care less as long as they do their job competently. I keep hearing on this thread on how to "further" your career you have to have a BSN, like to reach the pinnacle of your nursing career you have to be in management. Not everyone finds management desirable. Many of us continue to further our clinical skills and find satisfaction in improving our nursing skills and becoming the best care nurse we can be. A number of my collegues have decided to further their education with a BSN in order to advance into a mangement position. There is a place for both BSN and ADN graduates in nursing. We all take the same NCLEX and it is a matter of record that more ADN's pass on the first attempt than BSN's. A BSN doesn't prepare you any more than an ADN to become an effective care nurse but a BSN obviously gives you more opportunities in management and off the floor jobs. As RN's we are blessed to work in a profession that allows us so many different opportunities. You can find your niche and have an opportunity to have a long and satisfiying career.
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What Karen (NRSKaren) and Renee (Cheerfuldoer) said. I won't belabor it.
Just remember, 60% of first-time RN's DO HOLD an ADN/ASN degree, in the USA. In some pockets of the nation, that number more approaches 70%. Pretty large number--- and I bet you can't tell who is who when you are working alongside them. Some say differently, but I do not buy it. The fact is, ADN and Diploma degree programs (As well as the BSN programs) turn out amazing and well-prepared nurses, as a rule. And NCLEX pass rates are very high for graduates of ALL THREE PROGRAMS (exceeding 80% across the board).
Who is the best nurse? Well, remember, NO ONE is REALLY "totally ready" or nearly independent that first year out of school. The REAL education begins once you go to work! And the BEST nurses keep educating themselves formally and informally, all through their careers.
Something to consider when wondering "how good" (or not) ADN degrees are....... Now I will shut up.
What Karen (NRSKaren) and Renee (Cheerfuldoer) said. I won't belabor it.
Just remember, 60% of first-time RN's DO HOLD an ADN/ASN degree, in the USA. In some pockets of the nation, that number more approaches 70%. Pretty large number--- and I bet you can't tell who is who when you are working alongside them. Some say differently, but I do not buy it. The fact is, ADN and Diploma degree programs (As well as the BSN programs) turn out amazing and well-prepared nurses, as a rule. And NCLEX pass rates are very high for graduates of ALL THREE PROGRAMS (exceeding 80% across the board).
Who is the best nurse? Well, remember, NO ONE is REALLY "totally ready" or nearly independent that first year out of school. The REAL education begins once you go to work! And the BEST nurses keep educating themselves formally and informally, all through their careers.
Something to consider when wondering "how good" (or not) ADN degrees are....... Now I will shut up.
uh oh guys...sigh...i dont want this to become one of those which degree is better threads!!! my thread wasnt intended to ask who is the better nurse, that wasnt my intention.....and actually I did know that 67% of the nurses in the hospitals are ADN or diploma...I actually learned that in my last lecture:)!
I am strictly looking for things i can put in my debate.....or articles i can use in an academic sense....the last few responses are not ones that I can incorperate into my debate... there are plenty of other treads where we can talk about which degree is better or whatever...
if anyone has pointers on giving a debate or how do it, id really appreciate that as well...for the poster who gave me google scholar thanks so much! that was more my intention...also for the posters who gave me a list of pros and cons that was awesome, i can make a concrete list out of that and research from there...this thread is definetly not one where I want to debate "how good" ADN or BSN's are...all degrees are good...they all make good nurses...we ALL know that experience makes the nurse the best nurse...so maybe it would help if i phrased it this way:
IF IF IF....someday in the future the nursing profession decided to make the entry level degree a BSN what would the pros and cons be?
keep in mind this is an assignment i have been given...in no way am i saying one degree is better than the other...that is not my intention so please please dont make it one of those threads...i dont want this thread to have to close bc we have started a war, its been really really helpful so far for my VERY FIRST debate!!!!! kinda wish i was on the debate team now in HS! It is worth 300 pts so it is kinda important to me....
I am taking a class in nursing school called Professional Roles and Issues. We have to do a debate and my groups topic is: In the future nurses will be required to have BSN's or higher.
Apparently some nurses in the field feel that we should do away with ADN degrees, I have not ever heard of this issue before today so I would really like to hear some other nurses ide on this subject! What do you guys think? I would appreciate views on both sides as it is required for my debate!
thanks~
One of the problems that I would forsee with doing away with ADN's is that for many people nursing is there second career choice. Many people are going back to school for nursing and already have a family. So dedicating two years to your life is much more beneficial than four years. If they are still interested than they have the option to get their BSN through online programs. So I would think that to do away with ADN programs would cause a lot of those people to look towards different working goals because sometimes it may be too long of a program to go through. The cons of a BSN program would be that all nurses would have all leadership type classes (I'm not sure what to call them) out of the way and would head out into the nursing world without having to worry about going back into school unless they were interested in progressing farther into school. But then again, that could be the same case for someone who is happy with stopping at ADN. There is no gaurentee that they would want to continue with their BSN in nursing. They may decide to transfer into something else down the line. Sorry wrote so much. I hope this is kind of what you were looking for. If someone already said it. OOOps.
Now I will shut up.
there are plenty of other treads where we can talk about which degree is better or whatever...
GrnHonu99, RN
1,459 Posts
how interesting thanks! ive never heard of google scholar before!