Prestige in Employment

[InfantryVet2014]

[Putting this in the General Nursing Discussion, rather than Student section, as it can best be answered by nurses who are already in the work force...]

Hello all,

Pre-nursing student here, and I was wondering to what extent prestige of university has to do with future hiring?

I'm asking, because I'm considering two separate ADN programs. One is a local 4-year college that is a regionally-ranked school. The other is a much larger nationally-ranked school.

The regional school is accredited and not a diploma mill by any means, etc., but the regional school would graduate a semester earlier and that would allow me to get into the work force sooner and start getting experience.

My question is whether the nationally ranked school would be a safer bet for future hiring that would ultimately outweigh getting a job a semester earlier. All thoughts are appreciated, and TIA.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Hiring preferences are purely regional. In the area where I live, no hiring manager or HR director has ever asked me where I attended nursing school, and most of my coworkers have had the same experience.

The nursing profession is not like business or law. Business and law school graduates definitely need a prestigious, highly ranked school on their resumes if they plan to get a foot in the door, whereas nursing school grads can carve a successful career after having completed a nursing program at some obscure school that few people have heard of.

[loriangel14, RN]

It doesn't matter.

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

As long as it is an accredited program, it probably makes sense to attend the one in which you will graduate earlier.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

All you need is an active nurse license. It does not matter where you graduated from.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

As long as it is an accredited program, it probably makes sense to attend the one in which you will graduate earlier.

I agree...to a point.

OP, where are you located?

I am located in an area where there are a few Magnet hospitals and they are wildly popular to get into ; also twenty schools pumping out new grads locally, at least some pumping out new grads in January and in May.

One hospital system that I know of that hires on almost a tier system; they grab people from local colleges by proximity, which includes an Ivy League school that has a nursing program, then the next tier are schools that have rotated through their hospital-that includes my alma mater and another program that has a stellar reputation, and out side the city universities, state unis and prestigious out of state universities, then the rest, which may be ADNs, depending on what area of the health system-mainly clinics, outside of the hospital settings. Accredited programs are a MUST.

It would be your best bet to contact the local HRs and find out what schools they hire from, then make your decision-depending on the market, some places look to the schools with the stellar reputation and familiarity of the school programs and their clinical experiences with the schools.

Best wishes.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Prestige however MAY matter if you are planning to go on to grad school. A 3.9 from one school does not necessarily equate sometimes to a 3.9 at another. Also, you will want to make sure your school is regionally accredited! That's most important.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Mt BEST advice....consider a BSN program. There is a trend nationally to give BSN graduate preference in hiring.

[Fiona59]

The question I've always been asked is "did you pass the registration exam on your first writing?"

The only time school has ever come up is when moving provinces. The school I attended is/was nationally known for highly qualified grads with a pass rate of 100% on their first writing. Even then it was more about why did I move.

[Libby1987]

Never been asked and I wouldn't spend extra money for an ADN, better spent on a BSN. Here you might still be looking for a job while the BSN's graduate.

Have you looked at job postings?

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I think that might depend on where you live and where you are planning to work. This may be a regional thing. I can't speak for other areas of the country but here in the upper midwest employers don't care where you went to school or what your grades were, they just care that you passed the NCLEX and are licensed in the state you will be working in. As is the case in most areas now, all other things being equal preference in hiring usually goes to the BSN educated nurse though there are few postings that specify BSN required.

[amoLucia]

In my long career, NOBODY who hired ever asked me my school.

Way back in the day, everybody knew the 'locals' by the nsg cap and school pin we all wore (it was in our dress codes). It was ONLY when a 'different' cap or pin was being worn did the conversation ever come up. It was more of just general interest - just a conversation point. Not to brag or flaunt.

Made no difference on the staff nurse level. Now for the Masters degree level , it might carry some weight.