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.

[eroc]

Depends on if you know someone. But if you don't, it always looks better for the rest of your career to have a diploma from a more prestigious school. Which can also depend on your aspirations of what you want to accomplish in landing your first job.

But the end all, is knowing people in the right places.

And I was just asked by the Director and CNO of my most recent job offer, as to where I attended school.

[caliotter3]

Employers are interested in your paid nursing experience and the fact that your nursing license is clear. There are very few positions where the school one graduated from plays a deciding factor on getting hired.

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

My school is affiliated with the local healthcare system and they prefer hiring grads from my school over other schools. The main hospital has magnet status and my school is an ASN but we still get chosen over 2 other local BSN graduates all the time.

[gcupid]

As long as you have a pulse and a license and this is one of the reasons why I believe that nursing is not a profession. We are borderline between professional and non-professional.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Are there any options for getting a BSN instead of an ADN? As a few others have mentioned, that is more important and I would do that.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

If a school has a relationship with a facility, it's possible hiring will favor the school. My school is owned by the same people who own most of the hospitals near me. There's definite favoritism for hiring students who graduate from our school. Part of that is that there's that ownership relationship. Part of it is that our students do clinicals in those hospitals and the people who work there see the quality of the students then. Some get offers before they graduate...

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Not if the national school is a for profit! I would stick to the regional school. Don't confuse lots of advertising on TV with being a better college! The for profits are very clever and aggressive with marketing, whereas nonprofits for the most part are low key and don't advertise, although this is changing. Besides a real university would offer a BSN, not an ADN. I believe regional accreditation is more important than national in getting a nurse license, correct me if I'm wrong. Most 4 year colleges do not offer an ADN program. In the rare event they do they are probably being phased out. ADN's are usually reserved for tech colleges or for profits, it is the rare private college that offers an ADN as an option.

I would also look for the best financial aid offer to save money and keep student loans at a minimum. Public tech schools are you're best best for a cost effective ADN, but there are usually wait lists due to this fact.

I also agree who you know and relevant work experience matters more than what school you go to. The magnet status craze has lead to more hospitals demanding BSN's, but that depends where you live. I think that is more an issue in the major cities where they are many competing colleges and universities so lots of new grad BSN's to choose from.

Also look at how many students are accepted into the RN program and how high the GPA is and what the NCLEX pass rate is for graduates. Some public colleges are very competitive to get into nursing school because there are many more applicants than available seats! Sometimes going to a private college is a faster and easier option and usually you get smaller class sizes and more individual attention, but it comes with a very steep price tag! Can you afford it? Regardless of where you get you're RN the pay is usually the same even ADN vs BSN there is usually no difference in pay.

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

Even more important that regional accreditation would be accreditation by a national nursing association like NLN, ACNE, ACCN

[kabfighter]

Even more important that regional accreditation would be accreditation by a national nursing association like NLN, ACNE, ACCN

ACEN and CCNE are the nursing program accreditors.

[Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP]

It seemed to matter when I first began, as many times those who went to well known schools or Ivy league schools seemed to have an easier time finding a job (not a problem I encountered, but I'm lucky and blessed).

[Wrench Party]

Was asked once for my very first interview, besides that, they were more interested in my experience and ability to learn the new job.

I went for my BSN and that has helped me more than the name of my school.

[Libby1987]

I have to add that our new ADN grads who have applied have been asked which school, we have one area community college that has produced some unimpressive grads and now we're a little leery.