Candi Williams

I totally agree

Yes most hospitals prefer BSN and some require it. I was just stating why I decided to get mine. If hospitals paid nurses more for a BSN, I'm sure more ADN would go back to college. Although I think nursing us a calling, college is expensive. Money matters and people are not going to invest money they don't have if they aren't going to see an increase in pay.

BSN and ADN are paid the same in my area also. Personally I think ADN nurses are just as skilled as BSN nurses when it comes to bedside nursing. I've worked with nurses and didn't know whether they had a BSN or ADN unless they told me and I know many ADN nurses who are better nurses than their BSN coworker. I agree with you, sometimes it comes down to whether or not the nurse cares. I've worked with some BSNs who felt entitled because of their BSN title. They showed more pride in the title than pride in actually being a good & competent nurse. I recently obtained my BSN and I do not feel it improved my nursing skills. I obtained it because I went into management otherwise I probably wouldn't have pursued one.

I sometimes found it challenging caring for patients with pain. Nurses have been trained to respond to objective data such as elevated or low blood pressures, respiratory rates, SpO2 levels, and temperatures. But our response to subjective data seems more difficult. I have heard nurses say those exact statements and I am sure I've thought or probably even said them myself. Over the years whenever those thoughts crossed my mind when caring for a chronic or acute pain patient who showed no signs of pain, but gave me a high pain level, I had to remind myself that pain is subjective and yes that people deal with pain differently. I felt it was my responsibility to listen to the patient, accept the pain level given, chart it, and use sound judgement to treat the patient's pain. I think when nurses are caring for such patients, if at all possible, management should consider lowering the nurse's patient load to prevent fatigue because those patients can be challenging and preventing fatigue improves nursing care and patient satisfaction.

I agree, I don't see it coming into fruition either. In my area, ADN programs more than double the number of BSN programs being offered, yielding more ADN nurse graduates for hire than BSN. Also a BSN degree is not a requirement for hire here so some of my colleagues see no reason to go back for their BSN; especially since the ADN staff nursing pay scale is the same as BSN staff nurses unless you are in management. It's my opinion that if they ever make BSN a requirement for initial licensure, working nurses with greater than five years' experience should be grandfathered in. That would help with the transition, otherwise there will be an even greater shortage of working nurses.

Should We Hire ADNs? or Phase It Out? The national nursing shortage has caused a crucial call for nurses. Nurses are a core part of the healthcare industry. They are the largest professional sector within the healthcare workforce and are essential to patient care. One solution to the nursing shortage is to hire Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) graduates, but will the growing trend pushing for all nurses to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for hire, phase out ADN programs? Let's bring to light the nursing shortage and the advantages and disadvantages of ADN and BSN degrees. The growing trend in the healthcare industry pushing for all nurses to have a BSN degree for hire will not phase out ADN nurses anytime soon. The demand for nurses is too high. Approximately 40 percent of new nurse graduates earn their degrees from associate degree programs. An advantage of ADN programs is bringing new nurses into the workforce sooner. ADN programs prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN exam and become Registered Nurses (RN) in two to three years versus four-year BSN programs. Why ADN? ADN programs are more appealing to many because of the low cost and shorter time frame it takes to become a Registered Nurse; it grants them the opportunity to start working as a nurse sooner. Being introduced into the nursing workforce sooner affords them income as a nurse and a chance to gain experience while pursuing a BSN degree. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine (IOM), now the National Academy of Medicine, recommended that 80% of registered nurses earn a BSN degree by 2020. As a result, medical institutions prefer to hire nurses with a BSN degree or higher. Some institutions require a BSN degree for hire, and if they hire a nurse with an ADN, a condition of employment is earning a BSN degree within a certain length of time. Why BSN Degree or Higher? Better Pay Nurses with BSN degrees have the possibility to generate higher income compared to those with ADN degrees. They can obtain positions offered to nurses who hold BSN degrees or higher. These positions come with more responsibilities and higher pay—positions such as managers, administrators, and educators. Improve Patient Care Research has shown that medical institutions that have a higher percentage of qualified BSN nurses on staff deliver quality patient care. They contribute to decreased medication errors, better patient outcomes, lower hospital-acquired infections, decreased mortality rates, and a decline in failure-to-rescue rates. Magnet Certification Healthcare organizations have begun seeking nurses with higher education and aspire to Magnet Certification. A major requirement for earning certification is the educational level of the nurses on staff. The higher the percentage of nursing staff with a BSN or greater, the better their chances are of Magnet certification. Magnet Certification yields outstanding nursing processes with notable quality, safety, and patient satisfaction. Ramifications of Nursing Shortage Discussions about concerns over the nursing shortage were taking place prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted a shortage of over one million registered nurses by the year 2022. Cutbacks in nursing are attributed to one of the reasons for the shortage. Nurses fall victim to reductions in labor costs because they make up the largest labor force in the healthcare industry. Those reductions are decremental to the safety of patients and nurses. Another cause for the shortage is not enough educators. Nursing programs routinely turn down applicants because they have a limited number of nursing educators to train them. Other causes for the shortage are nurse burnout, an increase in the aging population, and an aging workforce. Covid-19 escalated the nursing shortage. Covid caused an increase in patient volume, a rise in nurse burnout, early retirement from nurses who were close to retirement, and nurses leaving the profession altogether. Nursing shortages give rise to medication errors, patient falls, increased morbidity, and increased mortality rates. When organizations lack appropriate staffing levels, the patient-to-nurse ratio is higher. This leads to nurse burnout and discontent. A suitable amount of nursing personnel reduces errors, increases patient safety, improves patient satisfaction, and enhances nurse retention. Healthcare organizations, nurse leaders, and government officials must devise solutions to the nursing shortage. They must strive to engage and keep nurses. Retention of nurses brings about quality nursing care, improved patient care, and patient satisfaction. References/Resources ADN vs BSN Debate: These Are the Real Differences Between ADN and BSN Prepared Nurses: Nightingale College The Staffing Shortage Pandemic: Journal of Radiology Nursing Are ADN & ASN Programs Needed to Meet the Nursing Shortages at Hospitals?: Advocate Search Group Nursing Workforce Challenges in the Postpandemic World: National Library of Medicine Nursing Fact Sheet: American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Nursing educators: Stress the importance of a BSN in nursing, your students will thank you: Wolters Kluwer N.V. Nursing Shortage: (Stat Pearls) National Library of Medicine Reaching beyond 80% BSN-prepared nurses-One organization's journey to success: Nursing Management