"Don't waste your time getting your BSN..."

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People are always trying to tell me that I am going to waste my time by not stopping after getting my ASN. They say that getting your BSN just gets you management positions and that it does not pay more. I am going for my masters so I can be a CNM, so I have to have my BSN anyway but, how could it be true that a person with a BSN gets the same as a person with a ASN? (Aside from the fact that working in different dept can make a difference)

I recently read the county community college district was looking into offering BSN degrees. There isn't much difference between ADN and BSN so it makes sense. I'd bet if there were more BSN slots many more would opt for the BSN.

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I really think this is one of those issues that is very personal. It's about your goals, not what anyone else thinks.

While there are advantages to more schooling that include ease of promotion and higher pay in some cases, there are exceptions to every rule.

My mom is a diploma RN. She is the vice president of a multistate health care corporation. There are many who would say that a diploma grad couldn't rise through the ranks like that, but obviously that isn't always true.

I, on the other hand, will graduation with my ADN in September. I plan to get my BSN because my end goal is CRNA school.

When it comes to education beyond attaining your RN, there is no one answer for everyone. However, I would never say that furthering your education (nurse or otherwise) is a waste of time.

Jen, I did the same as your mom. However, I rose to the executive level due to experience and a successful track record in sales, marketing, startups, turnarounds, and a host of other business skills obtained in my earlier years. I think your mom would agree, that if we attempted to start that career path today, without the business track record, it would be infinately more difficult without advanced credentials, perhaps simply due to the fact that those competing for the same opportunities likely have advanced nursing or business degrees.

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i will agree no education is ever wasted, there is a better way to train nurses in my humble opnion.

why do you assume bsn programs lack sufficient clinical time...and that an aide to adn is a "better" way to become a nurse? i'm not arguing that a bsn is "better," only that higher education for all nurses would advance their interests as a whole. nursing against the odds offers a very interesting perspective on this subject.

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i am taking an asn-bsn programme which is 4 yours in length, i am taking this path because it is very expensive for international students going to university in the us and my parents wanted me to not have to go through the endless ecfgs and then get approval for the nclex. after i pass the asn portion i can start working (after passing i pray) and the get wherever i work to pay for the bsn portion of my programme. it's never wrong to get more education, it's just wrong to never pursue your potential. do wat is most beneficial to urself, ur family (if u have one) and take life by the reigns and then ride on.

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i am taking an asn-bsn programme which is 4 yours in length, i am taking this path because it is very expensive for international students going to university in the us and my parents wanted me to not have to go through the endless ecfgs and then get approval for the nclex. after i pass the asn portion i can start working (after passing i pray) and the get wherever i work to pay for the bsn portion of my programme. it's never wrong to get more education, it's just wrong to never pursue your potential. do wat is most beneficial to urself, ur family (if u have one) and take life by the reigns and then ride on.

not to nitpick but i can't even read this post. :chuckle

ok now i can read it against the white background. never mind :)

z

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Yes, absolutely. The division of the nursing profession by nurses has been written about by many in nursing books and nursing journals. In my experience, people often find any exuse for one-upmanship that they can. Good example: My husband is a CG Visual Effects Artist, and the other artists he works with often try to argue over who is superior over what software package they use!! (No, I'm not kidding.)

I'm not diminishing anyone in nursing, as there are great nurses of all educational backrounds...I just feel that a push for higher education would give people less of an excuse for these dumb one-upmanship games.

That's not true and it won't solve the bickering. People in other professions where the educational minimum is the same such as all having bachelor's or master's degrees will sit around arguing over who went to the most prestigious school or who's program was the most rigorous/competitive, etc.

Nurses would soon follow suit if we no longer had LPN vs. ADN. vs. BSN to debate about.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
That's not true and it won't solve the bickering. People in other professions where the educational minimum is the same such as all having bachelor's or master's degrees will sit around arguing over who went to the most prestigious school or who's program was the most rigorous/competitive, etc.

Nurses would soon follow suit if we no longer had LPN vs. ADN. vs. BSN to debate about.

THANK YOU!

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Receiving your BSN is never a waste, sure you may not use half the stuff you learn in class, but that is not what college is about. When you go to college you learn sociology, world civ, etc., Schooling is a learning process of how to live, getting along with others, and troubleshooting life. What a BS means is that you will be looked at for advancements before someone who does not have a BS, MS, or PHD. You are just a little farther down the food chain with an ADN than a BS. It boils down to this where do you want to be in 5yr-15yrs and who do you think will be there to help you? Your ADN buddies or possibly your BS pals, that is if you went to BS school(more friends, more oppurtunities). Good luck!

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.
Let me first start out by saying I am an ASN RN plannining on going onto at least my BSN. My feeling is that if we want to be taken seriously as a profession, a BSN should be the entry level. All other professionals recieve 4 year degrees. By only requiring 2 years or worse dimploma nurses- we are lumped into all the other technical fields- mechanics, electricians, hairdressers. Not to knock anyone at all...but, we are medical professionals who take people's lives into our hands everyday and I would personally feel better if all nurses had 4 years of college. You need four years to be a teacher, an accountant, or a biologist...why not nurse? I know this is a huge debate with many contributing factors- the nursing shortage, the lack of nursing intructors, ect...but I wanted to open it up to debate! I think this requirement would earn us more respect and maybe more wage. I know my program lacked some basic science, health promotion and maintainance, assessment and pharmacology classes that would have better prepared me as a nurse. My whole class felt lacking in Pharmacology and demanded the class be added only to be told there was no room in our 2 year program. This is just one school, but; I'm sure there are others out there with the same problem. What ever you decide...education is never a waste of time and money!

In Ohio Physian Assistants is a 2 year degree.

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In Ohio Physian Assistants is a 2 year degree.

In NYS it is also a two year degree, however there are numerous four year programs and several Masters programs. The BS and MS programs allow transferable credits from the two year programs.

Grannynurse :balloons:

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Some schools are going away from PA BS degrees and instead making them MS degrees.

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Would someone tell me what ADN is?

Associate Degree in Nursing

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