My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints from patients stating, "The BSN nurse gave better care than the non-BSN nurse." End result, only RN will go on namebadge.
I do not want to debate whether BSN nurses are better or worse. What I would like feedback on is:
1.) Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?
2.) I personally feel that is a "slap" in the face and demoralizes nursing and education! Am I the only one who feels like this?
The other day I asked a Doc if he was a DO or an MD......he replied "MD BS". Thought it was kind of odd, but since he's from another country perhaps that's how they do it there.
Both ADN's and BSN's take the exact same NCLEX-RN... so, only having an RN tag on your name tag would make sense. I understand why people would be annoyed by not being able to place BSN on your name tag because it is an accomplishment, having put in more time in clinicals and class theory. I guess this is the thinking...your a nurse and placing ADN or BSN...might cause confusion with patients? I can't think of any other reason...
Oh my...another ASN vs. BSN discussion huh? In my opinion, RN is RN...how many humanity classes one took to gain their BSN over ADN means little in the clinical arena. I've worked with a lot of new grads thru the last years and I've yet to see a BSN grad that is more clinically competent than an ASN grad. They are equal.
Strongly disagree with this statement. Many ASN programs don't spend as much clinical time as BSN programs do. We were required to do two days/16-20 hours of clinical per week in my BSN program. The hospital where I'm currently a nurse has ASN students rotating through and they have one day/5 hours of clinical per week. ASN programs also sometimes have to make sacrifices when it comes to the clinical settings because of the time constraints. One program has students doing their critical care/comple medical rotation on a rehab floor I used to work on as a CNA (LTAC). Yes, the patients had medically complex histories, but they weren't acute at that time so they missed out on that kind of hands-on experience. I have found the majority of BSN students to be more clinically prepared than ASN students, more knowledgeable of clinical information and pharmacology, and better prepared to give patient care. This is just my experience in the state I live in but it has been true across the board at every teaching hospital I've worked at (8).
Specializes in Psych/CD/Medical/Emp Hlth/Staff ED.
Strongly disagree with this statement. Many ASN programs don't spend as much clinical time as BSN programs do. We were required to do two days/16-20 hours of clinical per week in my BSN program. The hospital where I'm currently a nurse has ASN students rotating through and they have one day/5 hours of clinical per week. ASN programs also sometimes have to make sacrifices when it comes to the clinical settings because of the time constraints. One program has students doing their critical care/comple medical rotation on a rehab floor I used to work on as a CNA (LTAC). Yes, the patients had medically complex histories, but they weren't acute at that time so they missed out on that kind of hands-on experience. I have found the majority of BSN students to be more clinically prepared than ASN students, more knowledgeable of clinical information and pharmacology, and better prepared to give patient care. This is just my experience in the state I live in but it has been true across the board at every teaching hospital I've worked at (8).
These difference are far more related to regional differences than ADN vs. BSN. In my area, ADN students and BSN students have the same required clinical time (16 hours/week), although the ADN students get far more direct, "hands on" experience due to shortages in clinical sites for BSN programs since they are concentrated in the same geographical area.
In terms of readiness to take on patients, at my facility we've been finding a significant discrepancy between ADN and BSN graduates that isn't what you'd think. Most ADN students we hire finished their preceptorship in school taking a full load of patients with their preceptor, while BSN students finished with a patient load that was 2/3 to 3/4 of a full patient load due to their late start in taking patients independently in school. This has translated to a training period (residency) for ADN that is approx 4-6 weeks, compared to 6-10 weeks for BSN graduates.
ADN students we hire finished their preceptorship in school taking a full load of patients with their preceptor, while BSN students finished with a patient load that was 2/3 to 3/4 of a full patient load due to their late start in taking patients independently in school. This has translated to a training period (residency) for ADN that is approx 4-6 weeks, compared to 6-10 weeks for BSN graduates.
I don't quite understand how a late start with BSN students is relevant? The humanities, other sciences etc come before the clinical part. If they have equal amounts of clinical time, how is when they began their clinical relevant? If you have a BSN student who started in 2006, began clinicals in 2007 and finished in 2010, and an ADN student who started in 2008 and finished in 2010, they are starting their clinical experience around the same time, no? FWIW, I started clinical my second semester of my BSN program.
Specializes in Psych/CD/Medical/Emp Hlth/Staff ED.
I don't quite understand how a late start with BSN students is relevant? The humanities, other sciences etc come before the clinical part. If they have equal amounts of clinical time, how is when they began their clinical relevant? If you have a BSN student who started in 2006, began clinicals in 2007 and finished in 2010, and an ADN student who started in 2008 and finished in 2010, they are starting their clinical experience around the same time, no? FWIW, I started clinical my second semester of my BSN program.
It's not that they get a late start in terms of starting clinicals, it's that for the first quarter or two, or even 3 quarters with one program in particular, the BSN nursing students' "clinical" time consists of packs of nursing students with clipboards following a nurse around. While they are getting first hand clinical experience by observing, the "hands on" portion does not start on their first day or even their first quarter, which gives them a late start on skills such as time management, putting them behind students from other programs with better access to clinical time.
Actually, that's not true. I'm currently in school for my Masters, and I don't and won't have a Bachelor's first.
Otherwise, I do agree with you.
I work at a university hospital that has magnet status, and I swear I think I'm the only RN on my unit who doesn't have a BSN. So it would probably be redundant for people to have RN, BSN on their badges. It would probably just be easier to have MY badge say RN, ADN. :)
I thought you had to get your Associates first and then you Masters....I didn't know you could skip programs. Interesting.
It's not that they get a late start in terms of starting clinicals, it's that for the first quarter or two, or even 3 quarters with one program in particular, the BSN nursing students' "clinical" time consists of packs of nursing students with clipboards following a nurse around. While they are getting first hand clinical experience by observing, the "hands on" portion does not start on their first day or even their first quarter, which gives them a late start on skills such as time management, putting them behind students from other programs with better access to clinical time.
I agree that different programs do it different ways. Our BS program has three years of clinicals, (no following a nurse around with a clipboard either) whereas the ADN programs have 2 years of clinicals. Both programs have the same amount of clinical hours per week.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I thought you had to get your Associates first and then you Masters....I didn't know you could skip programs. Interesting.
*** Well you do. You need either and associates or a bachelors degree to get a masters. If you have an associates degree in nursing there is no need to get a BSN in order to get a MSN. You will have to choose a school that offers that program though.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I really don't care.
Did I work hard for my BSN?
Of course. But a lot of my patients don't know what a BSN is. And my coworkers don't care where I went to school, just how good of a nurse I am.
To lighten things up a bit, we have a few volunteers who dress as clowns. Their badges actually say their clown names, not their real names. Where can I get one of those? Or at least a Scooby Doo costume to wear so no one actually knows my identity?
BabyLady, BSN, RN
2,300 Posts
To me, it is MORE professional to list only the highest degree earned.
Who cares if you have a "formal" BSN or not if you have an MSN.
Who cares if you have an MSN if you have a DNP.
If you have RN after your name they know you have been to college and passed boards.
Anyone posting anything else, is just flat-out, egotistical, unless that particular job title is critical to your particular job in the hospital.
For example, RN vs RNC.