BSN vs. ADN income disparity

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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I just went to a job fair and got a sheet from Loyola Hospital in Chicago. They pay their new ADN's 24.20. They pay new BSNs only 24.50 an hour. That does not make me happy at all.

I am currently enrolled in a direct entry program for people with degrees in other fields. My classmates are geniuses--many are researchers, most have masters degrees and we even have a girl in my class who has a PhD in Molecular Biology. We are training to become Nurse Practitioners. I personally have over 10 years of healthcare experience as an unlicensed assistive personell or healthcare manager and you are telling me that after all is said and done, you are still only going to pay me .30 an hour more than an ADN nurse once I enter the workforce as an RN while continuing with my NP education? I am definitely not applying to Loyola if they care so little about education.

Every member of the nursing faculty at my university and every nurse who is teaching me has a PhD in nursing... Do you see where I am getting at? You don't necessarily get this preparation as an ADN student...

I have followed the income disparity ever since I became "aware" of the differences in school, and I have to say, conclusively, from work experience, as well as educational experience, we nurses as a whole, create our own problem in this arena b/c we stand back and allow employers to control the outcomes. There are many factors involved. But in the long run, employment at will, mgmt vs labor, education vs hands-on, IT DOES NOT MATTER! The auth when they enter your facilities see bodies, functioning well, excellent, or "just there", they do not care what the pay rate is or will be or was. This is why the labor unions have sometimes let us down. And the bottom line is: "If you are literally in the street (as I have been) and are willing to work for low wages and benefits (as I have been willing) you are part of the problem. Cheap labor will always win out over excellence in bottom layers of the workplace foodchain. Sorry, but true.

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Cali-I'm not sure what exactly you think we're contributing to, but I am an RN (BSN) who doesn't think that she deserves much more in pay than an ADN. I do the same work as they do as a bedside staff nurse. We hang the same IVs, assess the same Pts, draw the same labs, communicate with the same doctors, fill out the same paperwork, empty the same bedpans.

Then why go for your BSN? Some people just want their bachelors. Some wanted the more well rounded college experience. Some want to be in nurse leadership, or are interested in research or education.

Me personally, I got my BSN because I plan on getting my CNM/MSN in he near future and it didn't make any sense for me to get my ADN. I'd also like to become a pt nursing educator. So for me, like many, the BSN was the ticket to more opportunities within nursing, not a cash cow in and of itself.

(I just did the math, as we go by per year, and BSNs where I work make 40 cents more per hour)

KellNY I made the comments I made based on the interactions I received in the workplace, both positive and negative. My goals in pursuing a BSN vs anything lower: employability and flexibility in jobs as well as intellectual challange. I am not going to waste any one else's time by going over what went wrong. The system and the faults of the system are not my fault. I have only ever done the best I could under the circumstances. To put it bluntly, if you were the DON, why would you promise a close to worthless LPN a discharge from her job and hire a new BSN-to-be RN to take her/his place? I am not "all that" to use the vernacular, and I can see the answer to

that one. It is also not my fault that BSN is not always respected more than ASN which is not always respected more than LPN which is not always respected more than CNA which is not always respected more than NA. This applies to any state in the sovereign US. Lil ol me just goes to work (when I have a job) to take care of sick/frail/infirm people. I gets paid what I gets paid, that's all. Thank you.

Specializes in Home Health Care.
KellNY I made the comments I made based on the interactions I received in the workplace, both positive and negative. My goals in pursuing a BSN vs anything lower: employability and flexibility in jobs as well as intellectual challange. I am not going to waste any one else's time by going over what went wrong. The system and the faults of the system are not my fault. I have only ever done the best I could under the circumstances. To put it bluntly, if you were the DON, why would you promise a close to worthless LPN a discharge from her job and hire a new BSN-to-be RN to take her/his place? I am not "all that" to use the vernacular, and I can see the answer to

that one. It is also not my fault that BSN is not always respected more than ASN which is not always respected more than LPN which is not always respected more than CNA which is not always respected more than NA. This applies to any state in the sovereign US. Lil ol me just goes to work (when I have a job) to take care of sick/frail/infirm people. I gets paid what I gets paid, that's all. Thank you.

I think I need a translator :smilecoffeecup:

if you are doing hospital bedside nursing, regardless of your degree, you are providing the same care as the nurse next door, you took the same boards as she/he did, you both have RN after your name, the law does not require you to sign BSN/ADN after your name but it does require you to sign RN, more money in nursing is earned as you go up the ladder into management and that is where your additional MAY help you out.....

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.
I think I need a translator :smilecoffeecup:

So I wasn't the only one? I read that last night and was thinking "Huh??" and blamed it on night shift brain. But after a nice day's sleep (lol), it still makes little sense....

Specializes in rehab, antepartum, med-surg, cardiac.

Most places I have worked pay little to nothing for a BSN over an ADN or diploma RN. A 30 cents per hour differential is actually a surprise to me.

Specializes in Cardiac.
So I wasn't the only one? I read that last night and was thinking "Huh??" and blamed it on night shift brain. But after a nice day's sleep (lol), it still makes little sense....

Nope, you were not the only one, lol!

To the OP, I'm sorry you are so bitter right now. My 10 years of tech experience didn't get me any extra money either. But you know why? Because it wasn't nursing experience. As soon as you start actual nursing, you'll figure that out.

As for the ADN/BSN debate, I can't believe that you just now noticed the pay situation!

Wait until you get to be an NP and start to diss the PAs. If you constantly compare yourself to others, then you will never be happy.

To all of those whose argument is that "we all do the same job:"

There are very few professions (actually none I can think of) where a higher education does not equate to a higher pay. My husband does not have a 4 year degree and he does not make as much as a person in his position in the same company doing his same job..... the only way he has been able to make this gap smaller is by working harder and smarter than his counterparts.

It is a weak argument and I wouldnt be suprised if this belief is used against us by management to not pay higher for education...

BTW, the hospital I work pays an extra 1.00 for BSN, 50 cents for certification, and 25 cents for advanced life saving. I think there is an extra 1.00 for MSN. It is not much, but over the course of a year, it does add up.

I just went to a job fair and got a sheet from Loyola Hospital in Chicago. They pay their new ADN's 24.20. They pay new BSNs only 24.50 an hour. That does not make me happy at all.

I am currently enrolled in a direct entry program for people with degrees in other fields. My classmates are geniuses--many are researchers, most have masters degrees and we even have a girl in my class who has a PhD in Molecular Biology. We are training to become Nurse Practitioners. I personally have over 10 years of healthcare experience as an unlicensed assistive personell or healthcare manager and you are telling me that after all is said and done, you are still only going to pay me .30 an hour more than an ADN nurse once I enter the workforce as an RN while continuing with my NP education? I am definitely not applying to Loyola if they care so little about education.

Every member of the nursing faculty at my university and every nurse who is teaching me has a PhD in nursing... Do you see where I am getting at? You don't necessarily get this preparation as an ADN student...

In my clinical group alone (8 out of 40 students) we have 3 masters degrees and 2 post bacs. I am in an ADN program. The majority of my teachers have a PhD. My program is one of the top 30 nursing schools in the nation (BSN or ADN). I certainly think that education should be rewarded, but the tone of this post is a bit much.

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
I think I need a translator :smilecoffeecup:

:yeahthat: whew!!! :uhoh3:

Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

Until there is some uniformity in how a nursing degree is obtained, an RN will still be an RN.

Wouldn't that be nice if we has some uniformity??? I don't know many other professions that you can do the same job with an associates and bachelors.

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