BSN vs. ADN income disparity

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2007

I can understand how it would be frustrating to invest more time and energy into your education, and not reap the benefits immediately at the bedside.
However, as I pointed out previously...the BSN graduate is prepared to move in other extensions of nursing, where the ADN is not. Therefore, you investment does pay off in other respects.
As you have stated, you have the option to pursue other positions in nursing and leave the low bedside pay to others. If that is your choice, then do so. No need in insulting anyone or suggesting that ADNs are inferior. That's just an all around bad attitude to have. Someone that claims to be so highly educated should easily recognize that. Good luck in your endeavors!:nuke:

Excellent points. No need for us to tear another down to justify building ourselves up.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 21, 2007

Romie, I am glad that I finished reading this thread before shooting from the hip on a comment you made to me that I found particulary disrespectful and quite simply, wrong in blatant assumptions. I sat on my hands before typing something truly blazing. I hope I do that enough.

I am glad I finished reading because I see that you have apologized for the manner in which you have spoken here. And that is important in a forum such as this. We can't know that you're having a cranky day and just flew off a poor statement, but we see that statement permanently every time we view a thread. Expect to have the written word come back to you as threads that seem "old" get resurrected with new interest from time to time.

Good luck to you in your endeavors. Hopefully you will not be so disenchanted with the world of nursing as it is today that you will choose to not be part of it. Seek betterment always, but remember that betterment is not always in the forms you expect.

lauralassie · Feb 24, 2007

When you get your NP you'll get payed more. Don't care, and I mean don't care what or how many degrees you have. If you can't stand beside me in a critical situation and know what your doing, or take care of multiple pt's that flow endlessly into an ER , not talking tooth aches, talking MI's , trauma etc...etc...then, I don't care if your Queen Elizibeth, you shouldn't make more than me. If I have to train you, be in charge over you, if you make the same or more I expect results. Don't need someone to tell me chemical reactions to carbon and iodine when I have a coding child , trauma, 2 MI's , a pt with a heart rate of210 , a coulple drunks and a pink slipper who's trying to excape as well as 28 other beds with god knows what, all with 38 pt's still in triage. Now once you complete your np, yes you get payed for what you do. But, I'm sure there will be NP's with more experience that came from one of those adn or diploma schools that never went for a degree in biology etc. that will make more than you. I hope you don't think you should make more than Np's with more experince than you because they don't have a secondary degree in rocket science. I wouldn't work for an employer who valued a professional student over a nurse with real experience. I would bet the public feels that way as well.

Katydidit34 · Feb 24, 2007

"I know that some of the most awesome bedside nurses are diploma nurses who can spot a urinary meatus in a female in the dark from across the room while some BSN prepared newbies couldn't find it even with GPS and a map."

This just cracked me up!!! LOL!!! Thanks for taking the time to apologize. We have to stick together and lift each other up regardless of our education. The cool thing is that in this profession and in this country, we all have the opportunity to excel as far as we choose to. Unfortunately, there's a ladder you have to climb on the way up and we ALL start at the bottom. It's good to vent, just try to always be thoughtful of the audience who may be a witness to the wrath. LOL!! Best of luck to you!!

laizure · Feb 24, 2007

It took me years to make this statement and mean it:

"Not everything is about money! Are you happy with your work"

I live in Silicon Valley, People make upwards of $200k a year in various lines of work. At one time in my life I was making a lot of money, however, I was unhappy with my work. It took me years to get over that fact. I would rather be happy with my work than worry about how much I am paid. Sure, I would like more money, but I am happy.

lavahawaii · Mar 25, 2007

I say this to you with the deepest respect and admiration of your drive and determination as evidenced by your credentials that will eventually take you as far as you want. A degree however does not make a nurse.

This has been a point of contention for a long time. As a Staff Development Coord, starting at the bottom 30 years ago as an orderly (Nurses Assistant), I believe I am qualified to speak to this issue. This philosophy of genius-higher educated persons should earn more out of the gate, will be your undoing.

The culture of the profession does need to provide incentive for expanding one's horizons, however, after all my years, I would rather have an LPN who is clinically sound than a genius who isn't. The experienced nurse is worth his/her weight in gold.

Why do you suppose there is heasitency to hire inexperienced new grads, and a salary range based on experience?

My advice to you, with all due respect to your accomplishments, do the time, take the pay and LEARN to be a NURSE who will be clinically sound as an advocate for the patient instead of looking for a paycheck. Of course money is important, but do not base your career on it. You will be all the better for it. In time with your goal always in mind, you will earn the respect of your peers, the recognition you deserve and the pay you will genuinely earn.

romie · Mar 26, 2007

thank you Lavahawaii for your thoughts. I have been in clinicals and I am ABSOLUTELY LOVING bedside nursing. I love advocating for my patient, being present when the MDs come in with their entourage. I'll interrupt an intern if he is talking to patient if I don't understand or if I get signs that my patient doesn't understand what he is saying. I just want to send out warmest wishes to all of you hard working bedside nurses and nurses of every color and education level! What we do is amazing, we all should get paid more and at this point in my education, I really don't care how much I get paid, as long as it is at least the market rate. Even though I will be an NP in about 4 years, I plan on doing at least 1 full year of bedside--maybe medsurge or anything because I think that bedside nursing is the foundation of ALL nursing, whether you are a nurse manager, MDS coordinator and never see an actual patient or NP. Thanks for the attitude adjustment guys! I am having a blast at the bedside and have nothing but profound respect for all nurses and nurses aides---MDs and their Know it all but have no bedside manner interns--we'll save that for another thread.

lavahawaii · Mar 26, 2007

You are quite welcome, Romie. Just a parting thought. When you finally do get where you are going, and you've gotten yourself in a jam, it will be a nurse who gets you out of it. Please remember who you are and where you came from.

Good luck and stay sharp.

Aloha

TinyNurse, RN · Mar 26, 2007

I work at a level I, magnet facility and there is no pay difference between ADN and BSN.

RaElrA · Mar 27, 2007

Sometimes the income difference is only 10 cents per hour. But if you are both working as RN's, and basically doing the same work, there shouldn't be a difference in pay. The advantage of a BSN is that you have access to many more opportunities and higher level positions than the ADN.
From what I have seen with friends who have gotten BSN's is that the additional education is more in statistics, nursing research, and public health issues.
The ADN program I attended had a higher NCLEX pass rate than the 4 year BSN program at a state university here.

You have stated exactly what I was told when I did my own "market research" before choosing which route to take. I talked to many local nurses, who told me that they would rather work with grads from the local 2-yr program vs. grads from the local 4-yr program. Across the board, they felt that the former grads were better with patients; the latter with paperwork. As well, our local 2-yr program has a much higher NCLEX pass rate than the 4-yr. Because of this information, I chose to obtain my ADN, get my job, then do my transition to BSN (mostly online) while "proving" myself for a couple of years. All of this said, if the ADN's are doing the same job, yes, I agree they should receive the same (or close to the same) pay. My reasons for wanting to continue? More job opportunities, not more pay (for the same job).

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2007

You have stated exactly what I was told when I did my own "market research" before choosing which route to take. I talked to many local nurses, who told me that they would rather work with grads from the local 2-yr program vs. grads from the local 4-yr program. Across the board, they felt that the former grads were better with patients; the latter with paperwork. As well, our local 2-yr program has a much higher NCLEX pass rate than the 4-yr. Because of this information, I chose to obtain my ADN, get my job, then do my transition to BSN (mostly online) while "proving" myself for a couple of years. All of this said, if the ADN's are doing the same job, yes, I agree they should receive the same (or close to the same) pay. My reasons for wanting to continue? More job opportunities, not more pay (for the same job).

It's all local. All the ADN schools here have lower NCLEX pass rates that the BSN school, but that's because the BSN school has the highest pass rate in the state - usually 97 or 100%. They had two students fail last year - usually it's only one or zero.

Anyway, I'm taking the ADN to BSN route as well for job opportunties, not to get more money at the bedside, which I won't. Good luck to you. I'm sure you're finding it to be a little more than just a few extra courses. :rotfl:

mstigerlily · Mar 29, 2007

One hospital I interviewed at does not have a differential (and this is a union hospital). The other two did have a differential, it was 2% more for a BSN and I believe 5% more for an MSN. I think this is pretty typical, at least for my area.

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...