BSN's vs. Community college

I don't think it would be a bad idea to get paid a little more for some extra education. Let's put value to education. Also, let's respect those who choose the ADN/LPN route. It's a just a matter of different approaches towards the same goal. I've been pretty much through it all within 4 years...from CNA, CMA, LVN, and now ADN graduate. I am still setting my eyes on the BSN/MSN. Will that make me a better nurse that somebody with lower qualifications than mine? Probably not. Will I expect more money? Of course. Why? Because I have spent more time and money in school. Simple.

I am still setting my eyes on the BSN/MSN. Will that make me a better nurse that somebody with lower qualifications than mine? Probably not. Will I expect more money? Of course. Why? Because I have spent more time and money in school. Simple.

I pulled this out of your quote, because time after time when this discussion arises I see comments made that assume the ADN grad (like myself) is just that and does not plan to continue their education. Most times this is from the student who believes the BSN is the end all be all of degrees. I just laugh. I just graduated with my ADN and already have the application ready for a university where I am going to obtain my BSN. I see getting my BSN as merely a stepping stone to my Master's degree. Education is so important and just because one chooses the minimum entry to practice, does not mean one is: (1) inferior, (2) unable to provide safe care, (3) less intelligent, (4) or not concerned with higher education. So while you sit in your ivory tower and look down on those lowly ADNs, remember that one day they may be your boss. Life is funny that way. Thanks to all the truly educated BSNs who value the ADN without bias.:balloons:

This thread is ancient...:smiley_ab

I'm a BSN student graduating in 5 months, and have a good friend who just graduated from a comm. college 6 months ago: he was hired in the ER with start base-pay of 54k + bennies, the same that BSN students are being hired at. He has already been accepted & enrolled into a MSN program at my university - skipped the bachelor's. he started back when i did, graduated me, is making money while i'm struggling through these seemingly pointless theory classes and is now starting his master's before i even graduate with a BSN. Overall, I believe it depends on the area your in (whether they care about type of degree). Personally, if I was to do it over, i would skip the BS. :smackingf :smackingf :smackingf

This may be an old thread, but it's still a timely and important subject of interest to some. It's still debated (the ADN versus BSN entry point for RN/professional nursing) often enough, that is for sure. I agree; becoming emotional and unduly heated is not necessary but there is room for discussion nonetheless, if people find this important to them.

I'm with 'The Commuter'. The one who initiated the thread only posted two times (the first being the beginning of the thread, and then again to needle it a bit) -and over two years ago. To me, this reeks of "troll". Ordinarily I just ignore such users as nothing more than someone who wishes to start an argument, and sit back to see how it plays out. Well, I'm nobodies monkey, and it obviously wasn't an important enough subject to the initiator -or they would have posted more responses.

As far as I'm concerned, however, I don't view it as something that is up for debate (weather or not to go BSN or ADN) simply because for many of us (especially those of us who have returned to school to change careers -for whatever reason) the "choice" is taken out of our hands due to financial (and other) obligations -in other words, having to work full-time while going to school full time. Of course, there are others who still managed to do the 4 yr degree while working full-time (my hat is certainly off to them, since that is truly a major accomplishment). For me, there was no practical way to do it.

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I know a number of nurses who went through the ADN program, only to decide that they didn't like nursing (or for whatever reason couldn't do it), and quit during the first year they were working (what a waste of time and effort on their part. Imagine having spent the extra two years (or more) to get the BSN only to find that you couldn't handle it for one reason or another).

Either way, we each have our reasons -and in my view, no reason is a bad one.

I will say that I think it would do far more harm than good for states to start requiring 4yr degrees just to become an RN, however. In case they missed it, most facilities do NOT operate at full staffing levels. :)

Quick response: I'm an LPN after working in computers for 18 years I decided on a career change to a nurse. Couldn't afford to take 2/3 years out to RN and did the LPN in 13 months.

I'm gonna go the quick route next and get RN with an associate degree.

Don't see the point on going to BSN and missing out on working as an RN for a year since there's such a shortage of nurses and i'll be able to get a good job as an associate since they'll just be looking for RN title.

Get the BSN later down the road

PS, worked all over the world in computers and settled in the US. Love nursing. It's like surfing a wave and juggling 18 things at once.

I graduated from a BSN program in MAY 2005 and my school now has the highest passing rate in the state 97%. I have 5 and half months experience as a nurse and a couple of weeks ago decided that I wanted to tranfer to a specialty area. I applied, was interviewed within 3 days, and got the job on the spot. The second question out of the director's mouth was where did I go to school? My coworker with 10 years of nursing experience, 4 of which are on my old floor (telemetry) applied, interviewed with the same people and didn't get the job. She is an extremely nice woman and figured if I got the job, it should be a breeze for her, she was wrong. I don't think a BSN should get paid more for bedside nursing, but it does help you get off that floor a lot quicker.

When my year comes up in June, I will be applying for a clinical manager job. Due to the fact by then I will be half way through an MSN program, I'm confident my lack of bedside nursing experience will not keep me from getting the job. I will play up my education. Therefore, education is never a waste. If your long term goal is not to be a bedside nurse, get your BSN and higher.

Yikes, I don't want you at my bedside! 5 and 1/2 months as a nurse, and all that education doesn't reassure me that you know what you are doing. I have almost 2 years of experience and an 18 month LPN degree and am going back for another year for my RN, so can I play up my education and lack of experience to get a job? Scary. I hope things work out for you but you may be in for a big surprise, I promise you that!

I graduated from a BSN program in MAY 2005 and my school now has the highest passing rate in the state 97%. I have 5 and half months experience as a nurse and a couple of weeks ago decided that I wanted to tranfer to a specialty area. I applied, was interviewed within 3 days, and got the job on the spot. The second question out of the director's mouth was where did I go to school? My coworker with 10 years of nursing experience, 4 of which are on my old floor (telemetry) applied, interviewed with the same people and didn't get the job. She is an extremely nice woman and figured if I got the job, it should be a breeze for her, she was wrong. I don't think a BSN should get paid more for bedside nursing, but it does help you get off that floor a lot quicker.

I realize this is an old thread and an old post, but for those reading it anew, I thought I'd offer something: when *I* interviewed as a brandy new grad, my interviewer also asked me very early on (first couple of questions) and once she knew my answer, the rest of the interview was on autopilot. She knew I had succeeded in passing a killer program that was known for turning out good RNs, and wanted me THEN.

It was a 2-year college. ADN. But an excellent school. And THAT got me more interest than the BSN grad. Go figure

Yikes, I don't want you at my bedside! 5 and 1/2 months as a nurse, and all that education doesn't reassure me that you know what you are doing. I have almost 2 years of experience and an 18 month LPN degree and am going back for another year for my RN, so can I play up my education and lack of experience to get a job? Scary. I hope things work out for you but you may be in for a big surprise, I promise you that!

You don't want inexperienced nurses at your bedside? We all were inexperienced nurses at someone's bedside at one point in time. :)

The poster was not applying for a bedside nursing position, but a management position after a year at the bedside. Playing up your education for these types of jobs is definately a plus. How the person got the bedside position over someone with 10 years experience is a mystery that speaks that there's more to the story than just a degree and what the this poster knows, because she/he wasn't a fly on the wall during the interview, in my opinion.

However, the reality is that if a job is "BSN-preferred", the BSN, even with less experience gets the job over the ADN who probably is equally and maybe more qualitied.

Hi all.

I just wanted to say that nurses with BSN's in my opinion should be paid more, and have preference in the hiring process. In community college they basically pay you to go, and at a University, you take on soooo many student loans. The upper division classes are much more difficult at a University and I truly feel it's unfair to group the two (BSN, and community) together. It's completley different. I have heard that there are some states that requrire a BSN if that's true, I think it's great.

Bye for now.

It's your choice for the loans. Shouldn't get paid more because you chose one rout over another. By-the-way. I went to a diploma school, we had all of our classes from a major university. Yes , the classes were tough. But, I can't speak to other programs. I didn't go there. If some one went to a community college it's OK. We took the same state boards. The higher pay should be based on work preformance. From my many years teaching and precepting students. In the state I live, many BSN's would have lower pay. Not because they're not smart, but because they have in general less clinical experience.