Frustrated in BSN program

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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So I am tired of getting treated like an ignorant, useless nurse because I only have an ADN and denied employment everywhere because I'm not a BSN. I get into a BSN program and start taking EXPENSIVE classes, on my own dime, and spending all my free time on these classes. I haven't learned one single thing in the program besides how to do citations for a paper which helps me 0% in my job. I won't get a raise when I have a BSN either. So what is the point? I want to stop taking these classes after this course, but I want a bachelor's if only for my own pride. However, it is costing me so much money (thousands, every class has hundreds in books and fees and then they want you to buy case studies and other crazy things weekly) and all of my free time. I am so stressed doing these busywork assignments (and that's all they are, they don't teach me anything I don't already know and almost none of it is applicable in the real world because there's no time for me to evaluate patient's emotional roadblocks to learning when I barely have time to take their vitals)and I am so tired that at work daily.. and have no time with friends or family. Any advice? Sorry for the rambling but I am too tired to edit.

Specializes in Ambulatory Care/Community Health.

I'm right in the same boat with you- working 40 hrs a week, taking full-time classes to bridge from my ADN to BSN. I spend ALL of my free time studying and doing assignments that have so far, been only mildly useful to my worklife. My only hope is that once my BSN is complete, I might actually be CONSIDERED for a job at a hospital instead of LTC or clinic nursing, and nurses at the hospital here make almost twice what LTC or clinic nurses do...

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I say to stick with it. I do believe if you quit now, you would be kicking yourself later on.

My schooling for the coveted RN-BSN starts in Feb of 2013. I have been working in a hospital since I was 18 as a CNA, LPN and then ADN. Even though I'm in the middle of my career, I feel the need to return to school. Will it help me with pt's as a staff?Charge nurse? Sigh..I don't really know. Everyone I talk to whom has taken this route, says it will not. However, I can't see how this won't help me somewhere down the road. Maybe it will give me a different perspective of things from a more subtle point of view?

All I know is, if I want to survive and have more options as an older nurse, I better get that BSN.

"Are you taking pathophysiology yet? I don't see how learning the disease process wouldn't help a hospital nurse."

She has an ADN.....she has had loads of pathophysiology. What exactly do you think ADNs spend their 2-3 years learning??

I also find it interesting when folks mention that what they are learning in their BSN program is how to compose appropriate citations. Seriously? We did that in our ADN program from day one. All work (even the dreaded careplans) were completed following APA rules. I have an ADN and a BS in Psychology. What could a BSN teach me? Leadership? Already got it. Stats? Got it. How to critique research? Did that for my ADN and for my Psych BS we designed, ran and evaluated original research.

Will I jump through the BSN hoop? Maybe. Rather pursue an MSN and see what exciting new things that has to offer. For now, perfectly satisfied as a nurse supervisor at an ASC.

"Are you taking pathophysiology yet? I don't see how learning the disease process wouldn't help a hospital nurse."

She has an ADN.....she has had loads of pathophysiology. What exactly do you think ADNs spend their 2-3 years learning??

I think all ADN programs require anatomy and physiology I and II, but I don't know of any (although I'm sure they exist) that require pathophysiology.

My BSN program required pathophysiology but I don't know if I'd even consider that "loads."

Either way, it doesn't really matter in this case because the bottom line seems to be that she wants to work in a hospital and by her own testimony can't even get an interview. Maybe it isn't the pathophysiology they think the BSN brings, but it doesn't change the simple fact that more and more hospitals want it.

I checked just to be sure and my local CC doesn't require it. In fact, many students take the ADN route here after they fail patho at the university for the very reason that they don't have to take it. After doing a simple search here on allnurses.com I came across this thread where people are saying that even pharmacology isn't part of their ADN program. That's even more shocking.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/pathophysiology-757247.html

Of course they learn pathophysiology and pharmacology....maybe the classes just don't have those titles. In my program we went by systems....learn the cardiac/neuro/GI/whatever diseases appropriate medications and move on to the next. In the first quarter of my ADN program we were expected to fully understand pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

It is ridiculous to state that ADN students don't learn pathophysiology or pharmacology. Diabetes? Insulin? CHF? Lasix? Come on. Give me a break.

That's like saying, "Of course I know CPR. Just because I don't have my card doesn't mean I don't know it!"

How about, "Of course I did that. Just because I didn't chart it doesn't mean I didn't do it."

Eh, you're probably right. An entire semester devoted to the disease process adds nothing more than a little bit incorporated here and there.

Everyone drop out now! It doesn't matter if hospitals won't call you for an interview.

I am with you JZ_RN and you are correct. I felt the same way in my RN to BSN program. However, I am done in December 2012. It was crap did not teach me anything I did not know, already. Only, busy useless homework. I guess the universities want to make money for nothing. BTW it was easy BSN. Nothing new or challenging.

But you must do it. Otherwise in few years nobody will hire you without BSN. Even the HH agencies want BSN.

Specializes in Critical Care.
What school is this, btw?

She's looking to follow her BF to the University of Washington, the top ranked Nursing school for the past 27 years.

Specializes in Critical Care.
I think all ADN programs require anatomy and physiology I and II, but I don't know of any (although I'm sure they exist) that require pathophysiology.

My BSN program required pathophysiology but I don't know if I'd even consider that "loads."

Either way, it doesn't really matter in this case because the bottom line seems to be that she wants to work in a hospital and by her own testimony can't even get an interview. Maybe it isn't the pathophysiology they think the BSN brings, but it doesn't change the simple fact that more and more hospitals want it.

I checked just to be sure and my local CC doesn't require it. In fact, many students take the ADN route here after they fail patho at the university for the very reason that they don't have to take it. After doing a simple search here on allnurses.com I came across this thread where people are saying that even pharmacology isn't part of their ADN program. That's even more shocking.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/pathophysiology-757247.html

All ADN programs require pathophys, although they don't separate it into a separate class since it's been integrated into Nursing courses since at least 1975.

To use the University of Washington example again (top ranked Nursing program in the US), they don't require a separate pathophysiology class either. So that means ASN programs are in the same league as the top ranked BSN program in the country, that's a pretty good league to be in.

All ADN programs require pathophys, although they don't separate it into a separate class since it's been integrated into Nursing courses since at least 1975.

To use the University of Washington example again (top ranked Nursing program in the US), they don't require a separate pathophysiology class either. So that means ASN programs are in the same league as the top ranked BSN program in the country, that's a pretty good league to be in.

"Clinical applications of anatomy and physiology" sure, it's not called "pathophysiology," but there is a significant period of time dedicated to what's basically the same thing.

Again, any degree is PRACTICALLY (in every sense of the word) useless if you can't get a job. If you can't get the job you want (like...oh...a job in the hospital) then it's just a step above.

Like I said to begin with....if the OP is happy in her current job then she should quit the program. However, if she wants to work elsewhere then she's going to run into the same problem that sent her back to school to begin with.

I should've known here on allnurses.com that pointing out what should be a simple, harmless comment like, "pathophysiology should be useful to a hospital nurse" would open up a door.

That would seem to imply a significant difference, as opposed to "semantics" in which the only difference is the word used.. I was talking with another Nurse the other night who had an ASN and wanted an MSN at some point and figured she needed a BSN first. She was looking at an MSN program (which was not designed as an ADN to MSN program) which required a BSN, although they would accept a 4 page essay in lieu of a BSN. This was one of the top ranked Nursing programs in the nation which considered the difference between an ASN and a BSN to be essentially a 4 page homework assignment, not exactly a significant difference.

From the University of Washington website:

If you are admitted to the MN program, additional requirements you MUST meet before starting the program are:

  • successful completion of one of the following:
    • a baccalaureate nursing degree from an accredited university
    • an associate degree or diploma from an accredited RN program, and a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field

The fact that you must have a baccalaureate degree in another field is a tiny little detail you didn't mention.

Specializes in Critical Care.
From the University of Washington website:

If you are admitted to the MN program, additional requirements you MUST meet before starting the program are:

  • successful completion of one of the following:
    • a baccalaureate nursing degree from an accredited university
    • an associate degree or diploma from an accredited RN program, and a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field

The fact that you must have a baccalaureate degree in another field is a tiny little detail you didn't mention.

You'll notice my previous statement referred specifically to "BSN"s, not the difference between an associates and just any bachelor's degree.

For the majority of current ASN graduates in my state, the difference between their degree and a BSN is the key definition, since more than 50% of ASN graduates currently have a previous bachelor's degree.

From page 3 of their MSN application requirements under "BSN equivalency essays"

http://nursing.uw.edu/sites/default/files/files/MN-App-Instructions.pdf

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