higher pay for BSN grads?

OB_or_NICU_hopeful · Aug 30, 2006

To start off.....this is not a hot-button issue for me at this point in life, but I have a point/story (that's surely been asked before).

I'll try to make this short :lol

My husband has his BS in Electrical Engineering. He transitioned careers and is now a HS Math teacher. With all of his college hours combined, he was placed in a different salary bracket with increased pay. He has several opportunities for "jumping" his salary (Master's, Master's +15, etc.).

It's not like my husband will be doing anything different than a plain old Bachelor's degree teacher. He's as 'green' as they are :lol

So, having said that, I do agree with having a base pay for the minimum degree requirement, then paying more for additional education.

swanganz · Sep 15, 2006

Hi everyone. Just curious...I was just wondering what nurses make across the country. The national average that is always posted seems to be inflated. I can tell you that in Ohio a new grad will start out at around 24/hr. The hospital where I work offers $1 more an hour for nights. Tuition reimbursement benefits top out at $1,500/year for full time staff. My family is looking to leave Ohio for a variety of reasons and was curious as what to expect as wages elsewhere. I have been a RN (BSN) for 3+ years and have spent all of them in MICU. Thanks for any info. Also interesting to see how our fellow nurses are doing "salary wise" across the nation.

lee1 · Sep 15, 2006

I work at a magnet metropolitan ICU (graduated last August with a BSN). Our hospital does pay BSN's a higher salary than ADN or Diploma nurses (I'm not sure of the exact difference but I think starting BSN's make about two dollars an hour more). New BSN grads are considered "clinical nurse" while ADN/Diploma are classified as "staff nurse", this designation is put on our name badges also. Only BSN grads are considered for entry level positions in ICU (adult, neonatal or pediatric) and ob/gyn positions (L&D, postpartum, high risk), I believe BSN is also required for entry level telemetry unit also. ADN/Diploma grads are hired in med/surg and skilled nursing/rehab, otherwise I know our hospital prefers BSN's for other positions. I work at the "big downtown" campus. I don't think this difference is found at the smaller "regional" hospitals (affiliated with our system)

HMM, just wonder if they discriminate against those diploma or ADN nurses with tons of certified critical care or specialty care experience who may apply for jobs in their hospitals. What a waste of talent if they do.

swanganz · Sep 15, 2006

Hi everyone. Forgive me if this post is a duplicate. I am still learning my way around here! i was just curious as to what nurses salaries are across the nation, mainly interested in hospital staff RNs. I am in Ohio and new grads make around 24/hr with and addt'l $1/hr for nights (at least where I work) Our tuition reimbursement tops out at 1,500 for full time. It just always seems that the national average nursing salary is over inflated. I am also curious because me and my family are hopefully leaving Ohio for a variety of reasons...weather...schools...and was wondering what to expect in other states. I have been an RN for 3+ years and have spent all of them in a MICU. Any info would be appreciated. Also just interesting to see how fellow nurses are doing "salary wise" across the US. Thanks!

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2006

Hi everyone. Forgive me if this post is a duplicate. I am still learning my way around here! i was just curious as to what nurses salaries are across the nation, mainly interested in hospital staff RNs. I am in Ohio and new grads make around 24/hr with and addt'l $1/hr for nights (at least where I work) Our tuition reimbursement tops out at 1,500 for full time. It just always seems that the national average nursing salary is over inflated. I am also curious because me and my family are hopefully leaving Ohio for a variety of reasons...weather...schools...and was wondering what to expect in other states. I have been an RN for 3+ years and have spent all of them in a MICU. Any info would be appreciated. Also just interesting to see how fellow nurses are doing "salary wise" across the US. Thanks!

The salary range from state to state is huge, even from hospital to hospital within the same state. The best thing to do is to go to www.salary.com, chose whichever states you're interested in, your specific position/job title and it'll give a good idea of the salary range. Good luck to you!

RN34TX · Sep 15, 2006

HMM, just wonder if they discriminate against those diploma or ADN nurses with tons of certified critical care or specialty care experience who may apply for jobs in their hospitals. What a waste of talent if they do.

That post you are referring to sounds similar to the hiring practices at one Houston hospital I applied at as a new grad ADN RN.

Their big downtown campus only hired BSN's for new grad positions, but they still hired experienced ADN and diploma RN's.

After turning me down because I only had my ADN as a new grad RN, they forwarded my application to two of their smaller community hospital affiliates in the suburbs who did not have a BSN only policy in place with respect to hiring new grads.

I'm not sure why only one hospital in the chain had this policy while all of the others did not.

mart18642 · Sep 16, 2006

i'm currently a nursing student, but the hospitals affiliated with our university (i'm in BSN program) pay .25/hr more for having a a BSN. so, if you figure that up, you make about $525 more a year than your co-workers with an ADN, which in 5 years won't even cover the cost of the tuition of the extra education you got. is that fair? absolutely not. but, unfortunately, you learn really quickly that life isn't fair.

Here pays depends...the one I work pays .50 than the 2 years-RNdegree

travel920 · Sep 20, 2006

This sounds like the argument over the difference between an MD and a DO

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vamedic4, EMT-P · Sep 20, 2006

Originally Posted by aph401

i'm currently a nursing student, but the hospitals affiliated with our university (i'm in BSN program) pay .25/hr more for having a a BSN. so, if you figure that up, you make about $525 more a year than your co-workers with an ADN, which in 5 years won't even cover the cost of the tuition of the extra education you got. is that fair? absolutely not. but, unfortunately, you learn really quickly that life isn't fair.

Again, you're soooo missing the point. You may eventually be rewarded for the education you received in the form of a Bachelor's Degree...but as a new grad...RN...your job is NO DIFFERENT than someone with only an Associate's Degree. Don't cry because you "feel cheated" that you had to spend "X" amount for your education...and that what little you may make "more" doesn't even make up for your more advanced degree. It was, after all, your decision to get a BSN in the first place. I suspect that many people choose the ADN route because it's A. More common B. Has a quicker entry into nursing. If I think of a C, I'll let you know.

Just count yourself lucky that you're part of a BSN program, and that opportunities will be plentiful for you once you are a nurse.

vamedic4

He's asleep! Time to study.

travel920 · Sep 20, 2006

Here is an interesting document:

ftp://www.bne.state.tx.us/del-comp.pdf

The Nursing Licensing Board of the State of Texas differentiates between LVN, RN and BSN in terms of education requirements. The official title of this particular document is:

"Differented Entry Level Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs."

Someone who is interested in the differences between ADN and BSN might find the document interesting. I don't know enough yet to draw conclusions. I have no idea if other states are the same as Texas. I choose a BSN because I already had 40 plus hours of undergraduate credits and a BSN program was a lot closer to where I live than an ADN program.

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kellerpatty · Sep 20, 2006

appalling

Ha Ha! Appalling? All I know is that I take my cheap little ADN degree to my unit every night and work my butt off. Appalling? Appalling is people's attitudes about something so trivial when we got people hurting and possibly dying. Come on, does it really matter whether somebody can afford to pay a lot more money than I could for an education. It's the same old "have" and "have-not" class issue that has been around since time immemorial. I made straight A's, passed with highest honors, and will now gladly let my employer pay for my BSN, which I will work equally hard for. Appalling is the people who don't work in the trenches and who have forgotten what skills are really required, making the rules and setting the tone for these ugly BSN vs. ADN arguments (that seem to pop up at the drop of a hat)...that's appalling. My first job is in a Level I BICU and guess what...even with my "limited" education...I can actually do my job. Oh, yeah, BSN's make 50 cents more an hour, which over a shift buys a really good cup of coffee! Like someone once asked years ago..."Can't we all just get along?"

FLAgal14 · Sep 20, 2006

This sounds like the argument over the difference between an MD and a DO
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You are so right... and that argument has been beaten to death too (go to SDN - there is pretty much a MD vs. DO thread everyday). It seems like every career in healthcare has a us vs. them mentality (BSN vs. ADN, MD vs. DO, NP vs. PA).