Nurses being forced to go back to school

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

Published

So let me ask a question.....Should I be forced to go back and get my BSN? I have served the same hospital for eighteen years. Now, I'm no longer fit to do my job? At a time when retirement is just around the corner; I'm being forced to go into debt to get by BSN? I think that anyone who was involved in this decision should be paying for my education. Lets see how quickly they change their position! I can honestly say that I have never met an individual that was somehow made a better nurse because of this. So many nurses go into this field for the wrong reasons. I made a good decision and I'm an exceptional nurse. I don't need a BSN or MSN to prove that. I'm sure if you asked our patients what was more important to them......the more educated nurse or the nurse who truly cares about them, the decision would be simple. Shame on all of you who are forcing veteran nurses to do this. Any nurse over the age of 50 should not have this forced upon them.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
At a time when retirement is just around the corner; I'm being forced to go into debt to get by BSN?
According to your tags, I can ascertain you're located in California. Unfortunately, you're in a heavily glutted nursing employment market where employers have the upper hand and can make demands such as stipulating that nurses with diplomas and associate degrees earn the BSN to maintain employment.

I know it stinks to essentially be forced to spend the time, money and effort on another credential when you are so very close to retirement.

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

This is precisely why I began to casually pursue the BSN 4 years ago. It was a personal goal and I saw the move to BSN-preferred positions firsthand right after I received my ASN. At that time, I was 45 years old and I knew if I didn't, I would be the author of this post instead of you, OP.

I feel your frustration. I was enjoying a comfortable life as an LPN (24 years) until the economy forced me out of it and back in pursuit of the ASN. Once an RN, had I not tried to move on to another job, I probably would not have seen the BSN move trending back then. But as I said, the BSN was primarily a personal goal since I had so many extra credits left over from the ASN.

If I may may a suggestion (not meaning to make you feel any worse, please). If your job is requiring this and since you are very invested in this facility, try to stop fuming, start researching BSN programs that can be done in a very short period of time, and look at those who offer 8-week courses only. That way, you can quickly see the progress that you are making. I don't know which programs are/not accepted in California, but a friend of mine from Florida did in 6 months. Two other friends did American Sentinel University because of the 8-week courses....all online at both institutions. You don't have to spend another few years obtaining this degree.

If it's got to be done, the RN-BSN transition will go a whole lot smoother if you're not (understandably) seeing red. A longtime friend of mine is in the same boat as you except she's an LPN being forced to get the ASN/RN. She was given 5 years to reach that status. As of January 1st, her hospital job of 15 years is over. Her status as a nurse at this facility has already been down-graded to a PCT (no change in pay fortunately), but in under 4 months, she is unemployed.

Good luck and I so hope your facility reimburses you for this degree.

Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

Doing an ASN to BSN program doesn't have to mean going into debt. I cash flowed mine through the biggest university in my state because I planned ahead, and I don't make a high salary.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It is a dirty rotten shame IMHO. We have talked about this over and over.

https://allnurses.com/registered-nurses-diploma/adns-being-pushed-768251.html

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/can-hospital-legally-520570.html

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/adn-nurses-being-933938.html

It's shameful.

IMHO I think that is why they haven't made the decision to eliminate the ASN/ADN because they would have to grandfather "us" in...this way they get to take "our" money and increase their (the ANA/academics) job security.

Specializes in PCCN.

I think it's baloney too.I'm in your situation. I keep getting asked "so when are you finishing your degree?? I was doing it one class at a time , and paying for it out of my own pocket so I didnt owe any "time " to the current job( I want to be able to get up and leave if I want)

Now I can't afford it. Not even 1500 bucks. Spouse has a crap job , and it's killing us. No room for tuition. I stll keep getting badgered.

They are even encouraging the BSN's ( the ones straight out of school) to get their masters. Really??? for wiping butts and passing meds, and making sure all the i and o sheets are filled out and bed alarms on???

Yes , I am being slightly facetious :sarcastic:

I'm sure if you asked our patients what was more important to them......the more educated nurse or the nurse who truly cares about them, the decision would be simple.

I respectfully beg to differ. Given a choice between a nurse who genuinely cares about her or his patients and one that is educated and competent, I sincerely hope and actually believe that most patients would choose the latter. Of course social competence and having the ability to show compassion is a definite plus and something I appreciate when I’m a patient, but at the end of the day it’s a nurse’s professional knowledge and education that patients need and count on.

I’m not implying that you can’t be a competent nurse without a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, you can. But I also believe that furthering one’s education, providing one attends a quality program, both deepens and broadens one’s knowledge and understanding, and I believe that this benefits our patients.

Nursing is in my opinion so much more than the actual hands-on tasks we perform. I believe that it’s through skills like critical thinking and the constant incorporation of the most recent evidence-based practice, that we should strive to excel.

So many nurses go into this field for the wrong reasons.

What are the right reasons? I’m in nursing for the monthly check deposited into my account, because it gives me job satisfaction and because it’s a field that demands that its’ professionals keep up with the constant flow of new research and knowledge. I find that stimulating. This is what attracted me to the profession in the first place and the reason that I’m still here. I’m still a fairly new nurse but I think I’ll stay for years to come.

I can honestly say that I have never met an individual that was somehow made a better nurse because of this.

I find that both sad and quite strange. I have to wonder if the reason for this is the existence of a lot of subpar programs or if it has to do with a preexisting negative attitude to higher education on the part of these students.

I’m sorry that you feel that the furthering of your education is being imposed on you. It’s not that you aren’t good enough. Your experience is likely invaluable. If you were a good nurse a year ago, chances are that you’re still a good nurse. It’s just that the premises are changing, the trend in the nursing field is moving towards longer formal education. I hope that you can find a way to come to terms with this and not waste valuable energy and your happiness on what probably is inevitable anyway.

Let me clarify......What I was trying to say is that I would love to hear what class it was that was taken that made you a better beside nurse. There is so much talk about increasing our knowledge base and how this is preferable to the nurse that has years of experience. With all due respect, after 18 years of nursing experience, much of which was cardiac critical care and cath lab, it would still take years of bedside experience before these "better educated nurses" could even touch our knowledge base. If you prefer the nurse that is more knowledgable......tell me about it when your in that bed crashing. If someone on this site can share with me the way one of these classes helped save a life, I would love to hear about it. The classes we are forced to take have nothing to do with clinical nursing. This is not to suggest that I will waste valuable time and energy being angry about the above. I won't! I just feel we are being brainwashed. This is not the first time this has happened. Forcing nurses to go back to school is partly a cyclic thing. I just feel when a nurse gets to a certain age that if the hospital isn't willing to pay for it they shouldn't be insisting on it.

How many threads to we need on this topic, really??? Can't this thread be locked, or at least added to the dozen or so others that are currently on this site that talk about the same thing?

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
How many threads to we need on this topic, really??? Can't this thread be locked, or at least added to the dozen or so others that are currently on this site that talk about the same thing?

That and the PVT trick thing ... OMG! :mad:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
How many threads to we need on this topic, really??? Can't this thread be locked, or at least added to the dozen or so others that are currently on this site that talk about the same thing?

Maybe in a forum of it's own? :cheeky:

That and the PVT trick thing ... OMG! :mad:

And the "I passed NCLEX-RN after ___ attempts, and here's how I did it" :arghh:

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