SICK of BSN Pedestal

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Get off the Pedestal with the whole BSN vs ADN thing. A fact this is overlooked is that ADN does the same job as BSN and passes the NCLEX. Everyone then cried ADN is uneducated blah blah. WHY dont we look at the 4 year universities instead? Why doesnt the BSN itself advance? Because taking an extra gym glass doesnt deserve it. Look at all the worthless pre reqs that you BSN's are taking over the ADN. It isnt making you a better nurse its all about the money the school systems are a business. We need to change the education system. SWAP out that spanish you are going to forget the second after the test and take some critical thinking. Be gone with that Open elective to take baking class and replace it with PSYCH. The problem is the ADN is a efficient degree with time/pre-reqs and the BSN is created to give the "big man" money. Sorry if you wasted 100k in debt.

why are hospitals going magnet? because the universities are lobbiest to the hospitals. Universites need there money and they dont like ADNs getting the jobs BSNs are getting for a fraction of the cost. Universities have paid, persuaded, and convinced hospitals to go magnet and it is not because 4 year nurses are better.

IF universities ever decide to stop the worthless pre reqs and uni requirements then maybe one day a BSN nurse would have a true advantage.

Specializes in Critical Care.
I suppose I will be the jerk here. The worthless prereqs you speak of consist of a couple of courses of which I think you’re in desperate need; Writing and Communication. While I’m sure I will catch some heat for my comment, it just goes to show that having a BSN isn’t a waste of time or money. These comments are exactly why there continues to be a divide in our profession. Our profession thrives on continuing education. Advances in medicine along with new evidence based nursing research require us to continue our education. You should also know that a well-balanced curriculum prepares us to be well-balanced practitioners. Perhaps learning a proper technique in that gym class can transcend into the patient’s PT and OT care. Or perhaps that new recipe learned in that worthless cooking class can be the much needed ice breaker to promote a therapeutic relationship.

Education, regardless of the topic, is not worthless.

I agree with you general sentiment here, but you also touch on a major cause of why this discussion has such trouble getting anywhere meaningful: there's a lack of knowledge out there about what an ADN includes. I've reviewed many ADN programs' curriculum and pre-reqs and Communication and Writing classes (with at least one Eng 200 level class) are a pre-req in every one I've looked at.

Specializes in Critical Care.
The argument for BSN vs. ADN make not a whit of difference. If the market leans towards BSN, then others will be left behind....period.

Yes, it's inconvenient for an education to cost money. But we don't hear much from other health professionals complain about the cost of their education - they just get on with setting an educational standard and DEALING with it because, by limiting their numbers, they command a salary more commensurate with their educational status.

Is that why I make more than an MSW?

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Im a ADN nurse who just had to go on a home visit to fix a mess that a BSN nurse made. So much for the better care theory. Just saying.

Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Whoa there, MarieSens-Taylor! I'm a very capable DIPLOMA RN who is a DON in a SNF facility... Calm down!... Granted, I do have a Non-nursing degree in something else, but jeesh.. Not to mention my ADN Predecessor is now a highly paid nurse consultant for a HUGE company.... They are not bedside nurses; we ARE ALL NURSES SO LETS STOP DIGGING ON EACH OTHER AND LIFT EACH OTHER UP.. SO sick of this stuff.... I mean COME ON we will NEVER advance as "professionals" if the DIPLOMAS, ADN's and BSN's dont start working TOGETHER. They are ALL VIABLE OPTIONS and we are ALL NURSES!!!

Specializes in ED.

Wow, careful you'll get a nose bleed. I am an ADN x 7 years, just going back for my RN-BSN, and you don't know what you don't know. Give it a try.

This is my problem with this whole debate. My magnet hospital can cancel me at 5 pm for a 7 pm start. Then they call back at 9 pm and cancel again for 11 pm. Then call back at 1 am and I have to come in or get written up. We had a family complain that the patient had 3 nurses in 12 hours due to this type of staffing. My sister has a Bachelors and works in marketing. This never happens to her, in her line of work that is not how "Professionals" are treated. It is frustrating to me to force RNs 20 years into their careers to get a degree that won't change how they are treated or increase salary substantially. We are in fact are treated worse and paid less due the economy at this time. Frankly, I believe nurses need continuing Ed that is specific to their specialty to be able to excel at the bedside. Example: with the acuity of patients in the hospitals right now, I believe it is important for all nurses to be ACLS certified. You have to understand basic physiology and critical think to grasp this properly. It may be able reduce the use of rapid response teams to be able to catch a process before it gets out of control. My rant is over (sorry it got long) and I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone. I am sad to see that we are still after 27 years in nursing just pawns in the game no matter what we do.

Nursing Journals (magazines) have never interested me. Heck, I returned some of my nursing books in college in favor of medical ones and graduated with highest honors. Most of what gets sent to me with a nursing title ends up in the circular file.

Wow, careful you'll get a nose bleed. I am an ADN x 7 years, just going back for my RN-BSN, and you don't know what you don't know. Give it a try.

Exactly. That speaks to what we learn from experience as well as what we learn in the classroom. I am posting a face in case you need to punch something in the nose. :nailbiting:

Specializes in Geriatric/Sub Acute, Home Care.

through my 17 years of nursing I found that its not the amount of education and letters at the end of your name, its the compassion, heartfelt dedication to patients, and intense love of taking care of the patients that was important. Good communication skills and getting the work done was essential also. This makes a smooth flow amongst the faciltiy when people are working synergistically . Your stress, as well as the patients, families and staff are confident and relaxed when everyone is doing their share of the job.

I have worked with many incompetent Nurse with even Masters degrees that didnt know the practical side of nursing from their rough elbows. ICU nurses who couldnt tolerate working with geriatric patients, Degrees mean nothing, if you are geared and able to work with certain patients, disease processes and ages in Nursing then this is where you belong. Some nurses believe that the Degrees make them think they can do any job, In my opinion, I dont think thats the case. But its just my opinion.

Specializes in FNP, ONP.
Nursing Journals (magazines) have never interested me. Heck, I returned some of my nursing books in college in favor of medical ones and graduated with highest honors. Most of what gets sent to me with a nursing title ends up in the circular file.

Nothing of any quality is just going to be sent to you, lol. You would have to subscribe. RN and Nursing, of course, are barely any better than Cosmo or Redbook. I am referring to real scholarly research journals.

Specializes in FNP, ONP.
through my 17 years of nursing I found that its not the amount of education and letters at the end of your name, its the compassion, heartfelt dedication to patients, and intense love of taking care of the patients that was important. Good communication skills and getting the work done was essential also. This makes a smooth flow amongst the faciltiy when people are working synergistically . Your stress, as well as the patients, families and staff are confident and relaxed when everyone is doing their share of the job.

I have worked with many incompetent Nurse with even Masters degrees that didnt know the practical side of nursing from their rough elbows. ICU nurses who couldnt tolerate working with geriatric patients, Degrees mean nothing, if you are geared and able to work with certain patients, disease processes and ages in Nursing then this is where you belong. Some nurses believe that the Degrees make them think they can do any job, In my opinion, I dont think thats the case. But its just my opinion.

Compassion is nice, indeed. Communication skills are very valuable in all instances. Incompetence in any nurse is obviously always a concerning safety issue. However, one can never overstate the value of quality post secondary education and I am genuinely sorry if you did not have the opportunity to realize this for yourself personally. It does not demean those in any way that did not, but it is a credit to the efforts of those that did achieved more. Let's give credit where credit is due.

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Yep. There's an awful lot of people who paid for all sorts of education who should be asking for their money back.

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