RN, ADN being obsolete

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I recently got in contact with a nursing school (ASA college) inquired regarding a RN program. i was informed by a counselor that they only offer the BSN being that the RN license is becoming obsolete and will be within the next 2 years. Has any nurses or medical professionals heard about this?

I been wanting to know the difference between a bsn and adn scope of practice. Is the adn limited in the clinical setting?

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Pump the brakes on the drama. I was legit asking. I'm a pre-nursing student applying to a BSN program, so this is relevant info for me. From what I understand, it's the speciality certification that is more attractive to a hospital, which I assume can also be attained with a BSN.

For clarification: You aren't earning any specialty certification when you earn your BSN, and you do not need a BSN to obtain a specialty certification.

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No drama but don't be fooled, no matter what drivel they spout off in school having a BSN does not bring anything special to the table when it comes to bedside nursing. A BSN may be a higher degree but that's does not necessarily equate to a higher education. Broader, yes, but not higher. The additional courses in most BSN programs have little to do with nursing.

Ehh... Sorry but I'll have to disagree with you here. I have a degree in dietetics and that has been very helpful, just in life because SO MANY employers want a bachelor's degree in SOMETHING. While I understand what you're saying, and make no mistake that I'm not discounting an ADN education, I still believe a BSN is more favorable, especially if one wants to further their career with a masters or doctoral degree (which I do). Every person I've talked to has told me to go for the BSN in lieu of an ADN, stressing that going forward, many employers will prefer or even require this.

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For clarification: You aren't earning any specialty certification when you earn your BSN, and you do not need a BSN to obtain a specialty certification.

Yep, I understand this. The original message said "hospitals prefer a certification over a BSN" and I took this to mean ADN and not a SPECIALTY certification. An RN w/a BSN can still get a certification, so I don't really understand this person's point. I guess she's saying, if you're going to spend time on additional education, go for a certification instead (instead of the BSN).

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Ehh... Sorry but I'll have to disagree with you here. I have a degree in dietetics and that has been very helpful, just in life because SO MANY employers want a bachelor's degree in SOMETHING. While I understand what you're saying, and make no mistake that I'm not discounting an ADN education, I still believe a BSN is more favorable, especially if one wants to further their career with a masters or doctoral degree (which I do). Every person I've talked to has told me to go for the BSN in lieu of an ADN, stressing that going forward, many employers will prefer or even require this.

I believe I said that a BSN brings nothing to the table for bedside nursing. There is no advantage for the employer. There are many advantages for the person. If you were asking me I would also tell you to get your BSN but only because it opens more doors not because it will make you a better nurse.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I been wanting to know the difference between a bsn and adn scope of practice. Is the adn limited in the clinical setting?

No. They have the same license, thus the same scope of practice.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Yep, I understand this. The original message said "hospitals prefer a certification over a BSN" and I took this to mean ADN and not a SPECIALTY certification. An RN w/a BSN can still get a certification, so I don't really understand this person's point. I guess she's saying, if you're going to spend time on additional education, go for a certification instead (instead of the BSN).

Her point was that the hospital pays a higher wage for a certification, but not a BSN. Thus, they put more value on the specialty certification over the bachelor's degree. As do I, as a hiring manager. Having a BSN does not mean you're an expert OB nurse. Having the inpatient OB certification DOES, though, and is far more valuable to me as a manager.

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Not to speak for the other poster, but my take on that statement would be that hospitals in that particular area seem to feel that, since the scope of practice is the same for ADNs and BSNs, a specialty certification (regardless of RN-associated degree attained) is more germane to bedside practice in a particular specialty than a BSN with no specialty certification would be. And yes, of course you can obtain a specialty certification as an RN with a BSN degree - so you'll be all set in that regard. I would advise not getting your hopes up about treated like a professional as a BSN performing the acute care bedside role (with or without specialty certification), but that's a discussion for another day.

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Yep, I understand this. The original message said "hospitals prefer a certification over a BSN" and I took this to mean ADN and not a SPECIALTY certification. An RN w/a BSN can still get a certification, so I don't really understand this person's point. I guess she's saying, if you're going to spend time on additional education, go for a certification instead (instead of the BSN).

Whenever I talk to someone who is going into nursing school, I tell them to get the BSN. This is because I got burned with the ADN, which is now about as useful as a pharmacy tech certification. Hospitals in my area will not even consider an ADN anymore and its been that way for awhile. PA is churning out 6-7K new nurses each year, with more than half that number BSN prepared, and about 100 or so BSN schools statewide. I went into nursing as a second career. I have a BS and an MA in my first career which tanked in one of the many stock market collapses, and both of those degrees are now seen as obsolete and boutique (although I disagree) ...I had the option of working at Walmart for the rest of my life, or re-educating , as much as I did not want to be back in school, that is what I did. So, fast forward about 16 years....this ADN degree has been deemed just about useless, unless you want to be in the underemployed/ unemployed/ revolving doors of homecare and LTC. So, this is why I tell people to go right for the BSN. Are they more prepared when they graduate? No. Will they be paid more? No. Do they have an expanded scope ? No. But, yet, this BSN scam just serves to enrich the schools and makes the hospitals have lower insurance rates, so its a race to the BSN statewide now. Is this frustrating as hell for someone like me? Hell yeah. Am I considering getting out of nursing entirely? Hell yeah.

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Not to speak for the other poster, but my take on that statement would be that hospitals in that particular area seem to feel that, since the scope of practice is the same for ADNs and BSNs, a specialty certification (regardless of RN-associated degree attained) is more germane to bedside practice in a particular specialty than a BSN with no specialty certification would be. And yes, of course you can obtain a specialty certification as an RN with a BSN degree - so you'll be all set in that regard. I would advise not getting your hopes up about treated like a professional as a BSN performing the acute care bedside role (with or without specialty certification), but that's a discussion for another day.

That makes sense. I personally am not sure what exact scope of nursing I want to do just yet. I would expect to be treated like a professional no matter what profession I'm in, so I'm not sure what you mean by that. I was a server at one point, and I expected to be treated like a professional (and I was).

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Its basically a state wide problem here in PA, a nursing surplus, with the worst areas being Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown. Does not help that PA does not belong to the nursing compact license state, so once you have your PA license, its really a pain to transfer it to other states. This is why there is such a surplus of nurses here...guessing you are talking about KY?
No, Indiana, but may as well be KY, they're both in the same predicament nurse-wise
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Specializes in Dialysis.
Her point was that the hospital pays a higher wage for a certification, but not a BSN. Thus, they put more value on the specialty certification over the bachelor's degree. As do I, as a hiring manager. Having a BSN does not mean you're an expert OB nurse. Having the inpatient OB certification DOES, though, and is far more valuable to me as a manager.

Just like BSN, some hospitals don't pay higher for certification. Sucks!

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