RN with BSN and feeling stupid

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Nov 29, 2012

1)
3) I still don't understand how anyone could think that more education, of any kind, could hinder your abilities as a nurse.

I don't understand how anyone could think that anyone ever said that.

RNsophia · Nov 30, 2012

There might not be a pay difference between ADN's and BSN's, but I am thankful every day that I chose to get get my BSN. Nearly EVERY hospital in my state (Oregon) requires at least a BSN, and those with ADN's that are already employed by hospitals are grandfathered in. Plus, already employed ADN's can't move up to ANM (assistant nurse manager) positions or any nursing-related, salaried position without agreeing to obtain their BSN within 2 years at my hospital. MAGNET hospitals require BSN's as a benchmark. Believe me, you made the right decision. Don't be discouraged. If I had an ADN, I could NOT be a new grad seeking hospital employment in my state since most of them are MAGNET or seeking to obtain their MAGNET designation.

Ntheboat2 · Nov 30, 2012

I could NOT be a new grad seeking hospital employment in my state since most of them are MAGNET or seeking to obtain their MAGNET designation.

I don't think some people realize the issue with the magnet status. They might think that just because there are ADN nurses working at X hospital then that means they DO employ ADN nurses. That's true...they do employ the ones who are there...but they don't hire them. It's not only the hospitals that ARE magnet, but also the ones "seeking magnet" because in order to seek magnet you have to submit a plan showing you have intentions to have an 80% BSN staff...and part of making that plan realistic would not include hiring more ADN's as 80% is a big number.

How do you even know if a hospital is seeking magnet or not? It's not really publicized until they achieve it.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I am not sure what you expected.

You still have to "pay your dues".

PMFB-RN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I don't think some people realize the issue with the magnet status. They might think that just because there are ADN nurses working at X hospital then that means they DO employ ADN nurses. That's true...they do employ the ones who are there...but they don't hire them. It's not only the hospitals that ARE magnet, but also the ones "seeking magnet" because in order to seek magnet you have to submit a plan showing you have intentions to have an 80% BSN staff...and part of making that plan realistic would not include hiring more ADN's as 80% is a big number.
How do you even know if a hospital is seeking magnet or not? It's not really publicized until they achieve it.

*** The irony is that Magnet hospitals have been building a reputation as not being good places to work for years now, especialy among ER & critical care types. I know dozens of nurses, and have read dozens more nurses's comments on nurses blogs, that indicate Magnet hospitals are last to be considered for employment. There are nurses with the kind of resumes that make getting a job pretty easy. So Magnet want's to hire only new grad BSNs? No problem I expect before too long that's all they will get to apply.

After a long career of working is Magnet hospitals I am thrilled to have finaly landed a position with fantastic organization that values it's nurses. Of course saying an organization values it's nurses and is NOT Magnet is redundant.

I often wonder what the motivation behind Magnet is anyway? One of these days maybe 20/20 or some such show will do an under cover investigation showing nurses being threatend if they don't tow the pary line when survayers ask questions, or show units with 125% of normal staffing with regular staff working OT and all the travel nurses hidden away on survay day. Actually the examples could go on and on.

PatMac10,RN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I don't think some people realize the issue with the magnet status. They might think that just because there are ADN nurses working at X hospital then that means they DO employ ADN nurses. That's true...they do employ the ones who are there...but they don't hire them. It's not only the hospitals that ARE magnet, but also the ones "seeking magnet" because in order to seek magnet you have to submit a plan showing you have intentions to have an 80% BSN staff...and part of making that plan realistic would not include hiring more ADN's as 80% is a big number.
How do you even know if a hospital is seeking magnet or not? It's not really publicized until they achieve it.

Ummm yes they do. In you area and others like it this might be the case. However in my area of southeast NC and many other places in NC ADNs are getting hired with no problem. Everyone that had graduated from my program the past 12 years is employed and was employed in nursing within 6 months of graduation, trust me I had to sit through that lecture in my nursing leadership and management course that our program director teaches.

Here in the rural south where I am, our hospitals have stated that they can't afford to say they will only hire, just BSN nurses only, they demand would be greater than the supply bc the number of ADN graduates in our area is almost triple what the 2 local BSN programs are providing.

Many hospital I've seen, including the one we do the majority of our clinicals at (and which I have worked as a CNA in float pool for going on 3 years and has been Magnet certified for a few years now), they are having the disclaimer that they will happily hire an ADN nurse or new Grad if they sign a contract saying they will have begun of completed a BSN completion program in X amount of time, usually anywhere from 18 months to 3 years. They are giving ADN nurses as much employee assistance as possible and very good incentives to obtain their BSN. One local BSN program even teaches classes twice a week in one of the community rooms at the hospital.

jetsy62 · Nov 30, 2012

After researching this before applying to schools, most of these comments should be prefaced with "in my area". Until I started to look into nursing schools my junior year of high shool, I did not even realize that there were so many choices. I had wrongly assumed that if I wanted to be an RN the only route was 4 years of college. I was happy to find four schools in my area that go the ADN, RN, BSN route. Two schools go the on-line route for BSN and two are classroom. I think it also depends on each persons individual needs, wants, and personal circumstances as far as finances, family, etc. There really is not a one size fits all answer for this from what I can tell.

PatMac10,RN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

After researching this before applying to schools, most of these comments should be prefaced with "in my area". Until I started to look into nursing schools my junior year of high shool, I did not even realize that there were so many choices. I had wrongly assumed that if I wanted to be an RN the only route was 4 years of college. I was happy to find four schools in my area that go the ADN, RN, BSN route. Two schools go the on-line route for BSN and two are classroom. I think it also depends on each persons individual needs, wants, and personal circumstances as far as finances, family, etc. There really is not a one size fits all answer for this from what I can tell.

Words of wisdom!

PMFB-RN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I don't think some people realize the issue with the magnet status. They might think that just because there are ADN nurses working at X hospital then that means they DO employ ADN nurses. That's true...they do employ the ones who are there...but they don't hire them..

*** Wow are you ever missinformed about this. While I am sure there are Magenet, and seeking Magnet hospitals out there who refuse to hire ADN RNs plenty of them DO hire new grad ADN RNs. I am an instructor in one hospitals Critical Care Nurse Residency Program. The hospital is Magnet and has been since 2004. They hire ADN and BSN new grads without discrimination with one exception. New grads going into the residency program for SICU MUST be ADNs. BSN grads need not apply. It doesn't say so on their web site but trust me they haven't hired any new grads with BSNs for the SICU since 2008 with only one exception, that being a long time CNA in the unit who graduated nursing school with a BSN and was hired into the SICU residency.

All the Magnet (all 3) hospital in my state hire grads with ADNs. I currently have a student from an ADN program doing her 88 hour preceptorship with me. She just accepted a job at the only Magnet hospital in Madison WI (St.Mary's). In fact she had her pick of several acute care jobs.

This isn't the first time you have stated your opinion as fact but a little fact checking would improve your credabiliety.

Ntheboat2 · Dec 1, 2012

*** Wow are you ever missinformed about this. While I am sure there are Magenet, and seeking Magnet hospitals out there who refuse to hire ADN RNs plenty of them DO hire new grad ADN RNs. I am an instructor in one hospitals Critical Care Nurse Residency Program. The hospital is Magnet and has been since 2004. They hire ADN and BSN new grads without discrimination with one exception. New grads going into the residency program for SICU MUST be ADNs. BSN grads need not apply. It doesn't say so on their web site but trust me they haven't hired any new grads with BSNs for the SICU since 2008 with only one exception, that being a long time CNA in the unit who graduated nursing school with a BSN and was hired into the SICU residency.
All the Magnet (all 3) hospital in my state hire grads with ADNs. I currently have a student from an ADN program doing her 88 hour preceptorship with me. She just accepted a job at the only Magnet hospital in Madison WI (St.Mary's). In fact she had her pick of several acute care jobs.
This isn't the first time you have stated your opinion as fact but a little fact checking would improve your credabiliety.

This isn't the first time that you've responded to my same exact post repeatedly in an attempt to spark a BSN debate.

Yes, there ARE magnet and hospitals who are seeking magnet who won't hire ADN's. That's all I ever said, so how is that being misinformed?

I'm sure there are magnet hospitals who "will" hire ADN nurses, but considering they're going to need an EIGHTY PERCENT BSN staff....that's the exception, not the rule. This sounds like one of those word games colleges like to play with students. Sure, go ahead and use examples of exceptions to encourage people and make them feel better. Don't bother telling them that 80% means 8/10 so they REALLY have a 20% chance of getting a job...if that...and they're competing with god knows how many people to get it one of those spots.

:poop:

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Dec 1, 2012

This isn't the first time that you've responded to my same exact post repeatedly in an attempt to spark a BSN debate.
Yes, there ARE magnet and hospitals who are seeking magnet who won't hire ADN's. That's all I ever said, so how is that being misinformed?
I'm sure there are magnet hospitals who "will" hire ADN nurses, but considering they're going to need an EIGHTY PERCENT BSN staff....that's the exception, not the rule. This sounds like one of those word games colleges like to play with students. Sure, go ahead and use examples of exceptions to encourage people and make them feel better. Don't bother telling them that 80% means 8/10 so they REALLY have a 20% chance of getting a job...if that...and they're competing with god knows how many people to get it one of those spots.
:poop:

I'm pretty sure it's because you're continuing to assert that Magnet hospitals do not hire ADN nurses (until you're called on it of course, which is when you begin backpedaling and saying "YEAH BUT...BUT....BUT...") Maybe take a look at 10 Magnet hospitals' career websites and see that they do not require a BSN? Might be a little start for realizing you're wrong.

Ever heard of Cleveland Clinic? Yeahhh, they hire ASN nurses. No mention of BSN preferred let alone required on the med surg ad I looked at.

Ntheboat2 · Dec 1, 2012

I'm pretty sure it's because you're continuing to assert that Magnet hospitals do not hire ADN nurses (until you're called on it of course, which is when you begin backpedaling and saying "YEAH BUT...BUT....BUT...") Maybe take a look at 10 Magnet hospitals' career websites and see that they do not require a BSN? Might be a little start for realizing you're wrong.
Ever heard of Cleveland Clinic? Yeahhh, they hire ASN nurses. No mention of BSN preferred let alone required on the med surg ad I looked at.

First of all, I'm not "back pedaling" on anything. They don't "require" a BSN because they CAN employ a certain percentage of ADN graduates, but to mislead people into thinking that they have an EQUAL shot of getting hired at these hospitals is...well...misleading. Again, it's not only the magnet hospitals, but the ones who are seeking magnet as well.