RN or BSN? Help!

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I am new to this site and am hoping you can help me get a clearer picture about my options. I am currently finishing up prerequisite classes and am planning to apply for nursing school in the Spring of 2012. I am torn as to whether I ought to go take the path of RN or BSN.

I already have a BS in Biology from a reputable university. Is it really all that critical for my career to have another Bachelor's degree? Obviously, one must have the BSN to become an NP, but if that isn't the path I choose, is the BSN even very advantageous?

It's not as if I am lazy! The reason I am debating is that I still have kiddos at home who need me, and the BSN option is an accelerated program that would really require substantial sacrifices by my family.

Additionally, the BSN degree is significantly more expensive than the RN (ADN) option, at least in my neck of the woods. I wonder whether the return is worth it.

Then again, I am fairly ambitious...and I don't want to limit my options.

Help, please!

Amy

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I'm an advocate for getting the ADN, then the BSN (and some places have decent tuition reimbursement, so they pay for you to get the BSN). I never got a BSN, and never wanted or needed it.

You will get a lot of replies, though you can also check the search bar at the top right for additional information :) This comes up often, and gets a good amount of answers. :up:

Good luck :)

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Specializes in Trauma-Surgical, Case Management, Clinic.

If you have no interest in pursuing an advanced degree afterwards I would go for the ADN. On the other hand, depending on the BSN program you may already have most of the needed courses from your other degree, which would leave you only taking a few extra classes to complete a BSN. Benefits of a BSN program IMO is that they usually cover community/public health nursing and research that you would not get in an ADN program. Depending on where you live, some hospitals are only hiring BSN prepared RNs. I had a job interview last month and was told that they were only calling BSN prepared RNs for interviews. A lot of hospitals that are trying to gain Magnet recognition are doing that. I have found that some, but very few, hospitals even pay BSN RNs more. A hospital that I used to work at paid BSNs $1.00 more an hr than ADNs, but only after a year of employment. Other than that I would go for the ADN for cost purposes.

Just my input, hope it helps.

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I got my BSN and I am glad that I did. Although money wise it doesn't pay off right away (there is a $1/hour difference between a new grad BSN and ADN at my hospital), it will be more notable in the next few years. It also puts me at a better position for going back to school if I would like to. I like to keep my options open :)

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Specializes in Multi-disciplines.

I agree with the above post. I don't want to put a limit on what I can or can't do in the future. I have worked at two facilities that paid only $0.50 - $1.00/hour more for a BSN. My current job doesn't even acknowledge that I have a BSN. But the fact of the matter is, I plan on pursuing a master's soon and if I only had an ADN, I would have to put those plans on hold for another 2 years.

I can only do bedside nursing for so long -_- But I have to say, we have to do it at one point in our lives to get that experience that makes us good nurses.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

There are a lot of hospitals that are now requiring a minimum of a BSN to get hired. That doesn't mean that ADN-prepared nurses can't find work; that is just what I am seeing now. Pay-wise there isn't a difference between the two, at least not at my facility.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

Many MSN programs will accept your BS credits, if you can't do an accelerated BSN do the ADN then bridge to the MSN, there are several such programs in FL, not so much in MI so check with your state's college, also many RN-BSN degrees are online.

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Thanks for your feedback. I guess I will apply for both and see where I get in (that might be the determining factor anyway).

A few comments:

It is interesting that the pay scale is the same.

I need to learn more about Masters programs in my area. Should I decide to pursue a Masters down the road, it would be interesting to know how my BS in Biology factors in. I took courses like Pharmacology and Immunology--it's not as if I majored in English Lit.

My sister-in-law told me that her BS in Psychology helped her land a job after she became an RN. Just wondering if the BSN is the requirement for hiring preference or whether the BS in another field gives you any edge whatsoever...??

Thankfully it's not an all-or-nothing decision. I can always go back to school and add the BSN later.

Thanks so much!

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I hold a BA in English & Secondary Education and was a public school teacher from 2001 to June 2011. I start my ASN in January 2012 and will graduate in May 2013. In my area, the technical college has better NCLEX pass rates and a better reputation than the two 4-year universities here (one of them is on probation by the NLNAC!), and the cost is about 1/3 less. I looked into BA-BSN transition option, but it would take 2-years and cost much more...

Local hospitals pay 100% tuition to move from RN-BSN for full-time employess and 50% for part-time, so I can work as a nurse beginning May 2013 and then have my employer pay for my BSN and I will only need the additional nursing courses, because everything else was completed with my BA. I will transition to BSN relatively quickly because my long-term goals require that level of education.

*Also, where I live, I can work as a student nurse after foundations (1st semester) for half-pay: $12.50/hr to start. People who work as student nurses generally walk right into RN jobs upon graduation, even before NCLEX scores are in. Your path really depends on your location, but for me, the ASN is the best route right now, and I have classmates who have Bachelor's in things like psychology, accounting and industrial engineering who are all taking the same route I am because it is the most efficient option where we live. (NW Indiana)

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There are pros and cons for each. If you have a BS in Biology, you are probably really close to fulfilling your BSN requirements (pre and co requisites) and it's' possible you could be done in 2-3 years. An ADN will take at least 2 years, then another 2 years to get the BSN, however, it's much easier to get into a BSN program once you already have your RN, and then you can sort of take the BSN courses at your leisure at a lot of schools, go part time if you want, etc, while you gain experience as an RN.

My advice would be to finish up your pre and co reqs and apply to both RN and BSN programs and see what happens. I only applied to one school and luckily got into an ADN program, but sort of regret not applying to other ADN and BSN program as well.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

Depends on where you live. Here its over saturated wih nurses, especially ADN nurses. So in southern california where I live, BSN is the better option as you stand out from the crowd. But even with that knowledge I'm still applying everywhere no matter where I end up.

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Big fan of ADN first. That way, you can get a job and if you are lucky they will pay for your BSN, which you can likely complete mostly online in an RN to BSN program.

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