Sick and tired of the AAS BSN debate

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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SO

I am a new RN, graduated from one of the toughest nursing programs in the country.

I was lucky enough to land a job in this economy, even better in the department that I love the most!

Life is great, seriously..What could go wrong?!

Its another day in nursing orientation, a handful of us new nurses listening to lectures, performing skills, participating in work shops. FUN!

One day, for the head to toe assessment, a nursing instructor from a private school sits in with her clinical group to listen to the head to toe lecture.

She starts off by saying..

Congratulations you all have jobs!!!

Its because you all have your bachelors... be sure to tell that to all your friends who have their associates.

I was the only one in the group with an associates in nursing.

So I said, I have an associates, and last I checked I have a job.

I SOOOOOOOOO wanted to go on.

I wanted to ask her, with a genuinely dumb look on my face..

The nurses with their bachelors, do they take a different board exam from those associate nurses?

Wait for a response, then come back with EXACTLYYYYY!

I felt about 2 inches tall, but whatever. The school I went to had 1500 applicants, and I was the lucky person to be included in the 150 to get accepted ...of those 150, i was the lucky 70 to graduate on time (we had 90 something at pinning but we had about a dozen of LPNs and the rest were students who had to repeat a course)

Needless to say, I felt small. Was unable to concentrate, but I reminded myself of the little things..and began to feel better.

No student loans to pay back!! So my first paycheck, Im going to blow it and go shopping!!!

I am only making a whopping...drum roll please...50 cents less per hour than those with a higher degree.

I saved a ton of money by taking the NCLEX once and passing it on the first try, with 75 questions baby!

I am going back for my bachelors, my masters even (i would love to have that clinical instructor work for me one day) this time the place I work for is going to reimburse me for my tuition.

This post is not an invitation to flame and debate some more on why one is "better" than the other

This was an opportunity to share my experience, hopefully lift the spirits of someone who had a similar story.

se la vie

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
in no way (other than failing classes) should it take 5.

Really? Because it took me 5 years. Two years for me to get my AA and transfer to the University (which is normal), and three years for the nursing program totaling five years; and I graduated with honors and in the top 5% of my class. Some of us have to work and have families and are not able to take our courses full time until we get into nursing school. So there are other ways (other than failing classes) it could take someone 5 years to get their BSN, just like it is possible for some one to get their ASN in two years--Tops.

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Really? Because it took me 5 years. Two years for me to get my AA and transfer to the University (which is normal), and three years for the nursing program totaling five years; and I graduated with honors and in the top 5% of my class. Some of us have to work and have families and are not able to take our courses full time until we get into nursing school. So there are other ways (other than failing classes) it could take someone 5 years to get their BSN, just like it is possible for some one to get their ASN in two years--Tops.

the program is a four year program. if you want to go that route, we can say a BSN takes 8 years for someone that went part time, took a semester off, etc, etc.

and "some of us" that have families would include me that has 2 children - one infant, a pregnancy, and then a newborn - all while working with the exception of maternity leave. nice try though. :yeah:

the program is a four year program.

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Wow, really? You're attacking the fact that ADN's are less competitive for entry, which simply makes it a faster route to licensure for the student with no educational background? There is still the same requirement to successfully complete all of the nursing coursework with a C average, same as the BSN nursing courses. There is still the same requirement to perform competently in clinicals. There is still the same requirement for licensure -- that is, to pass the same NCLEX-RN that BSN's take. :rolleyes:

Please stay on point. You've forgotten that we've already agreed that we're discussing the benefit to students with no educational background. It's already been agreed that it would be stupid for a student with a BS in another area to not take an accelerated BSN.

i didn't attack it. i said it makes sense now - finally - after all those posts....we get to the point. yes, the take the same test in the end, but the requirements aren't the same, actually. last year the lowest GPA to be accepted to the BSN program i'm applying for was a 3.7 - which is not the same as a 2.5 or 2.6 or whatever. it's not a "bad" thing - it's just silly that we had to go all around the merry go round before someone said it.

i wasn't asking anyone to agree that it made sense for someone with a BS to do the accelerated BSN.

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i didn't attack it. i said it makes sense now - finally - after all those posts....we get to the point. yes, the take the same test in the end, but the requirements aren't the same, actually. last year the lowest GPA to be accepted to the BSN program i'm applying for was a 3.7 - which is not the same as a 2.5 or 2.6 or whatever. it's not a "bad" thing - it's just silly that we had to go all around the merry go round before someone said it.

This also depends on the program (sensing a theme here yet??)

In my area the ADN programs tend to be more competitive than the BS programs. You need at least a 3.7 to get in to most BS programs, but you just about need a 4.0 to get in to the ADN programs.

the program is a four year program.

LOL because you've decreed it?

Right, whatever. This is a pointless conversation, you're not looking for information.....you obviously know everything.

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LOL because you've decreed it?

Right, whatever. This is a pointless conversation, you're not looking for information.....you obviously know everything.

no, because it's a fact that a bachelor's program is a 4 year program. yes, you can quit school, fail classes, go part time - and make it last longer. that doesn't change the FACT that it's a four year program.

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no, because it's a fact that a bachelor's program is a 4 year program. yes, you can quit school, fail classes, go part time - and make it last longer. that doesn't change the FACT that it's a four year program.

Are you stating that it's a fact that EVERY bachelors program in the country is four years long (assuming that it's a full time program with no interruptions)?

(you may want to consider your answer carefully)

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Are you stating that it's a fact that EVERY bachelors program in the country is four years long (assuming that it's a full time program with no interruptions)?

(you may want to consider your answer carefully)

once again, grasping at straws, are we? or is it google? lol.

there is an exception to every rule if you look hard enough.

now i see why this "debate" really isn't a debate afterall.

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once again, grasping at straws, are we? or is it google? lol.

there is an exception to every rule if you look hard enough.

now i see why this "debate" really isn't a debate afterall.

There's no conversation here because there is no looking at other perspectives.

All of your posts have essentially stated that all nursing programs across the country are exactly like the ones in your area.

It doesn't matter how many examples are given to you....your fall back when shown evidence is that people are "grasping at straws."

There's obviously no information I have that you're interested in, so I'll end this. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.
once again, grasping at straws, are we? or is it google? lol.

there is an exception to every rule if you look hard enough.

now i see why this "debate" really isn't a debate afterall.

Listen. Finish a nursing program, any nursing program, and we'll talk about how much you really know about nursing education. As it stands, you're just running off at the mouth with nothing to back your opinions up other than your individual experience with the requirements of one local community college's ADN program.

Those that make valid, informed points against your empty opinions are "grasping at straws", as you like to say over and over.

There's a term for what you're doing. It's called trolling.

I'm done here.

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Specializes in I dream of ICU...one day. ;-).

ADN vs BSN...will it ever end? Nursing school DOES NOT make the nurse. Your experince on the floors and your own critical thinking skills make the nurse.

ADN program = 2 years of gen ed + 2 years of nursing core.

BSN program = 2 years of gen ed + 2 years of nursing core.

My mother is a ADN of 30+ years and is incredible (though I'm biased). I have worked in a large teaching hospital for 8 years and find that more BSNs are lazier than ADNs. Some of them seem to think that because they are BSNs that somehow excludes them from certain nursing tasks. Like, for example, bedpans. "I need my tech. Where is my tech? My patient needs a bedpan!" Yes. YOUR patient needs a bedpan. So do it.

And why the need to put BSN behind everything? Anyone who graduated from a 4 year university has a BS or BA in something. You don't see all of those professionals smacking down their degree initials after their name. Get your NP or CRNA and then I'll be more impressed.

That being said, I'm a BSN nurse. And I don't use the initials. Cause I'm a nurse. Just your nurse. I'm here to care for you and comfort you and your family. That's what I do. :nurse:

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ADN vs BSN...will it ever end? Nursing school DOES NOT make the nurse. Your experince on the floors and your own critical thinking skills make the nurse.

That being said, I'm a BSN nurse. And I don't use the initials. Cause I'm a nurse. Just your nurse. I'm here to care for you and comfort you and your family. That's what I do. :nurse:

:up: Well put fellow (BSN) RN.

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ADN program = 2 years of gen ed + 2 years of nursing core.

BSN program = 2 years of gen ed + 2 years of nursing core.

that was my initial point - it takes the same time, so i was curious as to what the debate is about and why (for those who went the ADN route) they didn't do the BSN route since it does take the same amount of time.

unfortunately, it turned into a debate about how long it actually takes and couldn't go beyond that because everyone wants to pretend they can finish school faster than humanly possible.

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