Teachers fueling the "my degree is better than your degree" problem

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm in a BSN program. I'm 32, with kids, and a husband who has been super supportive of me taking the longer approach to entering the nursing scene. I also hope to move on to a masters program in the future and don't want to do a bridge program first. I'd rather just get my bachelors degree in one straight shot.

Most of my classmates are you g women, roughly 20 years old, who did the whole school thing right-- went to college and will finish BEFORE having kids. I'm not even sure if most of them thought about the ADN vs. BSN question. I think they decided to go to college, as their peers were doing, they selected a university to attend, and took the opportunity to move away from home while still enjoying the support and safety net of their parents. Had I known 14 years ago what I wanted out if life, I probably would have done the same.

Anyway, my point is, we all have our reasons for choosing the degree we do, and I doubt many of us regret that choice. We're scholars capable of well reasoned decisions as demonstrated by being accepted into nursing programs in the first place.

Well, I have one professor who keeps pointing out why BSN is better. I'm glad that she takes pride in our program, and maybe pointing out differences is a good idea, but to continually describe how we will be superior to our ADN counterparts does a serious disservice, I think. I don't think I'm better than an ADN-RN. She (or he) chose that program based on her own goals and needs. My less open-minded classmates may not think that way, though, and we are now going to have more people walking into the workforce with this "I'm better than you" chip on their shoulders. I don't think that's okay!

I'm just venting, really. Any of you have professors like this?

Specializes in critical care.
Did your program have a Leadership/ Management clinical? You will move up the clinical ladder professionally faster with a BSN. Nothing wrong with getting ASN before BSN. I applied to ASN programs just in case I did not get into BSN program.

Yes, it does. It also includes a research class, which is the one that this professor teaches. She says the BSN's proficiency in understanding and conducting research is one of the many things that puts us above the ASN. I will say that the program I am in is definitely top notch and rates high in quality. I know it is definitely "all that", not simply because it is a BSN program but because the quality of each class is amazing. No sense in looking down noses, though.

Specializes in retired LTC.

Grn Tea's response is so right on - she says very clearly what your instructor is trying to convey, but just may not be as succinct & as clear. And as much as you may not want to hear it, it needs to be said.

Way back in the dinosaur ages of the 1970s, my BSN instructors expounded with foresight on the future of our BSNs. My ADN (I have an Associate's degree) and that of my ADN and diploma associates were never minimized. But the differences were clearly explained and it has come to pass/come full around. They spoke the truth then, about the current now - and that was in the '70's!!!

The need for the BSN was the written on the wall then and current instructors are merely re-iterating the state of the nursing profession and the healthcare industries as it is today. It is what it is. Just no mincing the words about it.

I can't say I know what you teacher is getting at, but it makes sense. If I were an ADN, I would attempt to bridge to BSN as soon as possible. It's not a matter of which degree makes a better nurse, but rather which degree will give you more opportunities.

GrnTea: Someday soon I'm going to make a GrnTea appreciation thread, lol!

Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

I agree that more education is always better. I'm not sure why some people find that idea so offensive. I am very proud of my associate's degree, but I'd be even happier with a master's!

Specializes in Psych/med surg.

If I would of had the choice, I would have went the BSN route but every BSN program in town is at least $50k. I am no longer in my 20's and I have a child. I went the ADN route because I wanted to better our financial position, not put us deeper in debt. My student loan for the ADN is only $3500 and I have already been admitted at Ohio University for the RN to BSN which is the lowest priced program I could find. No instructor should bash any degree. We all have different situations and lives and the goal to be an RN is the same, but we each must go the route that is best for us.

Specializes in ED.

Meh, I went the ADN route because it was faster and far cheaper. I wasn't concerned about clinical ladders, I just wanted a job that paid more than $9.00/hour and I needed money. I already have a BSA, so getting another bachelors degree won't be that difficult or time consuming for me. The plan is to start on mine this fall, and I'll be making enough money to actually pay for the degree outright instead of having to rack up even more student loans. What works for someone is what they need to do. If this is your first degree and you don't have the debt I did, then a BSN probably makes more sense, but I had maxed out my grants and was having to pay for this degree with cash and loans, so I did what was most financially sound for me and I don't regret it.

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I'm the same way. I have no lack of education, so the idea of being a bachelor's degree level nurse wasn't all that important to me.

The closest BSN program to me is about an hour away (without traffic...so more like 2 hours) and I had a full scholarship for my ADN program. There was no way I could get into debt on top of the inconvenience of commuting and handling 3 little kids, so the ADN was a no brainer for me.

My program has multiple articulation agreements with RN-BSN programs, so there's no "misconception" that my credits transfer. Graduate in May, start BSN program in June, done in 11 months.

If both the ADN and BSN were equally accessible to me I definitely would've chosen the BSN, but this was the best choice for my family and I.

I'm sure a bsn as a first degree over an adn has a variety of great benefits. the topic however was not that there are things about a bsn that are better than an adn. There's nothing wrong with a teacher saying "look, you're getting a top notch education" the problem and also the subject of the original post was the attitude of a teacher that "you will be a better nurse than your adn counterparts" being instilled into an entire class of new nurses. How will that benefit anyone or anything? How about this attitude instead "you will be better off than you would have been coming out of an adn program" Not the attitude of I'm better than others but the attitude of I'm better than I could have been otherwise. Let's have that instead.

^^exactly. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your education. Higher education is always a good thing, but telling people "this is why you'll be a better nurse than that ADN nurse over there" is the wrong approach.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Eloquently put, GrnTea, always. :)

I think we can all agree that more education, as well as quality education, is better.

I am proud of my roots. I found being in those same positions made me respectful of who is a part of the nursing care team...I have found when I did get through my BSN program, the WHY did click, but I knew the why prior...but it was more CLEAR when I got there.

I am grateful of the knowledge, and the exposures of my program and the courses that helped built on the previous education. It is true that the BSN program I went to had research which went into nursing theory, which can really understand the WHY of your practice, as well as the more in-depth aspects of our practice.

However, not many have the immediate opportunity to go the BSN route...I went the 12-year plan...I probably could've been a Dr., lol, but I choose Nursing :)

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
^^exactly. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your education. Higher education is always a good thing but telling people "this is why you'll be a better nurse than that ADN nurse over there" is the wrong approach.[/quote']

^Agreed...too bad we don't know how her actual "delivery" was...hope she doesn't affect too many minds if it that is how she "approached" it

:(

Eloquently put, GrnTea, always. :)

I think we can all agree that more education, as well as quality education, is better.

I am proud of my roots. I found being in those same positions made me respectful of who is a part of the nursing care team...I have found when I did get through my BSN program, the WHY did click, but I knew the why prior...but it was more CLEAR when I got there.

I am grateful of the knowledge, and the exposures of my program and the courses that helped built on the previous education. It is true that the BSN program I went to had research which went into nursing theory, which can really understand the WHY of your practice, as well as the more in-depth aspects of our practice.

However, not many have the immediate opportunity to go the BSN route...I went the 12-year plan...I probably could've been a Dr., lol, but I choose Nursing :)

woah, how'd you get 12 years into your plan? is that including a lvn first? or a doctorate? just curious

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