The Nursing School to Welfare Pipeline

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am sure many people have heard of the social issue/ cause "school to prison pipeline" that many civic groups are trying to eradicate. I am here to draw attention to a similar related problem , the college to welfare pipeline.

Due to an intricate , intimate, and covert relationship between big government politicos, higher education, Bureau of Occupational affairs, and the Federal/ State Department of labor, we have a serious student debt problem in the nursing field that is only going to get worse. Nurses need to wake up and take note of the LPN to RN hoax, and the RN-BSN hoax. These are all well publicized , propaganda driven falsities that are crushing nurses into debt driven higher education requirements. These propaganda driven requirements brainwash nurses into believing that without the extra education, they will not be employed.

And to a certain degree, they are correct, but its important for nurses to see the pitfall, before taking the dive. There is little to no difference in responsibility or pay rate from LPN to RN, and most RNs are taking the lower wage, just to have a job. There is zero difference in job responsibility or pay from RN to BSN, but the dollars spent to get there are substantial. The RN to BSN pipeline is a grotesque narrative that is being sung, for the sole purpose of enriching nursing schools. The NCLEX exam is identical for RNs and BSNs, the scope of practice is identical, and so are all the pay rates. A staff nurse is a staff nurse, is a staff nurse, too.

So why go for your BSN? Its because the hospitals and other various 24/ 7 institutional care providers say so. They have all built a united wall against the ADN RN. We are becoming an extinct species, because no one will hire us. Is the BSN a job guarantee? Of course not. Is any higher education a job guarantee? Nope. Big government politicos want student debt to skyrocket , so that they can fly in and save everyone with free bailouts, loan forgiveness, and thousands of more votes on election day.

May the buyer beware, until that utopia comes to fruition. In the meantime, take a serious look inward into the pitfalls, tricks and traps of higher education in the nursing field. The powers that be want you to keep jumping hurdles , spending more and more money, hoping to get hired, and falling deeper and deeper into debt, during the process. The higher you jump, the more you spend, and the less you earn. For many nurses who fell for these schemes, the financial devastation has been both swift and severe.

13 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

If not even 1 had a job upon graduation, then it's not just the market. What's going on with the school? Poor reputation? Low NCLEX pass rates? There are programs out there that produce unemployable grads, regardless of the reputation of the overarching school/university.

Its the market and way too many nursing schools in that particular area. Its a great school, and extremely expensive, with a very good reputation. ...but the pool of available hospital jobs are shrinking. We no longer have hospitals, we have massive hospital systems. We no longer have nursing homes, we have gigantic nation wide chains. But let me correct myself, I think she was talking about not one getting a hospital job.

Getting back to the licensing system, I could write another whole story on that topic. It is somewhat of a government racket that reeks of "pay to work" with a bloated number people working within "enforcement" , little oversight, and almost no accountablity, except to collect fees. Google PA State Board of Nursing and look at the reviews.

Everybody in my ADN that graduated the last couple years is working as a nurse. Southern Colorado appears to have lots of jobs for RNs, even those with just an associate's degree.

5 minutes ago, Luchador said:

Everybody in my ADN that graduated the last couple years is working as a nurse. Southern Colorado appears to have lots of jobs for RNs, even those with just an associate's degree.

"According to the December 2014 report, the shortage will affect U.S. regions differently in 2025:

Midwestern states will have a surplus of 204,700 nurses

The Northeast will have a surplus of 71,600 nurses

The South will have a surplus of 119,000 nurses

The West is the only region predicted to have 64,200 too few nurses

The overall report shows the U.S. with a surplus of 340,000 nurses by 2025 if the number of nursing graduates continues at the growth rate observed in the report. If these predictions are accurate, nurses who live in states without a shortage may need to move to find work."

http://mediakit.nurse.com/blog/are-you-up-to-date-on-nursing-shortage-predictions/

3 minutes ago, panurse9999 said:

"According to the December 2014 report, the shortage will affect U.S. regions differently in 2025:

Midwestern states will have a surplus of 204,700 nurses

The Northeast will have a surplus of 71,600 nurses

The South will have a surplus of 119,000 nurses

The West is the only region predicted to have 64,200 too few nurses

The overall report shows the U.S. with a surplus of 340,000 nurses by 2025 if the number of nursing graduates continues at the growth rate observed in the report. If these predictions are accurate, nurses who live in states without a shortage may need to move to find work."

http://mediakit.nurse.com/blog/are-you-up-to-date-on-nursing-shortage-predictions/

If people aren't willing to locate when there are no jobs in their area they should look in the mirror to see what the issue is.

29 minutes ago, Luchador said:

If people aren't willing to locate when there are no jobs in their area they should look in the mirror to see what the issue is.

I can live without the trolling insults. Spare me, and no, I won't explain why some people cannot just "up and move", not that an explanation is needed anyway, in an area that continues to churn out hundreds of new grads, knowing there are no jobs, and same area employers constantly posting bogus jobs ads with click bait sign on bonuses.

35 minutes ago, panurse9999 said:

I can live without the trolling insults. Spare me, and no, I won't explain why some people cannot just "up and move", not that an explanation is needed anyway, in an area that continues to churn out hundreds of new grads, knowing there are no jobs, and same area employers constantly posting bogus jobs ads with click bait sign on bonuses.

I'm not trying to insult you. A friend from last year started as a corrections nurse right after graduating, with a bonus. Another took a job in Santa Fe-- with a bonus-- and used it to travel around Europe.

These threads are always the same--

Sad person: "There are no RN jobs. It's all a scam. =( "

Other person: "Plenty of jobs around here, don't know what to tell you."

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.

This thread is killing me....

~the hospital systems are out to get the OP

~the schools are out to get the OP

~the corporations are out to get the OP and

~the entire licensing system is out to get the OP

said OP is not responsible for any of it and her not getting a job is because of “THE MAN” rather than lack of mobility, motivation, flexibility or a desire to live within the system as it is.

I suggest that no advice will be met with acceptance by the OP because they’ve already made it clear they are not willing to do ANYTHING to improve their situation.

Just across the state, we have jobs, with real live signing bonuses (mine was 5k as a new grad, experienced nurses are getting 10k).

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
16 minutes ago, Jenbripsu said:

This thread is killing me....

~the hospital systems are out to get the OP

~the schools are out to get the OP

~the corporations are out to get the OP and

~the entire licensing system is out to get the OP

said OP is not responsible for any of it and her not getting a job is because of “THE MAN” rather than lack of mobility, motivation, flexibility or a desire to live within the system as it is.

I suggest that no advice will be met with acceptance by the OP because they’ve already made it clear they are not willing to do ANYTHING to improve their situation.

Just across the state, we have jobs, with real live signing bonuses (mine was 5k as a new grad, experienced nurses are getting 10k).

I just went through OP's post history. Until this past Tuesday, they hadn't posted since 2010. And OP had the same problems with not being able to find a job in 2010. Clearly, OP has no desire to work to improve the situation.

On 5/17/2019 at 11:59 AM, panurse9999 said:

Spot on perfect. Thank you for speaking to the point of the article, which of course extends to other higher education hoaxes/ pitfalls/ traps both in and out of the nursing profession. I get that the BSN is now considered entry level for hospitals, (that is not really the soap box issue) ...what I don't get is why RNs like me who have a BS and MA in other professions are cast off as useless/ worthless, and made to re-educate, just for the sake of a piece of paper in hand. This is what makes a mockery out of the entire higher ed system. My degrees, knowledge, work and skill set should be seen as an asset to the profession, yet it isn't.

It's kind of ironic that you want respect for your college degrees, yet show a notable lack of respect for the degrees of others. Your degrees should be considered an asset. Others' degrees are simply a "piece of paper.'

I had a non nursing BS degree. I was able to apply all of the gen ed requirements and a couple of nursing pre-reqs to my BSN degree. It took me one semester extra over the ADN program to get a BSN, thanks to my prior degree. I got it at a brick and mortar school, no point and click whatsoever.

Specializes in school nurse.
4 hours ago, Rose_Queen said:

I just went through OP's post history. Until this past Tuesday, they hadn't posted since 2010. And OP had the same problems with not being able to find a job in 2010. Clearly, OP has no desire to work to improve the situation.

Plus if the same contrary and combative attitude comes out on job interviews, well, there you have it...

6 hours ago, panurse9999 said:

"According to the December 2014 report, the shortage will affect U.S. regions differently in 2025:

Midwestern states will have a surplus of 204,700 nurses

The Northeast will have a surplus of 71,600 nurses

The South will have a surplus of 119,000 nurses

The West is the only region predicted to have 64,200 too few nurses

The overall report shows the U.S. with a surplus of 340,000 nurses by 2025 if the number of nursing graduates continues at the growth rate observed in the report. If these predictions are accurate, nurses who live in states without a shortage may need to move to find work."

http://mediakit.nurse.com/blog/are-you-up-to-date-on-nursing-shortage-predictions/

The South and Midwest don't have surpluses. There are several places that have shortages, some severe. The real question is are you willing to relocate? Some people have said they're hiring in their areas but you don't seem willing to relocate.

This posting has so much absolute truth in it!!!!!! What a well written post!!!! I have been wondering if other nurses felt the same way I do and have seen the utter chaos and outright fraud by schools being wrought on unsuspecting people thinking they are doing something great, building security and a better life by getting more letters by their name. I kept progressing up the ladder of nursing education from lLPN, ADN, BSN, to APRN and masters degree. I have only accomplished accumulating massive student loans and spent time in school when I could have been putting back for retirement. I was one of those hellbent, getting my masters and then doctorate older RNs. From my perch now, I see no increase in pay, very few job opportunities, such a saturation of nurses that every family here could have their own group of providers., have put my family in jeopardy because we can’t qualify for a mortgage due to my debt and lack of a steady, decent paying job.. I see no value in pursuing a higher degree.

My sisters child makes more money than any RN, NP I know. Has a high school education, no student debt and simply has a skill he picked up in VoTech in school. Employers here pay the lowest minimum wage possible and get by because nurses and doctors are so afraid of losing their jobs to one of the flood of providers being churned out of the ten schools in this area...

This must be addressed soon or everyone stands to lose... students, nurses, hospitals, patients. I absolutely wish I had never pursued higher education..would not do it again and do not recommend this path to anyone...

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