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.
Well for what it's worth, I get where your coming from panurse9999 and completely agree. I am originally a diploma grad and was forced (coerced) by my hospital employer into returning for a BSN. After 25 years of active nursing as an RN, I got it (after shelling out around $25,000), went back to being a staff nurse for the exact same salary, benefits, and responsibilities. My BSN did absolutely nothing to enhance my knowledge, skill sets, or my ability to provide a safer level of clinical practice-nothing, nada, nil! Advanced pharmacology or a higher level of anatomy and physiology definitely would have benefitted me and my patients but NOT the ability to write a nicely formatted APA paper-sorry! Complete nonsense
The RN-BSN enhancement degree is a worthless and nonsensical phenomenon that is battering nurses both financially and emotionally nation-wide, at the same time. More people need to talk about this problem. I get that the BSN is the new entry level, but the 5, 10, 20, 30 year ADNs should absolutely be grandfathered rather than forced under threat of termination. Its workplace ageism, and a way to drop kick the older nurses out of the workforce, for a younger cheaper population of staff nurses. If I could afford a nation wide call to action, class action lawsuit, I would. I have also seen and heard of hospitals promising tuition assistance, yet when push comes to shove, it never materializes, causing even more financial destruction for the nurse.
I would rather spend money on a carpentry/ plumbing/electrical/welding/ or flooring class, than spend a single nickel on this aggravating farce. At least with a certification in those trades, there are ACTUAL jobs to be had... so for me, its SNF, home care, or a job outside nursing.
Advanced pharmacology or a higher level of anatomy and physiology definitely would have benefitted me and my patients but NOT the ability to write a nicely formatted APA paper-sorry! Complete nonsense
When patients thank me, it's always for my APA skills. I'm glad my patients are confident that I can cite papers about the research of other people not related to the care I'm providing. Pharmacology, shmarmacology!
Whether we agree or not, BSN is the new standard. We can talk about how utterly worthless it is (120% worthless) and vehemently argue against it's worth, but you're arguing against the same people who stack form on top of form and make it your priority as a nurse instead of providing actual care. They don't understand, and they require the degree. We have no choice right now if we want to work in certain areas, but instead of griping over the degree that we all agree is horse doo-doo we need to work together to overhaul nursing education as we know it. BSN is a fluff degree and any ADN or diploma nurse can prove it to you. BSN education can and should be the new standard, but not as we know it- it needs to be flexible, accessible, and it can't be full of garbage classes that don't contribute to improved clinical outcomes. Spend more time with students in simulation to teach them before they put their hands on patients how to develop clinical judgment, what to look for when you walk into the room, when to call a code, how to assess and what to assess in a patient; beef up classes on clinical knowledge instead of shoveling nursing theory, teach patho and pharm, allow ADN programs to grant BSN degrees with an option of a 4th year or have them work with BSN schools to offer a joint degree so ADN students have the flexibility of working for the year as RNs that they continue to complete their BSN. The only way that we can do this is if we put our heads together as a profession and agree on how to improve so that we are actually seen as a "profession". There are ways around the debt, there are grants, scholarships, public schools, loan forgiveness programs, there are employers that pay your tuition. I agree that it's BS, but it's where we are headed.
BSN education can and should be the new standard, but not as we know it- it needs to be flexible, accessible, and it can't be full of garbage classes that don't contribute to improved clinical outcomes.
You hit the nail on the head, and one way to stop the sinful waste of time , resources, and money is to flat out refuse to succumb to the demands.....ie, stop feeding the beast with compliance. I understand that is impossible for some, but have enjoyed myself being vocal about it.
Until the BSN program is re-structured to remove the worthless classroom credit hours, and replaced with one on one apprentice-bedside experience with a licensed nurse who voluntarily accepts a shadow student , we will continue the farce as it is. I remember my clinical hours in nursing school spent making beds, doing ADLS, and in the last semester, we were allowed to pop pills in a nursing home. We were a group of 6-8 with one clinical instructor whose job it was to make sure we did not get in the way of the nursing staff. 100% of my nursing skills were acquired AFTER nursing school.
The goal of hospitals is to keep moving the goal post to the right, until every single nurse is a Nurse Practitioner. Albeit, one who is doing 100% of all RN tasks, in addition to writing the orders. The American Medical Association has been lobbying for this for years, because the Docs are tired of getting 18 phone calls after midnight for tylenol, a bandaid, throw up, a low BS, a whacky temp or BP, or for discolored urine.
You hit the nail on the head, and one way to stop the sinful waste of time , resources, and money is to flat out refuse to succumb to the demands.....ie, stop feeding the beast with compliance. I understand that is impossible for some, but have enjoyed myself being vocal about it.
Until the BSN program is re-structured to remove the worthless classroom credit hours, and replaced with one on one apprentice-bedside experience with a licensed nurse who voluntarily accepts a shadow student , we will continue the farce as it is. I remember my clinical hours in nursing school spent making beds, doing ADLS, and in the last semester, we were allowed to pop pills in a nursing home. We were a group of 6-8 with one clinical instructor whose job it was to make sure we did not get in the way of the nursing staff. 100% of my nursing skills were acquired AFTER nursing school.
The goal of hospitals is to keep moving the goal post to the right, until every single nurse is a Nurse Practitioner. Albeit, one who is doing 100% of all RN tasks, in addition to writing the orders. The American Medical Association has been lobbying for this for years, because the Docs are tired of getting 18 phone calls after midnight for tylenol, a bandaid, throw up, a low BS, a whacky temp or BP, or for discolored urine.
Yikes. I hope my state never does this. If they do I hope Im far away from bedside.
Yikes. I hope my state never does this. If they do I hope Im far away from bedside.
Its happening here. The BSN degree nurses are openly complaining that the hospitals here keep pushing more and more and more , upward past the BSN to MSN, all for the same salary as a staff nurse.
Don't be fooled, the bigger picture is to have NPs at ADN wages so that socialized medicine can be possible.
Don't be fooled, the bigger picture is to have NPs at ADN wages so that socialized medicine can be possible.
This is where I think I’m going to start disagreeing- I don’t think paying nurses of all levels of education at the same rate have anything to do with socialization of healthcare as I don’t think it would benefit the decision makers to push towards socialization at all. Hospital and insurance CEOs do not benefit from socialization and wouldn’t put anything in place to make it happen. Guess who donates to the policy makers? It doesn’t make sense. Nurses need to get involved in politics and speak up on a unified front about the direction Nursing is taking and where we all need to stand and how we need to educate future nurses to be great nurses regardless of how healthcare is delivered. I disagree that socialization has a single thing to do with the trajectory of nursing at this time, but rather that everyone has their own idea of what Nursing is and that nurses are scapegoats and mules to be blamed and carry the burden of bureaucratic nonsense that they can’t pin on anyone else.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
On 5/16/2019 at 2:19 PM, Golden_RN said:
I disagree with SOME of what is being said on this thread. 21 years ago I graduated and there was definitely an RN shortage. Hospitals were giving sign-on bonuses and as new grads we were all offered acute jobs in many specialties. I was given a weekend at a nice hotel just for coming in for an interview. I know this varies throughout the country.
Also, if you are talking about bedside hospital jobs, then I see how doing RN-BSN program may not be worth the investment for everyone. However, for those that want to work outside of the hospital (public health, school health, etc.) a BSN is usually necessary.
I do agree that some schools are predatory but students have to do their part and research their job prospects, the market in their area and know what they're getting into with student debt.
It depends on where you plan to practice. In the town where I went to college, there was most definitely an overage of new grads being pumped out and that was 22 years ago.
No one rolled out any red carpets for my classmates when they passed the NCLEX. A lot had to move or drive long distances just to get any job. Now, today, it's even worse. Too many nurses, not enough positions (or at least ones where nurses are not abused on a daily basis).
This is where I think I’m going to start disagreeing- I don’t think paying nurses of all levels of education at the same rate have anything to do with socialization of healthcare as I don’t think it would benefit the decision makers to push towards socialization at all. Hospital and insurance CEOs do not benefit from socialization and wouldn’t put anything in place to make it happen. Guess who donates to the policy makers? It doesn’t make sense. Nurses need to get involved in politics and speak up on a unified front about the direction Nursing is taking and where we all need to stand and how we need to educate future nurses to be great nurses regardless of how healthcare is delivered. I disagree that socialization has a single thing to do with the trajectory of nursing at this time, but rather that everyone has their own idea of what Nursing is and that nurses are scapegoats and mules to be blamed and carry the burden of bureaucratic nonsense that they can’t pin on anyone else.
Perhaps the goal is not socialization, although its debatable. If its not socialization then its straight up, wholesale greed from the highest levels of the corporate structure. I have been working and watching for 20 years, the workload expand, with less wages, less staff, and less voice.
Perhaps the goal is not socialization, although its debatable. If its not socialization then its straight up, wholesale greed from the highest levels of the corporate structure. I have been working and watching for 20 years, the workload expand, with less wages, less staff, and less voice.
It's corporate greed, not a move towards socialized medicine. That is the last thing the suits would want.
It depends on where you plan to practice. In the town where I went to college, there was most definitely an overage of new grads being pumped out and that was 22 years ago.
No one rolled out any red carpets for my classmates when they passed the NCLEX. A lot had to move or drive long distances just to get any job. Now, today, it's even worse. Too many nurses, not enough positions (or at least ones where nurses are not abused on a daily basis).
Its especially bad here in PA because we have migration from NY and NJ, two of the highest tax states in the nation. PA, by comparison, has dirt cheap cost of living, when compared to border states. So to make matters even worse, across all job sectors, our population has far outgrown the workforce, causing mass unemployment and sinful levels of welfare. Still, nurses are being pumped out of school at ridiculous rates (LPN, ADN, BSN, MSN, NP) when the jobs just aren't available.
I think this is a problem that plagues all professions: expectations vs realities.
If you have a lot of nursing schools in the area you live in, that make it ever so convenient to go back to school, your local market is likely to be saturated. I was in a class of 10 NNPs, and I knew the local market couldn't absorb us all.
I knew going in that moving would likely be part of the job, just like I knew nights, weekends and holidays would also be part of it. I've moved cross country three times now.
I will say that I dont agree with nurses being able to enroll in a NP program shortly after graduating nor should they be able to do it online at places like U of Phoenix. But, its big money for schools so of course they push it. We weren't even graduated yet and we already had people from grad programs speaking to us.
panurse9999
1 Article; 199 Posts
The RN-BSN enhancement degree is a worthless and nonsensical phenomenon that is battering nurses both financially and emotionally nation-wide, at the same time. More people need to talk about this problem. I get that the BSN is the new entry level, but the 5, 10, 20, 30 year ADNs should absolutely be grandfathered rather than forced under threat of termination. Its workplace ageism, and a way to drop kick the older nurses out of the workforce, for a younger cheaper population of staff nurses. If I could afford a nation wide call to action, class action lawsuit, I would. I have also seen and heard of hospitals promising tuition assistance, yet when push comes to shove, it never materializes, causing even more financial destruction for the nurse.
I would rather spend money on a carpentry/ plumbing/electrical/welding/ or flooring class, than spend a single nickel on this aggravating farce. At least with a certification in those trades, there are ACTUAL jobs to be had... so for me, its SNF, home care, or a job outside nursing.