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.
And, of course, co-opted upper nursing administration --you think they're above being in collusion with schools, employers and insurers?
Take a look at how many of those upper admin nurses are on the board of for profit schools, or are "adjunct" professors of nursing programs. THEY ARE PAID to push this agenda.
Exactly, spot on, true. When I try to explain this to people, I get wide-eyed, deer in the headlights, look from people who then tell me I'm a conspiracy theorist. And there are many of them who weigh in on these threads under an array of anonymous name-handles, doing their best work to silence us, and the rigged racket that we know is true, with constant trolling, baiting, insulting, devils advocate, and bullying.
I had a resume writer look at mine after I wasn't getting calls after graduating from my ADN program. I'm young, but my experience prior to becoming a nurse made me look much older. After I cut back on my resume, removed some dates, removed my prior education, refined and tailored my resume? I got a call for a job in the system I was trying to get in to. Whenever I apply to jobs I have to shave a little bit more off of my resume to keep it "fresh".
I had a resume writer look at mine after I wasn't getting calls after graduating from my ADN program. I'm young, but my experience prior to becoming a nurse made me look much older. After I cut back on my resume, removed some dates, removed my prior education, refined and tailored my resume? I got a call for a job in the system I was trying to get in to. Whenever I apply to jobs I have to shave a little bit more off of my resume to keep it "fresh".
Isnt it sad that we have to dumb down our resume's to stay marketable? I was always of the opinion that putting every single thing out there made me more well rounded, not less, even if the resume was a little choc-full. I think the system truly detests the second career nurse, because God forbid we bring in a new perspective of non-brainwashed job fearing nurses who have never worked outside nursing.
I had a resume writer look at mine after I wasn't getting calls after graduating from my ADN program. I'm young, but my experience prior to becoming a nurse made me look much older. After I cut back on my resume, removed some dates, removed my prior education, refined and tailored my resume? I got a call for a job in the system I was trying to get in to. Whenever I apply to jobs I have to shave a little bit more off of my resume to keep it "fresh".
Aaaaaaaand there's the proof that this isn't about skill, education, patient care or any of the "BSN" nonsense that's being peddled.
Keep on keepin' on Sarola---if the facilities, schools, and administrators are continually permitted to use the cloak of deceit---then what I say is "what goes around, comes around. Reap what you sow."
Isnt it sad that we have to dumb down our resume's to stay marketable? I was always of the opinion that putting every single thing out there made me more well rounded, not less, even if the resume was a little choc-full. I think the system truly detests the second career nurse, because God forbid we bring in a new perspective of non-brainwashed job fearing nurses who have never worked outside nursing.
Of course it is. This isn't about patient care or skill. This is all about power. And money.
It's why my eyes glazed over and I went on "autopilot" every time I had to write a paper kissing the orifice of the nursing profession---great papers...full of crap...but made the instructors and all the decision makers feel just so so good about themselves.
Isnt it sad that we have to dumb down our resume's to stay marketable? I was always of the opinion that putting every single thing out there made me more well rounded
?♀️I think I'm pretty well rounded, but my resume might not necessarily suggest it. I think this is why so many nurses job hop so much. A job might be nice at first, but then you get beaten down and have to move on to the next job or specialty or location to feel renewed. Keep taking that early experience off and only keep what's relevant to where you're trying to go. Healthcare doesn't value nursing as a profession, and when nurses can barely respect or agree with each other it's no wonder we aren't well respected or understood by other disciplines or admin.
5 minutes ago, HomeBound said:
Aaaaaaaand there's the proof that this isn't about skill, education, patient care or any of the "BSN" nonsense that's being peddled.
Keep on keepin' on Sarola---if the facilities, schools, and administrators are continually permitted to use the cloak of deceit---then what I say is "what goes around, comes around. Reap what you sow."
And this is a HUGE issue in healthcare and nursing especially: nurse turnover is through the roof and job satisfaction is nearly non-existent. Facilities can't recover the cost of training new staff whether experienced or not because they leave so soon after starting. There is no level of expertise on many units because seasoned nurses end up leaving and it's new grads training new grads, blind leading the blind; all at the expense of patient care and nurses. It's absurd.
It's why my eyes glazed over and I went on "autopilot" every time I had to write a paper kissing the orifice of the nursing profession---great papers...full of crap...but made the instructors and all the decision makers feel just so so good about themselves.
?♀️I think I'm pretty well rounded, but my resume might not necessarily suggest it. I think this is why so many nurses job hop so much. A job might be nice at first, but then you get beaten down and have to move on to the next job or specialty or location to feel renewed. Keep taking that early experience off and only keep what's relevant to where you're trying to go. Healthcare doesn't value nursing as a profession, and when nurses can barely respect or agree with each other it's no wonder we aren't well respected or understood by other disciplines or admin.
SO true. What I see happening in PA LTC, is so unreal, that few would believe me. It has become so bad, corporate controlled, race to the bottom, $$$$ matters before patient, etc, etc...that there are facilities who have DONs and Administrators leaving every couple of months, for years on end. It is to the point that one would have to be nuts to take one of these building level management jobs. And as such, what they are getting in these roles, are people I would not hire to babysit a dog. Not joking. Its getting pitiful out here.
I wonder if anyone ever even really read my papers, other than to skim them to see if they were APA compliant?
In my program I think they ONLY checked if they were APA compliant. The content of the paper was unimportant, because if it were based on content I don't know that I would have graduated ?
So much of what is being said here is foreign to me. It really depends on your area. The OP keeps saying PA is saturated. But it's not. Philly area may be, but Western PA is absolutely not.
The job I got was with a completely different hospital system than where I went to my diploma school so there was certainly no help from my school with that. I got into a specialty with a 5k signing bonus. I am 47 years old and my resume showed that and I was hired very quickly. I am not saying this happens everywhere and it's awful when I doesn't. But it's not everywhere.
I think it helps, tremendously, that I did my research BEFORE I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL and spent the money. I researched the market in my area because I have children and I can't relocate...because it was a second career. I was making sure that my investment was valid. I'm going back for an MSN. I'm skipping the whole BSN because I agree that I don't need it. I have two other bachelors degrees. I'm not reinventing the wheel. But the MSN will be worth it for my career goals of eventually teaching.
What many of you are describing in your areas is awful and I'm sorry you are going through all of that - but I think it's important to say that ageism, nursing shortages, etc...are clearly location based. Others reading this thread who are thinking about nursing school really need to talk to nurses in their area and talk to schools and compare the information and see if it matches. I knew a lot of nurses. I spent about a year bending their ear with questions before I took the plunge. I knew exactly what I was getting into for my area.
To the OP, we clearly got off on the wrong foot. I do not disagree with a lot of what you've said. I chose a diploma school because it had almost twice the clinical experience as our local BSN programs. That will give you some idea of what I felt the quality of the BSN programs were. People who've never been a nurse can step out as a second degree BSN in 12 months and that's ridiculous. Especially when a diploma or ADN prepared nurse with a previous degree will take at LEAST 12 months to finish their BSN and they've clearly completed the RN classes already. It makes no sense. A BSN nurse is not better than an ADN or Diploma nurse simply because of their degree. But, the system is as it is and we aren't going to change it - so we either play it or we don't. You've chosen not to play by not getting the BSN or not getting a certification etc. That's a valid choice. It may not land you a job, but I understand it. So while I don't discount much of what you've said, your approach is off putting at times and perhaps that is also hindering you. I don't know. I wish you the best of luck and if you ever feel like you can, move out to the other side of the state. It is a COMPLETELY different animal than what you are describing.
Interesting topic and I'm sorry OP that so many respondents piled on you for awhile there. You are absolutely right, nobody is living your reality except you.
Where I live not having a BSN is in no way a barrier to finding work, not now anyway. Both major health systems are expanding and hiring at a breakneck pace with no BSN required. But I am well aware that's not the case in many areas and relocation to where the jobs are isn't an option for a lot of people.
The push to bigger and better college degrees and expensive certifications to land a job is understandable in a tight, competitive market but that same push to long time employees that are forced to spend a lot of money on a higher degree they don't need to perform the exact same job they are already doing and making not a red cent more despite the considerable out of pocket expense is shameful.
There are too many degree mills that are allowed to exist pretty much for the sole purpose of taking money from hard working nurses that are forced to get a degree they don't need or want to stay employed. I see ads on my social media feeds, my search engines, through emails and yes even on this site for RN to BSN and even RN to MSN programs where the catch phrases are "work at you own pace" and frequently "no clinical site required." These programs were created to meet the needs of a working nurse that can't devote all their time to a traditional nursing program while working. Some of these programs may actually be OK, most are not.
panurse9999
1 Article; 199 Posts
Exactly, spot on, true. When I try to explain this to people, I get wide-eyed, deer in the headlights, look from people who then tell me I'm a conspiracy theorist. And there are many of them who weigh in on these threads under an array of anonymous name-handles, doing their best work to silence us, and the rigged racket that we know is true, with constant trolling, baiting, insulting, devils advocate, and bullying.