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.
When I placed all of my previous medical experience on my resume---the big name I worked for and all of the highly skilled and certified titles I held on my resume---right behind my return to school for nursing and my Level 1 ER years?
Just needed to comment on a couple of things. I cut out a lot of the post I'm quoting, but this is the main part I wanted to focus on:
That is not about your age or nursing. That is about writing a good resume/CV. When I was 22 I would not have gotten a job if I had a resume that was not focused on the types of jobs I wanted. When I looked for secretarial jobs, I took out everything that didn't apply to being a secretary, or what I included, I tailored in my resume to be related to being a secretary. When I went back into retail management, same deal. And when I went back to nursing school in my 30s, also the same. Employers just basically get so many resumes, TD:DR is a huge issue.
You should be tailoring your resume to every job you apply for. All of the other experience and things that you think could be a useful adjunct, those go into "other skills". And that should be a couple lines max, you can discuss the details of it later. No one cared about all the things I had done in linguistics or political science, I wasn't applying for a job in those fields.
19 hours ago, Workitinurfava said:
A BSN nurse is of two types:
One that did the ASN and then did the BSN online
One that did the BSN without getting the ASN first
All BSN programs should offer some type of clinical training throughout the program. How people are allowed to get a BSN without getting some type of clinical training with it boggles my mind. Even if they are already working as a nurse, the BSN program should improve their clinical skills.
Arguably, the BSN isn't about improving clinical skills. It's about developing more critical thinking skills, learning more about the theory behind what we do and making you better about to think about interventions and complications. It's to make you a better thinker, a better evaluator of research, a better teacher, deeper understanding into the pathophys, how to apply research.
It was harped into me in school that monkeys can be trained to do skills. Skills are not what make a nurse. The brain behind the skills is what makes a nurse a nurse.
When I go out on transport for a sick baby, often I do very little in the skills department, I'm there to think about how to treat the patient, then delegate that out as appropriate. I don't know how to set up the ventilator tubing on the transport isolette - the RN does. But the RN doesn't always understand why I am choosing one method of ventilation over another, why I'm deciding on certain vent settings or alternate methods of treating the disease.
Arguably, the BSN isn't about improving clinical skills. It's about developing more critical thinking skills, learning more about the theory behind what we do and making you better about to think about interventions and complications. It's to make you a better thinker, a better evaluator of research, a better teacher, deeper understanding into the pathophys, how to apply research.
This is why its really infuriating to second career nurses, who have BS and MA or MS degrees in other fields. We already know how to think critically, how to look outside the box, how to research, etc, etc. I have no problem with a BSN becoming an entry level asset. My problem is that other education with transferable worth is being cancelled / discarded/ not counted because the higher education racket wants to bankrupt everyone.
Just needed to comment on a couple of things. I cut out a lot of the post I'm quoting, but this is the main part I wanted to focus on:
That is not about your age or nursing. That is about writing a good resume/CV. When I was 22 I would not have gotten a job if I had a resume that was not focused on the types of jobs I wanted. When I looked for secretarial jobs, I took out everything that didn't apply to being a secretary, or what I included, I tailored in my resume to be related to being a secretary. When I went back into retail management, same deal. And when I went back to nursing school in my 30s, also the same. Employers just basically get so many resumes, TD:DR is a huge issue.
You should be tailoring your resume to every job you apply for. All of the other experience and things that you think could be a useful adjunct, those go into "other skills". And that should be a couple lines max, you can discuss the details of it later. No one cared about all the things I had done in linguistics or political science, I wasn't applying for a job in those fields.
Arguably, the BSN isn't about improving clinical skills. It's about developing more critical thinking skills, learning more about the theory behind what we do and making you better about to think about interventions and complications. It's to make you a better thinker, a better evaluator of research, a better teacher, deeper understanding into the pathophys, how to apply research.
It was harped into me in school that monkeys can be trained to do skills. Skills are not what make a nurse. The brain behind the skills is what makes a nurse a nurse.
When I go out on transport for a sick baby, often I do very little in the skills department, I'm there to think about how to treat the patient, then delegate that out as appropriate. I don't know how to set up the ventilator tubing on the transport isolette - the RN does. But the RN doesn't always understand why I am choosing one method of ventilation over another, why I'm deciding on certain vent settings or alternate methods of treating the disease.
Of course critical thinking should go with the clinical skills. One still should become proficient in the skills.
It was harped into me in school that monkeys can be trained to do skills. Skills are not what make a nurse. The brain behind the skills is what makes a nurse a nurse.
We are not allowed to use our brains. It was harped into us in nursing school to call the physician. Ironic, isn't it, wether LPN, RN or BSN, that we are REQUIRED to call a physician for a change in condition, an order for a bandaid, an order for tylenol, and even an order for a cough drop. A nurse is a nurse, is a nurse, is a nurse. Until this "profession" stops treating us all like "monkeys" there is no reason to pursue higher education. None at all.
They do make it real easy on us by having a task list. All we have to do is follow what is on the list. Everything will drop off the task list if we did things correctly, or so we hope lol. I just thought of the time when I had my psych clinical and I stayed up all night trying to figure out the homework that my teacher gave me. until I got pizzed and rewrote the homework assingment along with answering it. I knew I was taking a chance because I didn't follow the directions. I tried to understand her work, I really did but dang it, it made no sense. Anyhoo, I turned the work in and my teacher said how did you do this? I told her it just came to me and she asked me if she could use it for future students. I agreed and she chucked her old homework assignment. She agreed mine was better. Anyhoo, let me get back to focusing on the task list. I just need for things to fall off the list. One task at a time, lol. I won't ask any questions.
Arguably, the BSN isn't about improving clinical skills. It's about developing more critical thinking skills, learning more about the theory behind what we do and making you better about to think about interventions and complications. It's to make you a better thinker, a better evaluator of research, a better teacher, deeper understanding into the pathophys, how to apply research.
This is what I believe a BSN SHOULD be. It is not what I experienced. I feel like I did nothing more than write APA formatted papers on subjects that were chosen for me. I wish what you described is what BSN programs were, but they’re not. They’re mostly just cookie cutter degrees to check a box, and they don’t contribute to our profession.
This is why its really infuriating to second career nurses, who have BS and MA or MS degrees in other fields. We already know how to think critically, how to look outside the box, how to research, etc, etc. I have no problem with a BSN becoming an entry level asset. My problem is that other education with transferable worth is being cancelled / discarded/ not counted because the higher education racket wants to bankrupt everyone.
I am a second career nurse/NP (if it wasn't obvious with my background in linguistics and political science) and while I was kinda taught critical thinking skills in the humanities, it's not nearly the same as in the sciences.
I did a graduate entry program to become an NP because I did already have a bachelor's degree. If you are going to repeat a bachelor's though, you have to expect to repeat stuff. You are literally repeating your degree.
37 minutes ago, sarolarn said:
This is what I believe a BSN SHOULD be. It is not what I experienced. I feel like I did nothing more than write APA formatted papers on subjects that were chosen for me. I wish what you described is what BSN programs were, but they’re not. They’re mostly just cookie cutter degrees to check a box, and they don’t contribute to our profession.
This is one of those things where I think you get out of it what you put into it. I wrote tons of papers on things that I had no real interest in - nursing school isn't about neonatology sadly - and yet, I've found those things helpful later in my career. My paper on CMV reactivation in post-kidney transplant patients was helpful in discussing CMV disease affecting neonates and I was able to bring up the possibility of valgancyclovir as a possible alternative to gancyclovir. And on a personal level, when I was in liver failure and potentially looking at a transplant, it helped me understand a lot of things there.
Right now my "specialty" inside my specialty at my hospital is a subject I don't actually love - I just have more experience and knowledge about it than anyone else, so I have to share it and help just because no one else can. You just have to figure out how to manipulate things to apply them.
This is one of those things where I think you get out of it what you put into it. I wrote tons of papers on things that I had no real interest in - nursing school isn't about neonatology sadly - and yet, I've found those things helpful later in my career.
In most cases this is 100% true. I did an online RN-BSN program, and I feel that the curriculum was severely lacking. Discussion boards that didn’t value creative thought or meaningful discussion to deepen understanding were a solid percentage of our grade. More points awarded for proper citation than content. Topics chosen for you and required to be written into a specific template for papers. There was no room for clinical or critical thinking, inquiries often weren’t responded to, professors difficult to reach. Curriculum is the same across the board in these programs and it’s very robotic. I’ll admit that the bore factor made it hard to put in what I wanted out of it, but dismissing it as such entirely misses the mark in that BSN education needs to be improved. Nurses and our patients deserve better than an education that feels more like a required visit to the DMV than professional development. My ADN curriculum and and nursing experience are what have taught me critical thinking and clinical judgment. We did community health and APA citation, research, and theory in my ADN program. I put 120% in and I feel that I got 120% out. My BSN program did not teach me anything new, it was repeated classwork in a rigidly structured format that didn’t nurture curiosity, didn’t inspire critical thought. I do have a better understanding of cost control, but I also realize that change needs to be made at a policy level because nurses shouldn’t have to worry about being cost effective in delivering quality care.
I’m hoping someday I will realize that I learned something in my BSN program, I’m still pretty early in my career. I feel that most of my learning will be done through practice and personal research, though.
Yeah, I will admit I'm not as much of a fan of the online schools. I went brick and mortar and while we had some classes that were online, in person I did feel like had better learning, overall.
I definitely think, especially the online and for profit schools need some more scrutiny. My sister was a professor at an online for profit (not nursing) university, and there was a lot of pressure to pass students and ignore plagiarism and a lot of crazy *** that would never fly at a real university. She left because she couldn't do it. All they cared about was getting the money. While established schools can get greedy and are not perfect, they seem to be a lot more invested in their reputations and academic rigor.
I do have a better understanding of cost control, but I also realize that change needs to be made at a policy level because nurses shouldn’t have to worry about being cost effective in delivering quality care.
I’m hoping someday I will realize that I learned something in my BSN program, I’m still pretty early in my career. I feel that most of my learning will be done through practice and personal research, though.
Interesting, since "cost control" was part of my original degree in the business school I attended. Yet, when I point this out to the "high and mighty" who trash my self worth, my resume, my education, and my experience as "doesn't count/ not enough" since my BS is not a BSN...I get that furrowed eyebrow look on a person's face. After all, a hospital or a nursing home is a business , and we all need to have that business perspective.
In the UK our Conservative government decided to get rid of Bursaries and student fees so now its just like any other profession, you build up your debt get your qualification and then get your job.
Unfortunately the government doesn't realise that building up debt and then becoming a nurse isn't a very attractive prospect and so we've seen student numbers plummet to a point that they had to go back to the 1980s and give Healthcare assistants a new role as a registered nurse but 1 payband down.
In the UK our Conservative government decided to get rid of Bursaries and student fees so now its just like any other profession, you build up your debt get your qualification and then get your job.
Unfortunately the government doesn't realise that building up debt and then becoming a nurse isn't a very attractive prospect and so we've seen student numbers plummet to a point that they had to go back to the 1980s and give Healthcare assistants a new role as a registered nurse but 1 payband down.
I feel your pain.
Did I read this correctly: You are saying that the UK government has given unlicensed caregivers - healthcare assistants - the role/responsibilities of RN's: assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating care of patients? Healthcare assistants are giving medications and doing clinical procedures/treatments? Healthcare assistants are doing the same job as RN's without RN education/training/licensure?
LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP
898 Posts
Just needed to comment on a couple of things. I cut out a lot of the post I'm quoting, but this is the main part I wanted to focus on:
That is not about your age or nursing. That is about writing a good resume/CV. When I was 22 I would not have gotten a job if I had a resume that was not focused on the types of jobs I wanted. When I looked for secretarial jobs, I took out everything that didn't apply to being a secretary, or what I included, I tailored in my resume to be related to being a secretary. When I went back into retail management, same deal. And when I went back to nursing school in my 30s, also the same. Employers just basically get so many resumes, TD:DR is a huge issue.
You should be tailoring your resume to every job you apply for. All of the other experience and things that you think could be a useful adjunct, those go into "other skills". And that should be a couple lines max, you can discuss the details of it later. No one cared about all the things I had done in linguistics or political science, I wasn't applying for a job in those fields.
Arguably, the BSN isn't about improving clinical skills. It's about developing more critical thinking skills, learning more about the theory behind what we do and making you better about to think about interventions and complications. It's to make you a better thinker, a better evaluator of research, a better teacher, deeper understanding into the pathophys, how to apply research.
It was harped into me in school that monkeys can be trained to do skills. Skills are not what make a nurse. The brain behind the skills is what makes a nurse a nurse.
When I go out on transport for a sick baby, often I do very little in the skills department, I'm there to think about how to treat the patient, then delegate that out as appropriate. I don't know how to set up the ventilator tubing on the transport isolette - the RN does. But the RN doesn't always understand why I am choosing one method of ventilation over another, why I'm deciding on certain vent settings or alternate methods of treating the disease.