What can I do with my BSN that Assoc. RN's can't?

[doodlebug914]

I just graduated with my BSN this spring. I'm working as a PCA2/Graduate Nurse at a local hospital until I take my boards... I am taking my HESI tomorrow at the college I graduated from. This is an 'exit' type of exam that we have to pass before taking our boards. I'm feeling down about not being able to pass and have this huge fear that I am not going to pass my boards!

Amidst my fear, I am questioning taking a role as an RN on floor nursing. It seems like most of the RN's on my floor have an associates degree, and I am questioning if I should be doing something different since I have my bachelor's? The pay is the same for an Assoc. or BSN, which doesn't make any sense to me. Just wondering what else is available that I might not be looking for, or what your opinions are!?

Another BSN student who just graduated as well was speaking with me, and said she wonders if the Assoc. degree RN's laugh thinking that we have wasted our time getting our BSN when we get the same pay/same responsibilities. Is this a big issue?

Thanks!

Miranda

[neb4882]

Disregard my earlier post

Thanks

Nicole

[LeesieBug]

they made me realize I could endure any form of torture and brainwashing...

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: FINALLY, I see the purpose in those classes :chuckle !!!!! Thank you for enlightening me so next semester I won't crab about them so much!

[RNIAM, BSN, RN]

"wound care specialist, diabetes educator, infection control specialist, continuity of care coordinator, discharge planner, ostomy specialist, pain specialist, etc."

Although this may be true in the institutions you have experience with. I can tell you that my ASN friend works as a discharge planner. The hospital I work in has many ASN's in the positions that you have mentioned.

I do agree that the director of the diabetes education program at my facility has a BSN.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

... Another thing I thought was weird is that I was taught how and had to start IVs on actual people while in nursing school while those I knew in the BSN school were only allowed to start them on the maniquins in school and never on a real human until after graduation and then do it after they worked as an RN.

Just FYI, I started hundreds of IVs on real folks in my BSN program. It is a misconception that BSN programs are all book learning. If you want a strong clinical orientation, there are plenty of BSN programs that will challenge you.

Not defensive. Cheerfully informative! Yup, that's me.

[jackieliz]

The hospital I work for has ASN's as diabetes educators, hospital supervisors, discharge planners and in several "middle management" type jobs at the administrative center. Experience tends to matter just as much as the letters after your name. Additionally, our credentials say "RN", no degree is named.

[llg, PhD, RN]

The hospital I work for has ASN's as diabetes educators, hospital supervisors, discharge planners and in several "middle management" type jobs at the administrative center. Experience tends to matter just as much as the letters after your name. Additionally, our credentials say "RN", no degree is named.

I am sure that what you say is true about your particular hospital. But on a national level, the trend is that an increasing number of employers would "prefer" to have most of those positions filled with nurses with a BSN or higher. They will fill those positions with nurses without BSN's if there are not many well-qualified BSN's in the area interested in the job -- but in communities in which BSN's (who also have the right job experience) are available, the BSN's are usually given a preference.

Also, people in school now in school or recently out of school and who are looking ahead to another 20, 30, or 40 years of nursing practice ahead of them should be thinking about what employee preferences will be in the future -- not at what someone was able to do 5 years ago or even now. Their career will be mostly in the future (not the past or present) and they need to prepare for that. If you look at the historical trends, it indicates that nurses with more advanced education will have more job opportunities than those who don't -- and those opportunities will be in clincial positions as well as management and educational ones.

And just because that trend has not held true for a few individuals in the past (or present) in a few jobs, that doesn't negate the trend. Why do you think all those nurses with ADN's and diplomas are going back to school? -- because they see that the jobs that they can get now will not keep them happy forever. They are smart and taking care of their futures.

llg

[TexasPoodleMix]

Why do you think all those nurses with ADN's and diplomas are going back to school? -- because they see that the jobs that they can get now will not keep them happy forever. They are smart and taking care of their futures.

llg

so say i graduate in 2007ish with an ADN (already have a BS in another field, not feasible to go back right now) do you think it is possible for me to get a job as a floor nurse ? (with an adn)

[SCRN1]

so say i graduate in 2007ish with an ADN (already have a BS in another field, not feasible to go back right now) do you think it is possible for me to get a job as a floor nurse ? (with an adn)

Of course! I have an ADN and most of the other floor nurses I work with have that degree also.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

so say i graduate in 2007ish with an ADN (already have a BS in another field, not feasible to go back right now) do you think it is possible for me to get a job as a floor nurse ? (with an adn)

West Virginia University offers a fast-track BSN (I think I heard 18 months) for people who already have a BS. Without implying that my home state is backward or anything, if we're doing it, there are probably other places that are doing it. Might be worth checking around, though I surely hope an ADN won't be obsolete anytime soon.

[SandyB]

In California with a BSN I can teach clinicals in the community colleges LVN or ADN and in the vocational schools I can teach everything...

school nursing (awesome hours and time off :)

Public Health Nursing for different counties

and of course, management..but don't just think hospital, think:

Hospice

Insurance companies

and the list goes on.

Education is never wasted......

[llg, PhD, RN]

so say i graduate in 2007ish with an ADN (already have a BS in another field, not feasible to go back right now) do you think it is possible for me to get a job as a floor nurse ? (with an adn)

Definitely. The ADN is not going away in the forseeable future. A floor nurse is the basic, entry-level job in nursing and that is what the ADN prepares you to do. Most ADN programs do a great job of preparing a basic, entry-level floor nurse.

My point is that after a few years (or several years) as a floor nurse, you may be interested in other types of nursing jobs. At that point in your future, you will almost certainly find that more opportunities will be available for you if you have a higher degree.

Best wishes for a long and satisfying nursing career,

llg

[Agnus]

You sound disappointed as though you expected more as a new grad. A new grad is a new grad. When we start out we are pretty equal on the skills level and on the level of cordinating every thing an making sense of the big picture.

In time your additional education will start to have an effect on your practice. Keep in mind many of your non nursing friends who are starting out with a Bachelor degree are NOT making anything close to what you are to start. In time you will begin to see the value of your additional education. Congrats.