When hiring, do hospitals look at where you got your BSN?

BackpackingRN · May 4, 2011

Every job I have applied for asked me where I got my BSN, what they do with that, I don't know. Do they judge? maybe, who knows.

nurse.sandi · May 4, 2011

I am not on the west coast. No employers have ever asked me where I earned my nursing degree. They just want a clean, clear registered nurses license. So, my answer is no. I do not have a BSN either, just a Masters in Science.

Nccity2002, MSN, RN · May 4, 2011

I had been a nurse for ten years...have a BSN and a Master. I can only recall a couple of employers asking where I went to school (still got both jobs ; )

CranberryMuffin · May 4, 2011

Regardless of that, I would be very hesitant to spend that kind of money on a BSN. The job market has yet to bounce back for new grads, and if you are taking out student loans, that's a lot of debt to be saddled with, without the guarantee of a job.

I'm not on the West Coast, I'm in a major metropolitan city in the Midwest, and people here do want to know where I went to school, especially the larger academic medical centers.

Malefocker, BSN, RN · May 4, 2011

Be careful with West Coast I have read on here that if you decide to further your career later on down the road that some schools do not accept classes you took for your BSN if they were taken at West Coast. I really don't know much about the school, I have just read this while I was doing research since I am on the West Coast. I totally agree with the poster above; it is crazy to spend 130K for a BSN especially with the way the economy is right now. I am spending less than 40K to get my BSN and MSN.... I think it is totally worth it wait a couple of years to get into nursing schools and who knows maybe the economy will turn around by then. Good luck with whatever you decide and make sure you definitely do your research about any school you wish to attend

Not sure if you are looking at schools down in Orange County but I know a lot of about them if you are interested... shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

MesaRN · May 4, 2011

Nope. Unless your aiming for director or CNO, RN is an RN. Most of the time even the BS part doesn't matter a bit. You can go to a private school and pay a lot more to make the same pay as those who so the state schools.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · May 4, 2011

A lot of employers care WHERE you got it around here. Some just care that you have it. A few only care that you have the RN.

Why? Because there are enough candidates to be choosy and many employers have noticed the difference between the most competitive established programs that have their clinicals at Level I trauma centers and the newer for-profit programs that have their clinicals at doctor's offices and day cares.

traceydolovesyou · May 4, 2011

Be careful with West Coast I have read on here that if you decide to further your career later on down the road that some schools do not accept classes you took for your BSN if they were taken at West Coast. I really don't know much about the school, I have just read this while I was doing research since I am on the West Coast. I totally agree with the poster above; it is crazy to spend 130K for a BSN especially with the way the economy is right now. I am spending less than 40K to get my BSN and MSN.... I think it is totally worth it wait a couple of years to get into nursing schools and who knows maybe the economy will turn around by then. Good luck with whatever you decide and make sure you definitely do your research about any school you wish to attend
Not sure if you are looking at schools down in Orange County but I know a lot of about them if you are interested... shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

Thank you all for you reply i really appreciate!

allnurses.com does not let my send PM yet, but my email is [email protected]. And yes i am in the orange county area. and thankyou ahead of time for the lists of school down here. :)

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · May 4, 2011

I was looking into different nursing program, because the wait list for cal state is too ridiculous. West Coast university has a nursing program that guarantees 39 months for a BSN, but the thing is that it is crazy expensive. So if I'm going to pay 130 thousand i don't want to be thought of less than. i would also like to add that it is approved by state board of nursing and CCNE.
Thank you so much for your help! :)

I am not opposed to taking on debt for educational goals. I have two Bachelors degrees, the first took me 7 years to complete because I goofed off and the second was at a private, accelerated BSN program and I STILL don't have $130K in loan debt. That is a *lot* of money to take out for an undergraduate degree. Are you sure that would be the final price (no scholarships, grants)?

The place I was hired gives preference to graduates from my school- my school has a good reputation and they've had positive experiences with our grads in the past. I think it was just one more thing that worked favorably for me in getting the job I did. I work with plenty of folks who graduated from other local programs as well.

B52-H · May 4, 2011

I am also in the OC area (Irvine) and I would be very hesitant about West Coast Uni. They have a nice little niche here in south OC because they can charge whatever they want for people frustrated by the wait lists/GPA requirements of the local community colleges and states schools. A friend of mine is currently going there.

Like someone else said, the job market for new grads is really bad and being 130k in the hole and possibly unemployed after graduation would be terrifying. From the conversations I have had in the hospital and school, West Coast is viewed as a place to go if you have the money but not the grades.

caliotter3 · May 4, 2011

I have read at least one post in the past that indicated that an employer will not hire graduates of West Coast University. There is enough negative posting about this school on this site to give one serious concern if the high cost is not enough of a deterrent.