Why is it called "RN to BSN" - not "ADN to BSN"?

rn/writer, RN · Jul 9, 2012

"ADN to BSN" leaves out diploma nurses. They could say, "BSN completion," but it uses more space.

The non-nursing public is confused by a lot of nursing terminology. You could practice shaking your head in utter frustration and saying, "Arrgghh! You just don't understand."

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jul 9, 2012

My BSN completion program required me to have an RN license.

caliotter3 · Jul 9, 2012

My BSN completion program required me to have an RN license.

For this reason. I have not seen any program info pages that have not indicated that an RN license is necessary.

Stephalump · Jul 9, 2012

My BSN completion program required me to have an RN license.

This. You cannot just had a diploma, you have to have an RN license, traditionally, at least. My ADN program has an early acceptance agreement with an RN-BSN program immediately after graduation, but that isn't the norm.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

Yeah, I know you have to have an RN license to practice - regardless of if you earned a diploma, ADN or BSN. I get that.

That's not what I'm getting at. It's that much of the general public might get the impression that "RN to BSN!" advertisements convey the message, or infer, that ALL people with RN licenses DO NOT HAVE BSNs, therefore they need one. I just wish the terminology was presented a little more clearly; "Diploma/ADN to BSN" would be more accurate and appropriate. Again, I believe semantics are very important. Of course the public finds all of this confusing, but I'm saying; maybe they wouldn't if things like this were worded more accurately!

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

yeah, i know you have to have an rn license to practice - regardless of if you earned a diploma, adn or bsn. i get that.
that's not what i'm getting at. it's that much of the general public might get the impression that "rn to bsn!" advertisements convey the message, or infer, that all people with rn licenses do not have bsns, therefore they need one. i just wish the terminology was presented a little more clearly; "diploma/adn to bsn" would be more accurate and appropriate. again, i believe semantics are very important. of course the public finds all of this confusing, but i'm saying; maybe they wouldn't if things like this were worded more accurately!

no, i think you're missing the point of the previous posts.

it doesn't make sense to say adn/diploma to bsn because just having a adn degree does not make you eligible for a bridge to bsn program. just graduating from a diploma program does not make you eligible for a bsn bridge program. you have to pass the nclex and obtain an rn license in order to be eligible for a program. the prerequisite for the program is not diploma or adn. the prerequisite is being an rn- regardless of what degree you hold.

for that reason, rn to bsn is the correct term. diploma/adn to bsn implies that anyone with a diploma or associates degree can enter the program. that's not true. only those who hold an rn license can enter the program.

i don't understand your statement that i put in bold. all people with rn licenses do not have bsn's. that's not a misconception, that's the truth. i'm not sure why rn to bsn would imply that you need a bsn to be an rn, because clearly you must already have an rn license to be pursuing the program.

as far as what's more confusing to the general public, i disagree that diploma/adn to bsn is more specific. almost everyone in the general public knows what an rn is. far fewer will know what a diploma program is (high school diploma?) or what adn stands for.

tntrn, ASN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

What I find interesting is that people, even the PhD in Pharmacology who lives across the street from me, don't know that all RN's, regardless of what other kind of alphabet soup they have behind their names, take the same licensing exam.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

I see what you're saying, Ashley. But here's how the conversation went:

"RN to BSN! Wait, you're an RN, right?"

"Right."

"But you don't have a BSN, though."

"No, I do."

"Then why the need for these programs for RNs to become BSNs? I thought you had to have a BSN to even become an RN."

"Getting a diploma, the ADN or a BSN all qualify a person to sit for the same RN exam."

"Ohhhh. These ads make it seem like ALL RNs LACK a BSN and need to get one. That made me think that everyone with "RN" after their name must need a BSN."

Just to clarify I wasn't crazy, I asked another person about this tonight, and they agreed, the wording implies all "RNs" lack "BSNs" and must get one. In fact, she was surprised RNs had 4-year degrees at all! Shows you how confusing to non-medical people all this is. Yikes.

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Jul 10, 2012

Yeah, I know you have to have an RN license to practice - regardless of if you earned a diploma, ADN or BSN. I get that.
That's not what I'm getting at. It's that much of the general public might get the impression that "RN to BSN!" advertisements convey the message, or infer, that ALL people with RN licenses DO NOT HAVE BSNs, therefore they need one. I just wish the terminology was presented a little more clearly; "Diploma/ADN to BSN" would be more accurate and appropriate. Again, I believe semantics are very important. Of course the public finds all of this confusing, but I'm saying; maybe they wouldn't if things like this were worded more accurately!

I am missing why I give a rat's patootie what the "public" thinks about nursing education programs?

sauconyrunner · Jul 10, 2012

I think frankly...those advertising RN-to -BSN programs are not advertising them to the general public. They want ADNs and ADNs know what the RN to BSN means.

I would not worry too much about the public, these Ads are not directed at the public. They are for Nurses, and are not some sort of public education campaign, so I don't see why they need to change. The purpose of the program is very clear to those it applies to. I mean in engineering and Project management there are tons of initials and such CSPQ, CSTE, CSPE, CSDP, CSDA. I can not for the life of me recall what these are, but a few of them go after my boyfriends name. He has never cared a bit when ads come through telling him he can get certified in XYPT that no one knows what it is, he knows. It's targeted to him.

If you are super concerned you can write several letters to editors to explain the difference, but in a lot of ways, i can think of other things the public needs to know more- like "WEAR SUNSCREEN"

PMFB-RN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

that's not what i'm getting at. it's that much of the general public might get the impression that "rn to bsn!" advertisements convey the message, or infer, that all people with rn licenses do not have bsns, therefore they need one.

*** um, who cares?

i just wish the terminology was presented a little more clearly; "diploma/adn to bsn" would be more accurate and appropriate.

*** actually it would inaccurate as it would leave out all the rns who have neither a diploma, nor adn. there's not as many around any more as their used to be but still a few. the cath lab manager at my hospital is an rn but she doesn't have a diploma, adn, bsn, msn, or any other degree in nursing. back in the day she challenged the nclex based on her military medical training and expereince. she is only elligable to hold a rn license in one state. she could however do an rn to bsn program.

again, i believe semantics are very important. of course the public finds all of this confusing, but i'm saying;

*** yes of course they do. that is normal. they believe all sorts of other things about those of us in health care. that all physicians are mds for example. or that all physicians have bachelors degrees behind their medical degree. we in the field understand that not to be the case at all. i can think of at least three different medical degrees held by physicians in the hospital where i work, md being only one of them.

i used to be a dairy farmer. like any person engaged in a particular field i understand things about dairy farming that you very likely do not and are confused about. i also used to be in the military. i think it's a safe bet that i understand things about the military that those who have never served don't. relax, it's normal.