I know this has been discussed before but my situation is a bit different. Quick back-story:
Wanted to do ADN '12 but CC lost paperwork so that was on hold
Applied and got into BSN Spring '13 while waiting on CC
Applied for CC summer '13 and got acceptance on Tuesday :) and clinicals start January
I asked a few RNs which to choose and they all say BSN
Our hospital has no preference or pay diff but I get that maybe they want me to get the BSN now vs RN then BSN because life throws curve-balls. Well life threw me one and that's why I applied for the CC...
Im 25, married, mortgage, and mom will have to come live with us until she can work so I have to cover her bills... so I wont be able to afford my BSN.
But why are RNs advising me to get into debt for school despite knowing my acceptance to a good school? (hospital has partnership with them). Im not in a BSN preferred area either and my hospital will pay 100% RN-BSN.
Job opportunities: Although the old a-nurse-is-a-nurse-is-a-nurse attitude is fortunately fading away, at entry level for new grads, about the same, and I realize that people who are just starting out have a very incomplete idea of what it means to be a nurse. However, look around the place and see who's working. Are you planning to be older some day? Do you see older nurses working in those entry-level staff or charge positions? If not, where did they all go? Why do you care? Well, suppose you work on a general medical floor and get entranced by cardiac rehabilitation after following a patient who did it. A job comes up in the department, hooray! Oops, BSN only. Or you find your heart drawn to helping underserved women in a public health clinic for high-risk pregnancy. Sorry, BSN only in public health. After five or six years as a staff nurse you have become a resource to new hires and your peers and you realize you have a gift for teaching. You see that a position in staff development has come open, and you are first in line at HR to apply. You got it.... BSN is the minimum. School nursing? BSN. Hurt your back and want to go for a job in case management? BSN. You discover you have a gift for asking, "Why do we do it this way?" and are amazed to find you want to look into jobs in management or nursing research.....BSN minimum. And if you look at the regular old want ads for nurses in the paper, you will see more and more and more of them say "BSN preferred/ required." And if BSN is becoming "preferred/required," then exactly how is getting the BSN later going to help you now? You are starting to get the picture now. Also, many, many practice settings give you a differential for BSN. No, I know, not all, but hey. One more factor.
Exactly. I have seen this, exactly.....for about the last 2 years on a very consistent basis. Now, it is even moreso.....with hospitals going magnet status. Hard enough to get a job....with just a RN.
One other reason for going directly for a BSN: There are at least two nationally ranked hospitals (both magnet) where I live that have nurse residency programs. To apply, you must have completed an accredited BSN program, and they will not consider ADN-BSN bridge programs. I want to make sure that I have these opportunities open to me upon graduation.
One other reason for going directly for a BSN: There are at least two nationally ranked hospitals (both magnet) where I live that have nurse residency programs. To apply you must have completed an accredited BSN program, and they will not consider ADN-BSN bridge programs. I want to make sure that I have these opportunities open to me upon graduation.[/quote']
What kind of poppycock is THAT!? What does it matter if its a straight BSN or an RN to BSN??
The best route for you is whichever you decide is best.
You stated either way you do it you will have BSN in 2016. Can you afford to wait until 2016 to get a job or would starting to work in 2015 be better? However it is often unrealistic to think one can grad with ADN one year and have BSN the next. My local university for example admits RN-BSN students only in the Fall. They must be licensed RN's by the June admission deadline. The local ADN programs don't graduate students until May. Grad in May and have passed the NCLEX-RN by early June is often impossible. Not to mention there are often pre-reqs that still need to be completed.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
This is a location centric issue in a non location centric thread.
Kinda like having a friendly discussion on "what should I wear today?" in a non location centric thread.
Some solutions are forced upon you depending where you live. A best solution in one location may be a bad decision made in a different location.
Absolutely, which was my point in my post. When I was a new grad, I lived in a smallish community (around 100,000) with one community college with a nursing program. The nearest university that has a BSN program was 2 hours away. Thus, the local hospital hired almost exclusively from the new grads at the local CC. 90% of the nurses at the hospital had ADNs. You didn't need a BSN in that community.
Now, I live in a large city. Several hospitals, many of them are magnet. About 15 nursing programs, most of them BSN. The hospitals have their pick of about a thousand new grads every year, and you really HAVE to have a BSN in order to get in one of the hospitals.
Yeah but not all RN to BSN programs require experience
It doesn't matter, once you are licensed, you are considered licensed. A lot of people who haven't been able to find jobs while going through a bridge program have unfortunately been turned down for new grad residency programs after competing their BSN because they were licensed for 1-2 years after completing their BSN; so they don't have experience, and they are ineligible for a new grad program, at least in some areas, especially when there are more places preferring the BSN as a requirement. One hospital I worked for only hiresADNs to be in their clinics, BSNs have the flexibility to work in both areas.
I'm guessing because if you do an RN to BSN program you're no longer a new grad and that's what those programs are for.
I've never heard of a residency program (in my area at least) that distinguishes. They're for people who haven't worked as a nurse before or are changing specialities. Plenty of people nowadays go from ADN programs to bridge programs and finish them before they ever work, which means they're still new grads.
Not that I doubt that there are some programs that distinguish, but I haven't come across any.
I've never heard of a residency program (in my area at least) that distinguishes. They're for people who haven't worked as a nurse before or are changing specialities. Plenty of people nowadays go from ADN programs to bridge programs and finish them before they ever work, which means they're still new grads.
Not that I doubt that there are some programs that distinguish, but I haven't come across any.
No our hospital does not differentiate ADN vs BSN for residencies and intern/externship, a new grad is a new grad. Just wanted to clarify but guys that was a great point. And this is why I asked in the first place; with exp. comes knowledge and wisdom.
The best route for you is whichever you decide is best.
You stated either way you do it you will have BSN in 2016. Can you afford to wait until 2016 to get a job or would starting to work in 2015 be better? However it is often unrealistic to think one can grad with ADN one year and have BSN the next. My local university for example admits RN-BSN students only in the Fall. They must be licensed RN's by the June admission deadline. The local ADN programs don't graduate students until May. Grad in May and have passed the NCLEX-RN by early June is often impossible. Not to mention there are often pre-reqs that still need to be completed.
Yes I can wait. I'd have no pre-reqs as I have already completed the extra pre-reqs to get in my BSN program so it's straight NURS classes and if I need extras there's always summer 2016. But this only one option. Hubby and I are discussing all of our options today and some very good points you guys have brought up. Thanks mucho
I guess what I can't understand. Why does the university not admit to the nursing program only? Are they trying to get more money from the transfer students? I've never heard of this before
SE_BSN_RN, BSN
805 Posts
Exactly. I have seen this, exactly.....for about the last 2 years on a very consistent basis. Now, it is even moreso.....with hospitals going magnet status. Hard enough to get a job....with just a RN.