ADN vs. BSN

[lenos]

I am undergoing my first year in college, and talking to the counselor she suggested I finish my ADN then enter the RN program. I am wondering what the advantages are of having a ADN vs. BSN?

[TriciaB]

In terms of providing quality patient care, there is no difference. However from a personal advancement viewpoint, BSN might be to your advantage. There is a lot of talk about making BSN mandatory for entry to practice some year (this talk has been going around for decades). But ADN nurses are being put under enormous pressure to get a degree and you may save yourself a lot of hassle in the future if you just bite the bullet and get it now. A lot of doors will be open to you that are now being closed to ADN nurses. A lot of BSN talk has succeeded only in pitting nurses against one another, but it is probably the prudent way to go in these times.

[Getbehindthebarnes]

I just completed my BSN. As TriciaB said, there is a large push to move nursing from ADN options to BSN and higher. If you are just beginning your educational journey (under the age of 21, no dependents relying on your income, etc.) I highly recommend you look into the BSN option. Yes, it will be more time and in the long run you MAYBE make 50 cents to $1 more than an ADN-prepared RN when you first start nursing. However, in the long run, you may save yourself from having to look into bridge programs if you want to advance your career.
I had a wonderful experience as a BSN student. Either way you choose, their is a large need for compassionate people who are committed to life-long learning in order to propel our profession forward. Best of luck in whichever path you choose - keep me in the loop in what you decide!

[PECO123]

I'm not surprise on your answers, BSN prepared nurses agree that a BSN should be the minimum educational level for RNs, this is likely do in large part to what they are taught in school. The only thing that ADN and BSN nurses seem to agree on is that they would not change their mind on this subject regardless of a grandfather provision. I was a little surprised to find the nearly 1 in 3 BSN nurses did not think an increased educational requirement would improve the professional stature of nurses.






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[kinkyhair]

I agree that in the long run you will be better off going for your BSN. If getting your ADN is all you can do for the moment, then go for it. Better to have a degree than not all. However, if nothing is hindering you from getting your BSN, I suggest doing it. Yes, there has been talk for years now about requiring nurses to get their BSN versus ADN, and this will probably continue for another decade before it becomes a reality. But most hospitals are now looking at your level of education, and are more apt to hire someone with a BSN. The VA, for instance, recognizes your degree and prefer it's nurses to have a bachelor's. I'm showing bias here and I apologize to all the ADNs, but a BSN nurse is better prepared. Not only do you learn the clinical aspect of nursing, but you learn to think critically. You learn leadership skills, conflict resolutions, research...provided that you went to a good school. Now, I've had the pleasure of working with some really good ADNs, some I relied on early in my career, but most of them were not able to advance in their careers because they lacked the degree. If you can, go for the BSN.

[Lola34]

Thank you for the responses. I'm applying to a BSN program next week. Hopefully I will know by April if I am accepted. I will keep everyone posted.