BSN or associates program (LPN)

amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:20 pm

I'm in a fairly competitive RN-BSN program. I'm loving it. I mentioned this to someone who works in a hospital and she said that the nurse manager she works with said she'd hire an LPN any day over a RN-BSN (not a RN who then went to complete a BSN, but rather a person who did an RN-BSN program)

Not sure what to make of this. Is it pointless to even finish? Should I just switch to a 2 yr program and then get my BSN? Or is she wrong?

Rolling Eyes

chavamom

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:28 pm

Just a point of note - an associate's degree becomes an RN, not an LPN. And the manager apparently likes people who learn some clinical skills and no analytical ones. The problems is, if someone has been trained to *think*, the clinical skills will come with a little experience. Someone who has clinical skills and no background in theory and research is a technician. Is that what you want to be? People who have this attitude are generally from the old school where nurses worked for 3 years as unpaid slave labor in the hospital, but got a lot of experience in their training. The reason that doesn't work well today is that nursing has become so specialized by area that if you would try to replicate that old model, you would have a jack of all trades, master of none.

On a more practical note, LPN's have a lot of restrictions on what they can and can't do.

amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:32 pm

Just to clarify what is more comprehensive about it? If both are 2 yrs and both include practical hands on learning with real people (my program has the students "work" in a community based medical clinic and a hospital doing different rotations.)

I never researched an associates program and now am thinking maybe I should have. I'm almost done with all my pre-req's already.

amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:36 pm

chavamom wrote:

ok so so all that hard work learning about physiology, microbiology, and how everything interacts with each other wasn't for naught. I actually loved that part. Learning why and how things worked and why and how things go wrong and what can be done about it.

I'm also volunteering in a hospital. SO I hope to at least see some things that way too. I grew up in a medical household.

So will I be ok? I guess chavamom, you are saying my program isn't so bad? How can I improve on it?

chaylizi

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:38 pm

chavamom wrote:

On a more practical note, LPN's have a lot of restrictions on what they can and can't do.

LPNs also work under RN in a hospital setting. Maybe she's trying to save money? Because they definitely aren't more educated & not necessarily more skilled.

amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:40 pm

chaylizi wrote:

oh please. associates degree graduates learn how to think. they aren't exactly hospital programs with no academics.

are u saying then that rn-bsn programs aren't as good then?

Now I'm confused.

The short end of it is that I would do anything to be a nurse. I really really want to do it. Its not about money. I just want not to be blacklisted because I did the wrong program.

chaylizi

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:40 pm

amother wrote:

chavamom wrote:

most of the prereqs used for a bsn program & an adn program are the same. probably all.

chaylizi

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:44 pm

amother wrote:

chaylizi wrote:

oh please. associates degree graduates learn how to think. they aren't exactly hospital programs with no academics.

the nursing courses are the same in both programs. an RN is an RN & the same basic knowledge is needed. the difference is mostly the extraneous academic courses. since the adn program courses need to be finished in more time- the clinical courses are more condensed & intensive.

NativeMom

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:53 pm

Just to add on to what chavamom and chaylizi said, RNs with a BSN can take on managerial roles and can go on to get their masters. RNs with an associates cannot and must have a BSN in order to go on to a masters program. I'm pretty sure the pre reqs for both RN programs are the same, some require additional chemistry courses like 2 semesters of chemistry instead of one and organic chemistry

chaylizi

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 9:56 pm

NativeMom wrote:

not necessarily true. the associate manager on my hem-onc unit was an associate degree graduate. she was granted the position as long as she started completing it. also it makes sense to finish a shorter program first and get a job. sometimes the hospital will pay for the rest of your BSN if you promise them a certain amount of time of employment.

plus most BSN completion programs are tailored for working RNs.

chaylizi

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 10:01 pm

chavamom wrote:

chaylizi wrote:

oh please. associates degree graduates learn how to think. they aren't exactly hospital programs with no academics.

Are you talking to me? I'm talking about LPN's vs RN's, not those with associates degrees.

I must have misunderstood then. I was surprised. I thought you were pro-ADN programs.

NativeMom

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 10:04 pm

I started saying this in the other thread, I recently went to a conference and learned that in NY state they want RNs with associates to get their BSNs within 10 years. They wanted to change it to 3 but it wasn't passed.
I was looking into some jobs in NYC and some of the hospitals will hire RNs with associates as long as they are matriculated in a RN to BSN program. The plus side to that is that if they have been working, they have a lot of experience so they're more likely to get hired, as opposed to a new grad without any.

chavamom

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 10:06 pm

FTR, since I seem to have been misunderstood, I did an associate degree and then worked on BSN completion. When I graduated from nursing school, there was no financial incentive to get a BSN (they didn't make more) AND most hospitals will pay a good deal of or all of a BSN completion program while you are working. AND I had gone to college for a BA before - so I saw no reason do spend more time not working. I always planned to complete a BSN b/c I want to eventually complete a graduate degree and most MSN's require a BSN or BS. My only question would be in terms of your local market. I know a lot of hospitals are leaning toward wanting all their new RN's without experience to have BSN's. You'd have to find out what the local scene is like.

amother

Sun, Apr 18 2010, 11:17 pm

so whats the final verdict? If its not about the money for me, and I'm already in a RN-BSN program I should not worry and just stay put cause in the end I'm better off anyway? Or is there something special about an associates degree that I will miss out on.

Just for the record my pre-req's are 3 course of chem. 2 semesters of A&P, upper level English, healthcare delivery systems, 1 semester of microbiology, clinical nutrition, nursing research, physics for health professionals, human growth and development, intro to psych, cultural diversity in nursing, sociology, history, 3 credits arts, and 6 credits humanities

I have 3 classes left.

then I have to go thru the other stuff which will take 2.5 yrs.