[XYpicuRN]

Tell me, what other profession has 3 different educational programs, allowing people to practice in that field with 3 distinct levels of training and curriculae? The problem nursing has had all along with recognition as a profession and self-empowerment is this inherent infighting regarding the minimum qualifications for education.

The statements above are correct, i.e. BSN trained RNs have less clinical training. But, without a doubt, BSN RNs have a more rounded education, receive more in the way of physiology, disease process, psychoscocial skills and by far out perform new ADNs and diploma nurses in critical thinking skills.

Architects don't have this crazy, inconsistent educational requirement for licensure. Neither do doctors, lawyers, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, etc.

It's nurses who keep nursing down. We need a standard 4 year program for professional nursing.

[cassioo]

The statements above are correct, i.e. BSN trained RNs have less clinical training. But, without a doubt, BSN RNs have a more rounded education, receive more in the way of physiology, disease process, psychoscocial skills and by far out perform new ADNs and diploma nurses in critical thinking skills

I resemble that...I think I was pretty much a critical thinker before I ever considered nursing school. I know lots of ADN nurses that are more "critical thinkers" then BSN nurses (yes I have a BSN also) I don't think that sailing or bowling class for my BSN did me a darn bit of good as a nurse but basically wasted my time to be "well rounded"
We do have a standard test for nursing maybe they should grade it on the curve with higher scores making the better wage..oh that would only give the good test takers a better wage not the better nurse.
The 4 yr BSN for all has been kicked around for a long time if you think you work short now go for that one.

[Anonymous]

I don't believe a blanket statement like this is accurate. In my OB rotaion (BSN) we had 8 weeks of clinical. Half days. #1 Orientation, tour of OB sylabus
#2 Snow day no school
#3 School holiday
#4 Clinical day.. I saw a delivery. She had an epidural I watched. Coulda stayed down on the farm for that.
#5 Instructer on Vacation
#6 See #5
#7 Test what did we learn to be tested on??
#8 It was so awesome I can't even remember it.

Please don't say that one group gets more of anything than the other. As for critical thinking I don't believe that can be taught any more than being an artist.

I do agree that we need to have one entry to professional nursing. I believe in order for nursing to be considered an profession it should be a four year degree.

How can you have any critical thinking skills if you've never encountered anything to critcally think about?

JMHO

WR,,, three commas for Becca

BTW In my Adult Health course I hung one unit of blood and instructed another male nurse on how to insert a foley on a combative old man.

[Anonymous]

Cass I loved my "Entry to Professional Nursing" Class.. I almost got kicked out.. I asked point blank why we needed all thses foolish classes. Art where the instructor gave us all the answers.. I don't think he had tenure. He needed us to pass so he could keep his job.. LOLL

I actually wrote a paper "To BSN or not to BSN"..Got an A. It was a good paper.. And one other pupil ( I use pupil on purpose) said we could use our communications course to talk to people..I asked them if they knew anything about gutting a deer.. See I don't think Yuppies end up in the hospital. The eat well, jog, don't smoke ( by in large). The people we take care of won't know a Monet from the Cat in the Hat.

We need to get on the level with our patients to understand them and communicate with them.. I love to hear some nurses explain beta blockers..LOLLL

JMHO again.

WR,,, three commas for Becca

BTW who can afford an architect, lawyer, etc????

[cassioo]

The people we take care of won't know a Monet from the Cat in the Hat

The majority of my OB patients do watch cartoons during labor...but we've talked about the teenagers and spectator sports before.
I don't remember much of my BSN classes except Critical Care was pretty good. We did group tests. We were put into groups of 4-6 with me probably being the weakest link as I was general peds then. Me, and nurses from ICU, CCU, MS. I did have some input but the majority of the class was that Critical Care stuff (oh that was the class there was a little peds)
Transition class..don't remember
Research...bad instructor still instructing
Management..sat in on interview for NA, did that units big presentation for Joint coming as they were too busy working to do a presentation and watched the manager watch monitors because they were short handed.
Community Health that was ok (guess it might have helped some for my years in home health chasing around teenage moms who were never around) We did a healthy people 2000 presentation, we mapped stats and I was the only one from the city so I knew where all the streets were so I got to stick pins in a big map.

Good thing my hospital was paying for my BSN cause it was pretty much a waste of money

[JeannieTaylor]

I think if there was a required BSN to be a Nurse you'd find a SERIOUS shortage of nurses in short order. The field isn't paying enough as it is. Our local hospital will give you a piddly 5% more per hour if you have a BSN - how sad. Not much of a motivator to get your BSN is it?

[cassioo]

my hospital give you a piddly 0% more. They will pay for your classes go get it. They did have the clinical ladder but it was a pain in the butt to do so nobody did it for a % more. There is talk of doing it again but changing the system.

[JeannieTaylor]

Oh yes, our hospital will pay for your classes too but only if you are a fulltime employee (which is kind of funny if you think about it - who, working fulltime can find yet more time to take classes). Hehe

[Anonymous]

I worked 4 ten hour days. I worked every other Saturday in a dialysis unit 0700-1700 hours then went home changed my uniform and worked 1900-0700 Sat and Sunday nite. A total of 64 hours a week.. 40 in the dialysis unit and 24 at the hospital. I was an LPN..I actually made money going to school then.. The dialysis unit paid up front up to 3000 per year and the hospital up to 1000 reimbursed. I was full time for both of them..loll For a full year with a 10 year old son to raise.

The classes I took that first summer: Pathophisology, Chemistry and Nutrition. All toward my BSN.

When I went back to school full time I worked every weekend and every Thursday 12's and took 12 credits both Spring and Fall. I got my BSN with a Minor in Poly SCI..

You might be preaching to the choir here Jeanne..

It can be done you just have to decide ya wanna.

By the way I went back to full time classes as I stated two paragraphs above after spending 17 days in the hospital with DVT.. I got out on 21 Dec and started classes on 5 January.


WR,,, three commas for Becca

I got my BSN finally when I was 45.

[XYpicuRN]

As I said before, it's nurses who keep nursing down. Some whine that we don't make enough money. Why should an ADN make the same as a BSN? How can you expect the world to take us seriously as a profession when we don't maintain educational standards - nursing shortage notwithstanding.