Why You Should Choose a BSN

I had been a LVN for years (thoes that dont know its the equivalent of a LPN but Texas is the only state that give the LVN credentials). When I initially started in a teaching facility (County Hospitals) one could work at any level of nursing ie... critical care, ER ect. I did that and presently credentialed in the areas. I obtained my BS in Pre Law along the way with a Masters in Social Work. I have no desire to obtain a BSN for I have what I need for any capacity for dealing with the public.

I agree with some of the posters it is assinine to believe that higher credentials a great nurse one does make. In all the critical care experience I have the nurses who were the worse and I rarely interacted with them because of the demeanor were the BSN and MSN. They knew very little pertaining to patient care and safety. If one has been a nurse for any length of time you know that patients are not textbook and that is what these nurses look for and not the obvious. Thier critical care skill lack real nursing judgement. I toot my own horn because I am passionate concerning the care of others and can run rings around my own and several other ER Directors in critical care situation and am often told to apply for management positions. I have no desire I did that as a LVN and all I got was high blood pressure as a result of constantly have to listen to all the bit#ch whinning and complaining.

I dont discredit thoes in management positions but I do know from experience it does not make you a better nurse. I am delighted to be a ER/ICU nurse and in actuality all I have are the RN credentials behind my old LVN name. I have always been a excellent nurse... but that's just me!

I would say that it furthering your education is important if you want to teach or in a specialized field such as NP or anethestist but other than that you will just have the prestige of saying you have a higher degree hell I got that now and what? lol

To the person who deemed that AAS and ADN will be phased out.... WELL MY LOVE AS A LVN I HEARD THE SAME THING FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS AND GUESS WHAT..... I AND MY PEERS WERE STILL LVN'S now how about that.... ADN's and AAS's arent going anywhere its that mentaility that spreads the rumors which excite the panic saddens me as a Nurse...
but in your defense.... if you say so! Guess what from LVN to RN my pay only expanded to about a $7500 difference I already had the pay... I just got the credentials...

LOVE MY CRITICAL CARE NURSING IN TEXAS

In response to Debrafloreslvn74: I recently completed an LPN-RN bridge program. I had college credits from 15 yrs earlier, but my chemistry courses were too old ( 8 yrs or less), so I had to retake those along with A&P 1&2, Psych, and Nursing math, I also decide to take Microbiology, and took all of the non- nursing courses, to get them out of the way, I was working full-time so I went part-time and it took me 2 yrs to complete the prereqs, along with the non-nursing courses. When I entered the program I only had to focus on the nursing courses. The waiting list at the Community college in my area was a year, so I petitioned for my Associate of Arts degree. I entered the program in Jan., 2006 the Bridge program was in two parts, which I completed in May,2006, we were off for the summer, and we merged with the non-lpn students when we returned in late Aug., 2006 we did 5 weeks ea of specialty nursing: Peds, OB, Psych, had Xmas break from early Dec. to the 1st of Jan. 2007. When we returned in Jan 07,we had 4 weeks of Leadership/Management then in Feb, 07 we started Advanced Med-Surg, which was suppossed to be our critical care rotation, but they decided that Med Surg was more important. we graduated mid May of 2007. Remember each state is different.

From my experience working with the federal government for seven years in Washington D.C., I can truly testify to the fact that people who strive to go directly to management positions are those individuals who would have never been able to work competently in the "trenches" or at the bedside for that matter

lbirdis918, after your ADN, with a Bachelor's in anything, you can go on for your BSN and some have BSN-MSN tracts even if your Bachelor's is in something else; they just will want some "extra" credits/classes from what I've found -- I'm only pre-nursing but plan on going on to ARNP or CRNA and have been checking every darn requirement out there at BSN and MSN level. I would sugges contacting a couple local universities (everybody I contacted has given me some kind of info to use or check out, advisors are really easy-going people) and see what they offer. A lot of colleges I'm finding even have online BSN programs (you do your clinicals at your job) and that is probably something you could do to do the nursing part of the BSN, but like I said there are ADN-MSN tracks you could probably do with all your general education (I know some MSN programs want science credits within 7 years, though) -- they'll tell you what classes you need to make it a BSN or MSN. I checked Florida Hospital's RN-BSN, for example, and they are accredited by NLNAC -- I couldn't believe it when I talked to them, and I talked to AANA in case I took an online BSN, would CRNA schools accept that and they do!! So basically you can do anything you set your mind to, and nowadays, you can do half of it from home!! Which is awesome if, like me, you have to work and/or raise kids at the same time!! Good luck with whatever you do!

I am currently a CNA. I will be taking my placement testing next week to enter into the pre-nursing course for RN at my local community college. The degree will be ADN and I was wondering if at the age of 39; I should persue a degree as BSN or just go for ADN. Is it really worth putting off becoming an RN sooner just to obtain a BSN degree. Anyone have any insight to this let me know. Thanks...

I am earning my ADN at a community college with great accreditations. Our local university will allow ADN's who have earned their degrees in certain colleges to apply to their Master's programs after you have worked for 2 years as an ADN in a clinical environment. The Master's degree is earned concurrently with the BSN over an intense 2 yr period. My ultimate goal is FNP for a GP, and this seems like the fastest and best way to go since I am already mid 30s, and am eager to get to work. Check out the local colleges, and see what they offer and what is offered at the transfer institutions. They will send you the curriculum and grad plans for free.

If you already have your PN license or certificate but want something much faster to finish the RN,try www.excelsoir.edu