What state are you in? North Dakota and one other state (can't remember which) already require this. RNs who move in from out of state are given a certain period of time (ND gives 7 years) to obtain a BSN.

BSN students take more pre-reqs: chemistry, microbiology, more sciences and so forth. They often take a 3 credit Physical Assessment class. They do additional work in Community Health that ADN students often do not get to do. They take a course in Nursing Research. BSN rotations tend to be longer and more in depth than an ADN program, which has much less time to cover the basics.

ADN students often have a strong skills component, and are able to jump right into a job with minimal OJT. BSN students often focus more on theory and management issues in their program, and have less skills experience than ADN students. They take longer to get up to speed, but have more options and opportunities career wise.

Pay for ADNs and BSNs is usually the same. Most places don't pay a BSN more. There is NO difference in job description and responsibilities.

The ANA has been trying for years to convince Boards of Nursing to require BSNs as minimal level of education for practice. the institute of Medicine recommends a BSN as entry level for critical care specialties like ICU or ER. Hospitals like ADNs because they are generally quicker to graduate and train.

However, if your state upgrades to a BSN, and you have an ADN you will be grandfathered in. You will have to either upgrade to a BSN, or move to a state that still uses ADNs as entry level (and that's almost all of them).

North Dakota does not require this anymore unfortunately they repealed the law in 2003. BSN for professional nursing practice!

Ok, I've been an RN with an ADN for 33 plus years. I've held manager and charge positions for 23 of those 33 plus years. The community college I attended required the same amount of A&P, chemisty, biology and other prereq's most universities do for a BSN. Plus we had leadership classes. In fact, it had been consistently rated as one of the top five ADN programs in the country. I don't know about now, I haven't had a reason to check it out. I never had the money, raising a daughter on my own, plus putting in all the hours I did in the manager and charge positions, plus taking call for the OR to pursue a BSN, now I just don't want to do so. I resent somewhat the implication an ADN nurse doesn't have what it takes, nor do I care to be forced to pursue a BSN. Up until about ten years ago, many middle managers in nursing were ADN's, until the push to BSN started in earnest. A BSN does not a good nurse or good manager make.

To often I find nurse managers want to be everyone's friend. This isn't possible to be an effective manager. It certainly is frowned upon in every book I've read on effective management and I've read many. I treated running an OR like a business. This is not to say, I didn't care about my staff or bend over backwards to try and accomodate them either. Nor did I allow any of them to walk all over me and some tried. I never asked any one of my staff to do something I wouldn't do. I delegated, but I also did more than my fair share of physical work. So I've said my piece and I will gracefully end it here.

I agree with dmazment about degrees....I went to Community College for my ADN and some of the RNs that we worked with in clinicals literally said that they had never seen such a great, dedicated, skilled group of students (and they had been nurses for over 18 years)....so, it is what you make of it, and I had to take and pass the same NCLEX Boards that BSNs take:) I will go back for my BSN, but I want to work for 2-4 years before going back to school.....OTJ experience can only help me n that respect....I came across several RNs who were working for a few years and then went back to school while working, and thier employers helped them pay for school...something to think about:)

$1.00/hr raise not much of a diffrence in pay. but at least it was free BSN class

thanh you all for the information.i am an ADN and now i think i should go back to school to earn a degree.