<p>A few months ago, I was listening to the CBC via the Internet. The nursing director of a large medical center in one of the maritime provinces was discussing the quality of nursing students that she has seen. She said too many 4.0 students never last the first week of clinical training. She said that these students are great academically but don't realize that for the most part, nursing is a dirty, hands-on profession. She went so far to say that she would rather have a nursing student with a 2.5 GPA and experience in a hospital or nursing home as opposed to a 4.0 student with absolutely no experience. She further went on to say that she thinks that any potential nursing student ought to work at a nursing home for at least a year before applying to nursing school.</p>
<p>I mention these comments to some older nurses that I know. Almost all of these women were RNs who received their training in hospital nursing schools. To a woman, they agreed that the hospital trained nurses are better prepared for the profession than their college educated counterparts. As one woman said, in a hospital nursing school you are dealing with changing bandages and bedpans from day one, not so with baccalaureate programs.</p>
<p>“I mention these comments to some older nurses that I know. Almost all of these women were RNs who received their training in hospital nursing schools. To a woman, they agreed that the hospital trained nurses are better prepared for the profession than their college educated counterparts.”</p>
<p>My wife and her sister are both RNs. My wife received her RN / BSN from a four year college program, my sister-in-law through a hospital nursing school and then a BSN from a college. Both also have their MSN degrees and both are nursing educators (at different hospitals) in a large urban area.</p>
<p>Needless to say they are in a unique position to not only evaluate and compare their own educations but also the nursing personnel and students that they work with in their hospitals. They both disagree with the opinion that RNs who are trained in hospital programs are better prepared than their college counterparts. They both believe that academically sharp BSN graduates (from GOOD college programs with a large amount of clinical hours) are better prepared than their hospital trained counterparts. Both my wife and her sister are validating this opinion with their own daughters who will enroll in BSN programs during Fall 2010.</p>
<p>That said. ANY potential nurse should have some actual in-hospital time to witness first hand what the profession is all about. Many of the top nursing schools (BSN programs) want to see shadowing, volunteering or nursing aide type experience on the ECs of their applicants. It would not surprise me at all that students who have no idea (or very little idea) of what nursing is about will leave any program at a higher rate than those with some first hand experience.</p>
<p>At my school, you have the best of both worlds. The two years of nursing classes are at a college of nursing at a hospital, and the rest of the BSN classes are at a 4 year college. So you get the BSN at a liberal arts college, but you also have the intense training for nursing at a hospital.</p>
<p>I went the BSN route at at LAC and it’s true that at first you have less clinical exp-but believe me you get massive OJT and I find that the more “educated” nurses (not ‘trained’) are better and can see the whole picture (critical thinking)</p>
<p>Hi,
I’m a newbie here. Just found this website. DD wants to be an oncology nurse. She is only in 9th grade. I’m a little hesitant. She’s a little squirmish about dirty things and blood, so I don’t see how a nursing career will fit her. What are some things that I can expose her to see if this is a right career choice for her. Most hospitals I checked will not accept volunteers younger than 14+. She is only 13. We took a seminar w/ the girl scouts called “discover nursing”, but I think it’s only touching the surface.
Thanks.</p>
<p>She still has plenty of time before she needs to pick a major in college. Just wait until she is 14 and see if she can get some volunteer hours in a hospital and also some “shadowing” time. Shadowing is where she follows a nurse around for her shift (or part of a shift) and gets to see what they actually do. Great preview for potential nurses.</p>
<p>lkf725, starting salaries are usually the same but opportunity for advancement caps for the AA nurse and a BSN nurse will go farther.</p>
<p>In terms of hands on exper versu academic experience, this is an old arguement that is more about the competativeness than anything else. Of course the nurse who is trained with more hands on experience will be more skilled but only at first. So, waiting for BSN nurses to hit their stride means financially, hospitals must pay some salary to grow those skills instead of hiring an instantly produced performer</p>
<p>But, nursing is more about being able to apply the Nursing process and provide solid care planning in addition to being able to put in those NGs or IVs. The BSN nurse is better prepared to be involved in solving healthcare issues that go beyond bedside care. It is big picture vs little picture.</p>
<p>It took me 6 months to sucessfully start my first IV and I remember the rude nurse in my training who told us that B.S. stands for “********” If you have any desire to advance in nursing, which you will need to do because physically your body will not let you stay at the bedside, get your BSN even if you must start first with an AA degree.</p>