<p>Well, my hospital is investing in people, and giving money and financial assistance to nurse aid and tech’s to pursue nursing degrees, giving them stipends and giving them work after graduation.</p>
<p>I asked the younger nurses if they though it mattered state vs private they said no. I went to state school and have felt no difference. In Boston, the ones from Northeastern get a foot in the door with the co-ops. It would be interesting how the students from the other nursing schools felt. I don’t think it is enough to incur huge amounts of debt. MY H feels the same about teaching.</p>
<p>I just read through this entire thread, and it was quite interesting.</p>
<p>I’m currently a high school senior, and I’ll be going to school in the fall, for nursing. I’m going to a private school, but a good part of my reasoning for that is I got good money. Also, the school I’ll be attending (Le Moyne College) has a joint program with St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, and St. Joseph’s Hospital is a well known and respected hospital. Their NCLEX-RN pass rate is always in the high 90s (last year it was 100%), job placement after graduation is 100%, and unlike most BSN programs, you get your RN after 3 years (the program is set up so that you spend your first year at Le Moyne College, the second and third year at St. Joseph’s doing all of the nursing - St. Joseph’s by itself has an ASN program which is what you go though, and then your final year back at Le Moyne).</p>
<p>I will be in absolutely no debt when I graduate, and if I choose, I can make an agreement with St. Joseph’s to work for them for 3 years after I graduate and they’ll pay for my tuition.</p>
<p>My reasoning for wanting a BSN rather than an ASN?</p>
<p>Jobs. As many people in this thread have said, there are lots of positions that require a BSN, and ASNs are going out. It’s kind of like how there used to be more jobs for people with just a high school diploma…now, the more education, the better.</p>
<p>And actually, a lot of BSN programs have a lot more actual nursing courses than ASN programs…And many of those courses include clinicals. So, many BSN prepared RNs do have more experience than ASN prepared RNs.</p>
<p>I also will probably want to continue my education to become a NP. Not only do I want to have that knowledge, I want to be able to have even more job flexibility, be able to specialize more, and do more…And that’s definitely easier if you start out with a BSN.</p>
<p>I concur with Mini re community college RN programs. They are beyond competitive in the Northwest. Not only does a student, many already with BA or BS degrees, have to fulfill prerequisites and have nearly perfect grades in those, but often, too, the top echelon of candidates (the only ones considered) are put in a lottery system for admittance. If they don’t make the cut, they have to wait to reapply, and if they do, they are put through a hugely challenging course. One less than great grade, a few absences – and they’re out. Too many people want in. The problem is a lack of nursing instructors, which keeps the programs small. These are intense RN training programs and graduates are highly valued here. Any conceptions of a community college degree being worth less than a university degree in this area are greatly mistaken.</p>
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<p>Its been awhile, but when I compared my spouse’s AA curriculum with the local university BSN curriculum, there was no difference in clinical training. The BSN had more distribution requirements (which would be well exceeded by anyone with a BA/BS) and non-clinical course requirements (such as “nursing research”).</p>
<p>The irony is that those vaunted Boston BSN programs are happy to have my AA-degreed spouse teach their students as a clinical preceptor. Their advanced degreed instructors do not even see the student at work, and rely entirely on her evaluation.</p>
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<p>I did a lot of comparing curriculum because as a senior trying to choose a college, that was extremely important to me…And what I found was that many BSN programs do have a lot more actual nursing classes than ASN programs. It’s the ones that are direct entry that have that because they generally have you start nursing courses earlier and continue longer (you often start them in your 2nd year and take them through your 4th).</p>
<p>This is the RN/BSN courses above what is given at the ASN locally. None are clinicals, supporting documentation of clinicals are given as 78 clinical course credit transfers from the Associates program, then a submitted portfolio of clincals give another 28 credits for the higher level courses. So in reality only the below are what is required for an Associates trained RN to gain a BSN </p>
<p>Introduction to Computer Applications 1
Perspectives in Nursing Education and Nursing Practice 2
Research in Nursing 2
Professional, Managerial, Legal, and Ethical Implications for Nursing Practice 3</p>
<p>Health Related Sciences
Pathology 3
Fundamentals of Pharmacology I 2
Fundamentals of Pharmacology II 3
Clinical Epidemiology 2</p>
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<p>Pound for pound, clinical nursing training is great, but what a BSN gives some one is good problem solving skills and the foundation for advanced practice and leadership skills. Nursing encompasses more than just clinical.
BSN has slowly been becoming the gold standard for nursing practice.
AAS programs have found a market niche in the adult learner who decided to change career, start a new career or those who had financial and/or time constraints.</p>
<p>samiamy - While that might be the case with some, many upper level nursing courses that BSN students are required to take include clinical hours.</p>