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What is the difference between an AS and a BS in registered nursing? |
what is the pay/work difference between an associate and a bachelor degree in registered nursing? by the way, it's true that during nursing school students have to pratice taking blood samples and giving shots to each other? thanks! Here we go again.... I am an Assoc degree nurse who happens to be a Dir of Nursing. I have never seen wage differences between a AS or BS degree nurse when they first come out of school. They are all offered the same. Where you MIGHT see the difference is down the road in higher management work. But, most job opportunities at that level usually state BS OR equivalent, which means, if you have the experience, they will accept that. I know the pay difference is quite significant but Im not sure by how much. And with a BS degree in Registered Nursing, you can actually apply to be head nurse! That means you get to boss everyone around. But if youre just trying to get thru school, go for an AS... they get paid BANK anyways.... There's a pay differential, for starters. The other difference is that Associate's nurses don't have quite as many opportunities for managment or advancement. That doesn't mean it DOESN'T happen, just not as frequently, especially if an 2 year degree nurse is vying for the same job as a BSN. As for do you practice on each other, the answer is yes. Although I've heard that nurses don't do as many blood draws as say a medical assistant does, and the focus for an RN is more on IV medications vs. intramuscular or subcutaneous injections, which is what medical assistants do more of. The wage differences for a staff nurse are minimal - my hospital only pays $1 per hour more for BSN nurses. In nursing school, we had to practice giving subcutaneous injections and poke ourselves for blood sugar checks, but not intramuscular injections, and no drawing of blood. We were taught IV starts on a simulator, not on other students. As far as the education differences go, the vast majority of courses for BSN are general education (liberal arts), and the other nursing courses you get are Public Health, Nursing Research, and a Nursing Leadership course. The rest of the nursing courses are simply more in-depth nursing theory and history. BSNs are better groomed for supervisory and mangement positions. RN I, too, am an ASN RN, and I have never found that the lack of a BSN hindered me in any way. I was the Head RN on the night shift in an inner-city, trauma center ER for years. I was also a MICN (Mobile intensive care nurse) and CEN (certified emergency nurse), both of which required additional study and qualification exams. My son just graduated from an associates RN program last year and got a job in critical care right out of nursing school. I'm not suggesting that everyone should become ADNs, but if educational funds and time are both in short supply, an associates degree RN program is probably the best answer for you. Furthermore, there are excellent transitional programs available on line,as well as on campus designed specifically with the ADN in mind, so you can always obtain your BSN at a later date. Due to health issues, I left the ER about 10 years ago and I am now on the Board of Directors for a growing nonprofit organization. |
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