R.N.s out there please help?

Any RNs out there, did you do the BSN or the associates in nursing? Is there a difference as far as career opportunity and earnings? On a different note, how often do nurses like accidently cut or inject themselves, get AIDs or other diseases, this is my biggest fear about becoming a nurse, maybe it's dumb but any info would be nice!! Thanks

I took my Associates first then completed the BSN later. There are no shortage of jobs for Associates degree grads. You will have no problem finding a job as a staff nurse. There is no real immediate need to possess the BSN, because although the BSN makes you a more appealing candidate for other nursing positions apart from bedside nursing, most of those jobs would not be appropriate for a new grad and they would prefer you had at least of patient care experience anyway before you could be considered as a candidate.

So in terms of earnings, as a staff nurse, there is virtually no difference in pay. My hospital pays only $1 more per hour for BSN over ADN. The pay differences come into play when you are working in positions outside of staff nursing, as you will be more likely to be hired into a management, administration, or other nursing leadership position that would probably pay more than staff nursing.

As for accidents, they rarely happen. And even in the case of a needle stick where there is KNOWN HIV exposure, the risk of transmission and actually acquiring HIV is something like less than 5%. Part of your training as an RN is how to handle the equipment properly and avoid making mistakes that could lead to injury. If you are diligent and do your job properly, you minimize the risks of accidents and exposure to disease.

I got the BSN & it was a good choice for me. I enjoy school & was fortunate that my folks helped me get through college. Earnings will not be significantly impacted by your degree, but you will find that some opportunities will not be open to you w/ an AD. Public health & administration immediately come to mind.

As far as injuries and communical diseases go, I actually am part of our response team at my hospital. About once a month, I carry a pager so that any employee who has any sort of exposure to body fluids in the night or w/e, when Employee Health is closed, can call & get help. A lot has been done with safety devices on various pieces of equipment to make it less likely to have an exposure. But they still do happen. Some weeks I get no calls at all, other weeks I might get 3 or 4 calls. This is for all employees, not just nurses. Lab techs & surgeons get a fair number of exposures as well. This includes needle sticks, splashes into the eyes or mouth, lacerations, etc. The good news is that in the 6 or so years I have been doing this, no one has ever contracted HIV from an occupational exposure.

I got a BSN. If you are ambitious and want to be the boss or a nursing instructor you should go for the degree. If you are the type of person whose main focus in life is family and personal life, you won't need it. There is no significant compensation ( $$$ ) for the extra time you invest in education.
Your fear of contracting an illness should go a long way in protecting you. Accidents do happen, but most often to the careless.