Is ADN nursing enough?

I'm in an ADN program (1st semester) and wondering if an associates is enough education for the next 30-35 years of working as a nurse?

Everyone is always telling me to go further and get my BSN after the ADN but to be honest, by the time I'm done w/ nursing school it will have taken me almost 4 years to just get my associates (because of local competetion during application periods).

So, honestly, truthfully (NURSES ONLY), is an ADN gonna be enough to become a respected, knowledgeable RN?

Thank you!

My concern is that after my ADN schooling, I'm worried that I won't be up to continuing further into my education.

There will never be a day in the forseeable future where you won't be able to get a job with only an ADN. The nursing shortage is only going to get worse over the next few decades, so employers will not be able to hold out for only BSN graduates.

Sure, right now you are burnt out on school, very common. Never say never. You are always better off with the higher degree in the long run, it's true. But you wouldn't NEED to go back in order to maintain your career. Experience goes a long way.

To be honest, having been there myself, the BSN completion programs are no where near as intensive and stressful as the initial licensure ADN program. Fewer clinical requirements, you can work at your own pace and there is no pressure to complete sequencing in a 2 year time period. You could take one class per semester if you wanted to. And hopefully you'll be working for an employer that offers some kind of tuition assistance program so you won't be paying much for it. If you're a good, independent student you can even complete many courses online.

Good luck!

I'm an LPN with a AS of Psych living in Florida. I worked in med.surg in the hospital, was the Director of Nursing of an Assisted Living Facility, went to 5 days of Administrative Core training and became the facilities administrator and now am an education manager for home health and I've only been an LPN for 8 years. I was told the hospital wouldn't want me and I could never expect to get near a management/administration position. My staff treated me with respect and patient's and their families looked to me for support and advice. Thats the up side.

Down side: Some hospital physicians told me "RN" stands for Real Nurse, some family members said, "Don't you have an RN I could speak to," and I need an RN for health assessments.

Your going to be an RN but no matter what other people say you will be respected by the vast majority if you are professional, ethical and concerned. You will be knowledgable if you keep updated and listen/watch patients and other professionals. You can do whatever is legally within your scope and phewwy on any nay sayers. Good luck.

If your career goal is to be a bedside RN, the ADN will take you where you want to go. If you aspire to nursing management, home health, or certain specialty areas, you will need a BSN. In general, I would advise people to get the BSN, as it will give you the most options. But I know many excellent RNs with an associate's degree. In fact, usually you don't even know your peers' educational background, unless it comes up in conversation. So, unless later on you really have a desire to go back later & get that BSN, it is unlikely that you will need to do so, again assuming you want to be a bedside nurse.

There is always talk of making BSN the entry-level into nursing as nursing moves to become its own established medical/scientific discipline.
However, as an ADN, you will be well prepared for completion of a BSN when you are finished with school. In fact, you will have the hard part done (the nursing courses and the boards). You will only have to take one or two additional nursing courses as well as a number of general education credits.
Will an ADN be enough? Only time will tell, however, be prepared to go back if the tide changes.

The question is are you looking for a career for 35 years or a job. There is no difference in the abilities of the ADN or the BSN on a medical surgical unit in an entry level position. In many hospitals they will make the exact same salary, and at some the BSN may make about $2500 a year more.

Some hospitals will promote ADNs into supervisory and management positions, but most major city, and large hospitals are now making those positions BSN preferred or required. Many of the positions in non-traditional RN roles are also BSN or higher preferred or required.

Based on the hiring and promotion preference, an RN with a BSN will make more money over the course of their career. They are also more likely to move out of the entry level position, and not be a unit level RN 20 or 30 years later. There are also expanding roles for RNs in many areas of advanced practice, and new roles are developed every day. Currently these are all MSN programs, but some NP programs are starting new DNP programs or have already started the new classes with the BSNs going straight from BSN to DNP without having to get the MSN first.

There is nothing wrong with being an RN on a unit in a hospital. AND ADNs are the foundation upon which nursing is currently built. The are respected and rightly should be. However, a 2 year degree, in a health care venue, when all the professional level occupations in health care have usually a masters degree or more for entry, will be limited to some degree.

Be proud of your accomplishment, but an RN should never stop learning. The nice thing about a BSN completion program, is you don't have to start it right now. You can work for 3 or 4 years, and then decide if you want to go on for a higher degree. Not all RNs need a higher degree to do the job they want to do, but some need to keep in school to get to the job they want.

Keep an open mind!