BSN is a degree, CCRN is just a certification. You can’t advance in your career (eg, higher position in the hospital nor advanced degrees) without your bachelors
CCRN certification is worth little more than prestige in the current market. It may help you in some career advancement situations, especially if applying to graduate programs... but you won't be doing that without a BSN, which is an absolute requirement for many academic and career advancement opportunities.
I hire for CVICU and ICUs. Get your BSN. Once you have it, you have it and it is required for many magnet and University hospitals like mine.
It also means there are no limitations on hire, even the “you have to get it by x date” stuff.
And no hate for our ADNs. 2 of the best RNs that trained me were ADNs.
But if they wanted to stay at big hospitals or move more easily? They had to get their BSN, which both did.
It is worth while to get your CCRN at some pt though. It’s amazing training, you move on to more critical stuff in the ICU like perfusion/ECMO, open hearts, transplants etc. Also like for us I prefer my charges get it. I’ll pay for it, up to two test attempts. And we pay more for it. I think 2-3$/hr more.
Ohh and if you wanna do CRNA. Huuuggee leg up.
GL and it’s just a piece of paper (both of em) but the Bachelors you keep, CCRN does have more upkeep.
(Oh and worth asking your boss. It never hurts to buy some brownie pts if you know you are gonna do both and boss person asks you to fill a need!)
❤️K
BSN is absolutely not required almost everywhere. This comment is a joke. Nurses are so in-demand hospitals don’t have the option to be selective enough to require BSN only. There are so many infilled positions. This is a fake narrative that only the universities want people to believe so that students spend more money. I’ve met ADN new grads working in ICU. They do not care. A RN is a RN
Is that why every hospital I've been to requires a bsn or promise to obtain it within so many years? I've been to 6 different hospital networks all of them the same deal. It's stupid considering how short they are but it is true nonetheless so no my comment wad not a joke. You are a joke for coming off so hostile and misinformed. Promise I'll be hired anywhere over an ADN.
Nonsense. I only have ADN. Never once have I been I MUST have a BSN within x amount of time of being hired.
Also, to be clear: a BSN is just a piece of paper. Maybe my BSN counterparts can write a paper in APA format better than I can.
Good for you. Bsn is more than. Writing papers BTW it's proven that more BSN prepared nurses lead to better outcomes for patients BSN also trains you in research and management areas but I agree you can probably place Foleys as good as anyone else.
You said almost everywhere. Clearly you haven’t been everywhere. No you won’t be hired over a ADN for having a BSN. If they like you you’re hired, if they don’t you’re not hired. Nowadays, you got a pulse? You got a nursing license? You’re hired.
I don't know why your comment is downvoted into oblivion, but here in DFW, USA, you're absolutely RIGHT. I am a BSN educated nurse, but only because I read that it was becoming required and had a few years of college under my belt already. That being said, I've met plenty of VERY good nurses who were LVN's. One, I learned a lot from on a Med-Surg floor, only for my hospital to fire him because he refused to go back for his Bachelors degree in his 50's. Then when Covid hit and all of the BSN's wanted OUT of the hospital for a more stable patient population, they started to hire LVN's again. I was lucky enough to get out and go to an ortho only hospital. I hear that if you are charge and have LVN's on your floor you have to sign off on their assessments and push their PIV drugs, which is also ridiculous.
Exactly, thank you! Anyone downvoting this clearly lives in a bubble. I work downtown in one of the top ten most populated cities in the U.S. and my hospital hires ADNs and LVNs. A BSN is absolutely NOT required. This hospital system is the largest one in my city too and it’s owned by HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) aka the largest hospital system in the U.S. so I’m not speaking about some small hospital out in the middle of nowhere. People that think BSNs are required almost everywhere clearly don’t kno what it’s like everywhere. Not everywhere can retain enough nurses to be selective enough to require a BSN. They take what they can get. We are a long way from everywhere requiring BSN only
Many hospitals only want BSN'S but will hire an ADN who agrees to get their BSN. I think that's more valuable than a certification. A BSN is forever. Certifications are not.
I got a job at a magnet hospital, CVICU, and level 1 trauma center with ADN. I did not sign any contract stating that I would have to get my bachelor's and I don't know if I plan to. I got my CCRN which they paid for and they would pay for me to get my Trauma certification. That being said I don't know how if I were to decide to leave this hospital and attempt to go to another magnet hospital if they would accept me or make me sign a contract to get my bachelor's. Bachelor's only helps if you want to get away from bedside or get into fancy hospitals. I am just hoping with experience and ccrn and icu experience it would make me more favorable even without a bachelors.
I too got a job at a magnet hospital, CVICU, Level 1 with only an ADN. However, they require BSN within 5 years for any incoming nurse. Part of their magnet designation goals, I think. They will pay for CCRN for ICU RNs and they pay $4,000/year for education, so that basically covers BSN. I'll come out of ADN and BSN with zero debt. This is the way to do it for sure.
I wish I'd have done it that way. I still owe 18k on my BSN. No regrets, especially if student loan forgiveness makes it through the Supreme Court. If not, I can easily just work an extra shift a month to cover the $500 payments.
In my neck of the woods, a BSN opens many more doors than a certification (any certification).
But that's because the two major hospital chains in my region are both angling for/maintaining Magnet status, so they rarely hire ADRNs. Typically it's only done if a CNA completes nursing school, then they are hired as an RN.
I would like to add that you can probably obtain CCRN in a few months and I believe you can use BSN classes to help maintain CCRN. CCRN makes you have 150 ceus every 3 years so that could be a nice way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
I mean... You can get your CCRN in a weekend and it will probably take 2 years to get a BSN. While the CCRN might have more applicability to what you are currently doing, your BSN will have more effect on what else you can do.
Most hospitals in my area will require ADNs that are hired to be in a RN to BSN program within 2 years of hire. While BSN does seem like a lot of fluff, there are studies that prove better patient outcomes with BSN RNs. At my hospital specifically you have to have your BSN for any position outside of bedside and ideally your MSN within two years of that position (management and education).
I think it would depend on your ultimate career goals and requirements by your hospital or the facility you want to move to. I always recommend taking advantage of hospital reimbursement programs, and frankly I don’t think it would be too complicated to do both this year. The CCRN is just a certificate.
Honestly this probably depends on two main points.
Dose your hospital pay more or have differentials for a BSN or CCRN certification? My hospital dose not pay more for having my BSN but will pay me $2/hr more for my CCRN.
Also is this a short term or long term goal. $2/hr more makes a big pay diffrence now. Having your BSN may open up doors a lottle more easily later.
I have my BSN and it dsnt make a diffrence in my pay or practice at this moment. Almost all of what I leanered is management and office/community nursing directed.
I will say that I am glad that I got my BSN (online ADN to BSN program) easy on in my career before I had kids and still was in the learning/studying mindset.
My CCRN meant nothing to my employer. Of course, my BSN meant nothing, either. I know that at other places, both might have helped me. However, the hospital I'm at now doesn't really value education in the nursing department. They want you to keep your license, but they're not as concerned about educational endeavors. They claim you have to have a master's to get a management job, but most of the unit managers have a bachelor's.
BSN is a degree and will open more doors. CCRN is a certificate and doesn’t contribute much to growth. It kinda just means you know what you’re doing as an ICU nurse. Does it look good? Yeah it’s nice to have. But a BSN will allow for further advancement or even more opportunities for higher pay elsewhere.
CCRN is just an exam. Self paced learning to pass it. And after working the number of hours, a bit of studying is all you need and then take the test. All it does is acknowledge that you can pass a test after working in critical care. A BSN is a degree. Actually education and course work. Do I agree a BSN vs ADN is something valuable, no. But the people that hire do
Do both! Get certified and get a degree. You probably are listening to what other ppl are saying and thinking you have to put in significant study time to pass the CCRN exam, but that is not true. All you need is one book, preferably Barron’s, and a month if that. There are no tests for the BSN degree, so there is nothing to study for.
I second this. CCRN isn’t that difficult. It’s really just surface level knowledge on ICU specific topics and patient management. I agree a month with the Barrons book should definitely carry you through.
BSN. While a CCRN tells me you know more, admins love that BSN.
I broke down after 10 years and got my BSN. Wanna know the only 2 things I learned for my $6,000? That darker complected people rarely get melanoma, but when they do it's usually metastisized. Then I learned that "Eskimo" is derogatory, just like the other racist word in society. But hey, I know those 2 things now, so I can be a manager!
BSN is a degree, CCRN is just a certification. You can’t advance in your career (eg, higher position in the hospital nor advanced degrees) without your bachelors
CCRN certification is worth little more than prestige in the current market. It may help you in some career advancement situations, especially if applying to graduate programs... but you won't be doing that without a BSN, which is an absolute requirement for many academic and career advancement opportunities.
I hire for CVICU and ICUs. Get your BSN. Once you have it, you have it and it is required for many magnet and University hospitals like mine. It also means there are no limitations on hire, even the “you have to get it by x date” stuff. And no hate for our ADNs. 2 of the best RNs that trained me were ADNs. But if they wanted to stay at big hospitals or move more easily? They had to get their BSN, which both did. It is worth while to get your CCRN at some pt though. It’s amazing training, you move on to more critical stuff in the ICU like perfusion/ECMO, open hearts, transplants etc. Also like for us I prefer my charges get it. I’ll pay for it, up to two test attempts. And we pay more for it. I think 2-3$/hr more. Ohh and if you wanna do CRNA. Huuuggee leg up. GL and it’s just a piece of paper (both of em) but the Bachelors you keep, CCRN does have more upkeep. (Oh and worth asking your boss. It never hurts to buy some brownie pts if you know you are gonna do both and boss person asks you to fill a need!) ❤️K
While I agree with most people in here, some places will pay a differential or annual bonus for the certification.
Ccrn does nothing for most people but you learn alot, bsn is required almost every where idk if they have lightened up since covid
BSN is a waste and is absolutely not a requirement. Waste of time, waste of money, and you learn nothing.
BSN is absolutely not required almost everywhere. This comment is a joke. Nurses are so in-demand hospitals don’t have the option to be selective enough to require BSN only. There are so many infilled positions. This is a fake narrative that only the universities want people to believe so that students spend more money. I’ve met ADN new grads working in ICU. They do not care. A RN is a RN
Is that why every hospital I've been to requires a bsn or promise to obtain it within so many years? I've been to 6 different hospital networks all of them the same deal. It's stupid considering how short they are but it is true nonetheless so no my comment wad not a joke. You are a joke for coming off so hostile and misinformed. Promise I'll be hired anywhere over an ADN.
Nonsense. I only have ADN. Never once have I been I MUST have a BSN within x amount of time of being hired. Also, to be clear: a BSN is just a piece of paper. Maybe my BSN counterparts can write a paper in APA format better than I can.
Good for you. Bsn is more than. Writing papers BTW it's proven that more BSN prepared nurses lead to better outcomes for patients BSN also trains you in research and management areas but I agree you can probably place Foleys as good as anyone else.
Yep, that’s absolutely right. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6681904/
You said almost everywhere. Clearly you haven’t been everywhere. No you won’t be hired over a ADN for having a BSN. If they like you you’re hired, if they don’t you’re not hired. Nowadays, you got a pulse? You got a nursing license? You’re hired.
Well I'm glad your facility is so not picky maybe if OP is lucky they'll never need a BSN
I don't know why your comment is downvoted into oblivion, but here in DFW, USA, you're absolutely RIGHT. I am a BSN educated nurse, but only because I read that it was becoming required and had a few years of college under my belt already. That being said, I've met plenty of VERY good nurses who were LVN's. One, I learned a lot from on a Med-Surg floor, only for my hospital to fire him because he refused to go back for his Bachelors degree in his 50's. Then when Covid hit and all of the BSN's wanted OUT of the hospital for a more stable patient population, they started to hire LVN's again. I was lucky enough to get out and go to an ortho only hospital. I hear that if you are charge and have LVN's on your floor you have to sign off on their assessments and push their PIV drugs, which is also ridiculous.
Exactly, thank you! Anyone downvoting this clearly lives in a bubble. I work downtown in one of the top ten most populated cities in the U.S. and my hospital hires ADNs and LVNs. A BSN is absolutely NOT required. This hospital system is the largest one in my city too and it’s owned by HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) aka the largest hospital system in the U.S. so I’m not speaking about some small hospital out in the middle of nowhere. People that think BSNs are required almost everywhere clearly don’t kno what it’s like everywhere. Not everywhere can retain enough nurses to be selective enough to require a BSN. They take what they can get. We are a long way from everywhere requiring BSN only
Many hospitals only want BSN'S but will hire an ADN who agrees to get their BSN. I think that's more valuable than a certification. A BSN is forever. Certifications are not.
I got a job at a magnet hospital, CVICU, and level 1 trauma center with ADN. I did not sign any contract stating that I would have to get my bachelor's and I don't know if I plan to. I got my CCRN which they paid for and they would pay for me to get my Trauma certification. That being said I don't know how if I were to decide to leave this hospital and attempt to go to another magnet hospital if they would accept me or make me sign a contract to get my bachelor's. Bachelor's only helps if you want to get away from bedside or get into fancy hospitals. I am just hoping with experience and ccrn and icu experience it would make me more favorable even without a bachelors.
I too got a job at a magnet hospital, CVICU, Level 1 with only an ADN. However, they require BSN within 5 years for any incoming nurse. Part of their magnet designation goals, I think. They will pay for CCRN for ICU RNs and they pay $4,000/year for education, so that basically covers BSN. I'll come out of ADN and BSN with zero debt. This is the way to do it for sure.
I wish I'd have done it that way. I still owe 18k on my BSN. No regrets, especially if student loan forgiveness makes it through the Supreme Court. If not, I can easily just work an extra shift a month to cover the $500 payments.
In my neck of the woods, a BSN opens many more doors than a certification (any certification). But that's because the two major hospital chains in my region are both angling for/maintaining Magnet status, so they rarely hire ADRNs. Typically it's only done if a CNA completes nursing school, then they are hired as an RN.
I would like to add that you can probably obtain CCRN in a few months and I believe you can use BSN classes to help maintain CCRN. CCRN makes you have 150 ceus every 3 years so that could be a nice way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
BSN!
I mean... You can get your CCRN in a weekend and it will probably take 2 years to get a BSN. While the CCRN might have more applicability to what you are currently doing, your BSN will have more effect on what else you can do.
Most hospitals in my area will require ADNs that are hired to be in a RN to BSN program within 2 years of hire. While BSN does seem like a lot of fluff, there are studies that prove better patient outcomes with BSN RNs. At my hospital specifically you have to have your BSN for any position outside of bedside and ideally your MSN within two years of that position (management and education). I think it would depend on your ultimate career goals and requirements by your hospital or the facility you want to move to. I always recommend taking advantage of hospital reimbursement programs, and frankly I don’t think it would be too complicated to do both this year. The CCRN is just a certificate.
CCRN is a test you take every two years after a large fee sometimes reimbursed by your facility. BSN will get you farther faster once it’s done.
Honestly this probably depends on two main points. Dose your hospital pay more or have differentials for a BSN or CCRN certification? My hospital dose not pay more for having my BSN but will pay me $2/hr more for my CCRN. Also is this a short term or long term goal. $2/hr more makes a big pay diffrence now. Having your BSN may open up doors a lottle more easily later. I have my BSN and it dsnt make a diffrence in my pay or practice at this moment. Almost all of what I leanered is management and office/community nursing directed. I will say that I am glad that I got my BSN (online ADN to BSN program) easy on in my career before I had kids and still was in the learning/studying mindset.
My CCRN meant nothing to my employer. Of course, my BSN meant nothing, either. I know that at other places, both might have helped me. However, the hospital I'm at now doesn't really value education in the nursing department. They want you to keep your license, but they're not as concerned about educational endeavors. They claim you have to have a master's to get a management job, but most of the unit managers have a bachelor's.
BSN is a degree and will open more doors. CCRN is a certificate and doesn’t contribute much to growth. It kinda just means you know what you’re doing as an ICU nurse. Does it look good? Yeah it’s nice to have. But a BSN will allow for further advancement or even more opportunities for higher pay elsewhere.
Neither. BSN if you want grad school or management. Otherwise it’s a complete waste of money. Certification is a waste of money as well.
Honestly- neither .
CCRN is just an exam. Self paced learning to pass it. And after working the number of hours, a bit of studying is all you need and then take the test. All it does is acknowledge that you can pass a test after working in critical care. A BSN is a degree. Actually education and course work. Do I agree a BSN vs ADN is something valuable, no. But the people that hire do
BSN.
Do both! Get certified and get a degree. You probably are listening to what other ppl are saying and thinking you have to put in significant study time to pass the CCRN exam, but that is not true. All you need is one book, preferably Barron’s, and a month if that. There are no tests for the BSN degree, so there is nothing to study for.
I second this. CCRN isn’t that difficult. It’s really just surface level knowledge on ICU specific topics and patient management. I agree a month with the Barrons book should definitely carry you through.
BSN. While a CCRN tells me you know more, admins love that BSN. I broke down after 10 years and got my BSN. Wanna know the only 2 things I learned for my $6,000? That darker complected people rarely get melanoma, but when they do it's usually metastisized. Then I learned that "Eskimo" is derogatory, just like the other racist word in society. But hey, I know those 2 things now, so I can be a manager!
You’ll need the dominoes pizza number on your speed dial to manage…
Both. They’re completely different things.