To the person who asked: ADN is an Associate Degree in Nursing; that's basically a 2 year academic degree, as opposed to the diploma (nursing school) degree, which was a 3 yr program...I'm not even sure if they've got those anymore for RN's.
I also agree with those who have suggested to just get it over with and get your BSN....I had only my ADN and got very far in my profession, but it would be next to impossible anymore to achieve what I did without at least a Bachelor's degree if not a Master's.....I was extremely fortunate, b/c I wound up after nursing school, going to a major university teaching hospital, where I learned and was encouraged to learn, more than I ever could have otherwise. And I put myself into situations where I HAD to learn, or be humiliated and useless.
Yes, some of the higher paying and more prestigious positions are extremely stressful, but that's WHY they pay more. At least, as a rule. And those jobs are not jobs that a newly graduated nurse would have anyhow. I remember thinking when I got hired into the cardiac surgical ICU, having NO IDEA what cardiac surgery really was at that point; "WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO????" and just kind of freaking out that I'd be entrusted with someone so incredibly ill with ALL those things hooked up to them
. The good thing about nursing is that most institutions do not eat their young
. They have mentoring programs and lots of resources to help you learn and adjust to what you'll eventually expected to do on your own. I think it's really one of the best professions that offer that sort of support. And if you are just as prepared as you can be for the situation you'll be thrown into (which will expand and improve with time), and admit when you don't know something (the WORST thing is to act like you know something but don't and don't bother to find out~ it will catch up to you every time!), you'll find that there are a lot of people you work with willing to help you.
The worst thing about nursing is the bureaucracy that exists and as one person mentioned, not being able to care for your patients the way you'd like to. I remember when I was in nursing school, I worked as an aide, and we gave all our patients a backrub at bedtime. I believe that the human touch really helps people feel better, and I miss that. Even in the ICU, the RN's did that....but it's not exactly like that anymore, and that's the only thing I really wish would change. It's a financial/staffing thing of course~ one and the same. That and the constant documentation anymore. It kind of takes away some of the joy, but it's a necessary evil.
Just enjoy the learning process; it never ends in the medical field, that's for sure, which is what makes it such a dynamic and interesting job
.