[Alert&Orientedx0]

Hi all, Ive posted about this before but am still confused on what to do. Ok so heres my situation. I have been accepted to a second degree program & a diploma program. The thing is the second degree program is away from home, offers no housing, in an very expensive area to live, 30K-40K tuition i guess, dont know exact NCLEX rate but heard its pretty good, good reputation & is only 18months & BSN obviously. The diploma program is at home, free housing, 22months, more clinical experience, 100% NCLEX, good reputation but id have to bridge after adding another 2-3years to reach my masters. I really dont want to be in school for a really long time. My goal is to eventually become an NP. Im kinda scared to do the really intense second degree program but dont wanna waste time doing the diploma and the whole bridge thing if dont have to or be limited to working in my area.I dont know What do you guys think?? Thanks for any suggestions

[caliotter3]

Considering the continuing education factor: since further education is important to you I would choose the BSN route and get that goal done now in the easiest manner. Bridge programs serve a purpose, but the direct route saves time. Is this affordable for you? If your goal was to get to work as quickly as possible while saving money, then I would go with the local diploma program. Weigh all the factors, and make the choice that seems to fit your circumstances the best. Good luck.

[jjjoy]

Can you find out how/what graduates of each programs are doing? What kind of jobs are they getting after graduation? Where are they working? (Even if you're planning to go on to be an NP, you may need to work as an RN for a few years.) Can you speak with a few current students and instructors from each program? The contrast might give you insight into which program you'd feel more comfortable with.

Maybe you can find out more about the differences in clinical experience. How confident are you in your abilities to manage the transition from student to professional? Some programs never give students more than 2 patients making it a tough transition to the real world where you may have 6-10 patients, or more depending on the type of facility. Other programs coordinate students working one-on-one with nurses for several months to get a better feel for the full workload. Some programs have several months in the same hospitals and units whereas others you'll get wider exposure to a variety of facilities but maybe just 8-10 clinical days at each. In my program, we only had a few days each in L&D, OR and outpatient services.

Just some things that may or may not make a difference in your decision making. Good luck!

[AnxiousStudent]

BSN, Just my

[Hopefull2009]

Originally Posted by RNstudent006

Hi all, Ive posted about this before but am still confused on what to do. Ok so heres my situation. I have been accepted to a second degree program & a diploma program. The thing is the second degree program is away from home, offers no housing, in an very expensive area to live, 30K-40K tuition i guess, dont know exact NCLEX rate but heard its pretty good, good reputation & is only 18months & BSN obviously. The diploma program is at home, free housing, 22months, more clinical experience, 100% NCLEX, good reputation but id have to bridge after adding another 2-3years to reach my masters. I really dont want to be in school for a really long time. My goal is to eventually become an NP. Im kinda scared to do the really intense second degree program but dont wanna waste time doing the diploma and the whole bridge thing if dont have to or be limited to working in my area.I dont know What do you guys think?? Thanks for any suggestions

I would take the free option and get your diploma and bridge over. From what I have read on these boards, it won't make any difference in your starting salary. You can find an in-state school to work on your BSN part-time while you are working and earning a salary.

Don't go into debt if you don't have to. Ask yourself: Will that $30 to $40K tuition bill at the BSN school get PAID OFF in 2 or 3 years? Probably not..it will take more like 10 years.

It will take me 6 years to get my RN to Masters, but that's ok. I'm willing to take the extra time not to have to the extra debt weighing over my head.

[Cherish]

Do the diploma. It sounds like a great school, its close by and more financially capable. You can then do a RN-MSN (as long as you have the pre-reqs done for that program) and become a NP that way and bypass your BSN and while employed possibly have your hospital pay for the RN-MSN program. I don't know about the hospitals in your area but the hospitals around me give tuition reimbursement for higher education and repay back the tuition for my diploma program.

I will be attending a diploma program and currently finishing up pre-reqs for BSN so that they will be done before I finish nursing school. I plan to get a RN-BSN or RN-MSN and have already contacted those schools and they do accept diploma grads as long as you have the pre-reqs done for the program. So it is doable.

[bsn2b09]

Go for the 18 months BSN program. Most new grads get experience once they're working on the floor anyway.

[anonymurse]

You present a huge problem, non-nurse to NP. I'd chunk a problem that big into manageable pieces. Remember you absolutely have to get past one step before going on to another. And even before the NCLEX, you have to learn basic nursing.

So I wouldn't choose a school based on something like one school having 90% and another 100% NCLEX pass rates. Sometimes a better school will have lower rates, especially when classes are small, and anyway since the NCLEX hospital isn't like real hospitals, it's best studied for after taking a specialized prep program (I like Kaplan Complete).

After NCLEX, you have to survive your first working year, where you put the academic pieces together. Other concerns can be addressed later, but I wouldn't even worry about NCLEX just yet, only graduating nursing school.

If you buy into the idea that survival at whatever step you're at should be the only goal to worry about, choice of degree or diploma program would depend on your learning style.

If you are like me, a hands-on learner, where you lose book knowledge quickly unless you see the clinical picture for real, or where you forget book procedures unless you do them right away, a diploma school, if attached to a hospital, might be right for you.

A BSN program, if attached to a university hospital, seems like it should work even better for your purposes.

But first, take stock of your learning style and get a program that fits you. Give yourself your best shot at surviving school.

[DUECSON]

Although the BSN program is distance and the ASN is closer to home, think about which one would be more beneficial for you. For 18 months you can rent a house with a couple of students who may be in the same predicament that you're in. There may also be financial aid out there. Scholarships, if you have not reached 180 hrs for your 1st BS degree, financial assistance could be awarded. If you've reached 180 hrs then you would have to get scholarships or finance it yourself. Have you ever thought about the Navy Nurse Candidate Program, where they woul pay for tuition, books and give you $1000.00 stipend a month and you pay them back by time in service?

[Smackdown]

I was always told to be VERY wary opf any school that has 100% NCLEX pass rates, because that means they are weeding people out. (People who might not pass the first time but could pass after another try or two). In nursing school we called these the "weeder programs".