Which route should I take?

[Ndoht, ADN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Hello everyone, how are you?

I finally registered to allnurses after making the decision of becoming a nurse. I read a lot of topics and discussions on allnurses and gained tremendous insight and knowledge on the general field of nursing. Now, I would like to seek help and advice from my fellow members on my nursing career.

Even though I graduated from an university with a bachelor's degree, my cumulative GPA is a 2.1, so I don't think any BSN nursing program will accept me. Thus, I am uncertain about the route I should take now. Should I take the LPN-RN-MSN route, the ADN-MSN route, the ADN-BSN-MSN route, or is there another route for me to consider? My goal is to obtain a MSN degree. I've already wasted four years, so I want to find a way that is fast and convenient. I read in some posts that RNs with only an Associate's degree will encounter difficulties in finding jobs, such as in hospitals, because they prefer hiring BSN. Would that be a problem?

Thank you very much!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Right now, all new grad nurses are having problems getting hired regardless of their degree--it's a lousy market all around. No one knows what it will be like when you graduate. So going into nursing is going to involve a leap of faith, since it's no longer a sure thing.

Since you already have a BA, you would be eligible for second-degree or accelerated BSN programs, or you can go ADN. To be honest, I'd skip the LVN-RN route unless you need to start working soon, but keep in mind that opportunities for LVNs in acute care are shrinking; most LVNs are found in clinics, SNF and LTC.

Contact the program and find out what their grade requirements are, as well as what pre-reqs you need to take. A lot of programs will consider the grades you get in those pre-reqs instead of your cumulative GPA, so if you do/did well in those pre-req classes you can improve your chances of getting in. Also, many ADN programs also have grade requirements, sometimes ones even stricter than BSN programs. Depends on the school and the program. Either way, you will never know if you don't try.

I had a 2.7 in my BA but worked to make a 4.0 in my pre-reqs, so getting into an ADN program was no problem. So it can be done.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

After having earned a largely useless BS degree in public health, my friend's undergrad GPA was a 2.5, which is not very competitive.

She completed an LPN program, worked as one for several years, then completed an RN bridge program at a private for-profit school that led to an associates degree in nursing. Although this route helped her circumvent the issue of her relatively low GPA, I wouldn't recommend it because you might encounter difficulty finding a BSN program to accept you.

[Fiona59]

I have to ask, why are you going for a MSN?

You may hate nursing.