Debt.

[GeekUSA]

I'm a 22 yo male who is going to attend community college and major in Nursing this spring 2013 semester. One of my biggest worries about higher education is debt. I have way too many friends who graduated in the past 2 years and are now living very stressful lives due to student debt. They all went to big universities where tuition w/ r&b cost them $25,000~ a year on average. Needless to say, I am trying to avoid falling into the same predicament if at all possible.

The CC I will be attending has a partnership with one of the state's biggest universities, and basically what this means is that there is a facility in the CC campus that is run by the university's faculty. One of the programs that they offer is RN to BSN. When you graduate you get the BSN degree from the university.

So I'm wondering if I should take this path and save myself tens of thousands. Does anyone have any experience with such programs? I'd love to hear what your experience was like.

Thanks.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

CHeck with a school counselor. I believe you will finish the CC with an associates degree, then bridge to the university level for the BSN. That is what a lot of nurses do to save money (me included). But you need a better understanding of the process. In my situation I got my associates degree and then my license, then decided to go elsewhere for the BSN. Do a little shopping.

[PinkCupcake]

This is my plan as well. I am half way through the 1st year of 2 at my CC. After I get my ADN I plan on bridging over to our University. I don't have the money to go straight into the BSN program or a means to drive that far, it's 2 hours away, every day. I think it's a really great option. The best part is my BSN is done 100% online and I only have to drive to the University a couple of times a semester :) Which is great for people like me with a family and who live in the boonies lol

I know many people who have bridged over after getting their ADN and they loved the fact that they saved so much money and still got the same degree that could have cost twice as much. My clinical instructor did the same thing and now she is working on her masters. If she had to do it all over again she said she wouldn't have changed a thing!

If you need more info ask the admissions people at your school and they can tell you more about their bridge program. Good luck!

[Stephalump]

Well I think it really depends. If people in your area are having a hard time finding jobs with an ADN you may regret that path. Being in an RN-bsn program doesn't replace work experience and work experience will be necessary so you don't lose your skills by the time you have you bsn. Debt wise it's a great plan, but also consider the primary goal of nursing school - getting a job.

[GeekUSA]

Thanks for the replies! I will definitely speak to the Admissions department (today).

@Stephalump

That is actually a very good point. I'm afraid to say I had completely overlooked that. I plan on going to grad school to pursue a master's in nurse anesthesiology, and those programs seem to require a couple of years of critical care experience before you are even considered as an applicant so. My original plan was to just get my ADN > RN licence and then finish the last 2 years at CC to get my BSN. Never even thought about getting a nursing job while attending the last 2 years of school. I feel really dumb right now..

[PinkCupcake]

I'm lucky in the fact that where I live you do not have to have your BSN to find a job. In my area most people only have their ADN. The closest hospital that only hires BSNs is a 2 hour drive so for me the ADN to BSN bridge is a perfect fit. I also plan on working while in the bridge program :) and then who knows maybe I'll go for my masters.

It really depends on where you live as far as the bridge programs. If you can get your ADN and get into a BSN bridge program right away to save money I don't see how it'll be any slower than just going straight for your BSN. The only savings I see is $$$. In my area there is another school where you can enter with your LPN and get your BSN in a year and a half but it's spendy and a lot of work to finish that quickly.