2nd degree option for BSN

U.S.A. Maryland

Published

Hello all,

I will be receiving my BBA this summer, however I want to pursue nursing. I'm looking for a accelerated program for 2nd degree students is JHSON the only school that offers this? I know university of maryland has that CNL program but that's not what I want to due. I'll even consider community colleges. Thanks in advance.

JHU is the only accelerated BSN in the Baltimore area. (That I am aware of, I should say) I believe Salisbury has one. Howard County Community College has an accelerated RN program.

The CNL at UMB might be worth considering if you are poor enough to receive federal grants. You won't be able to get them for a second Bachelors, but the CNL counts as a grad program and so you can get them for it. You will be eligible for the same position right out of school.

Also, do you want to go into DC? Georgetown?

Yes I receive grant money now. I didn't even consider not getting it for a second bachelors, makes sense I guess. I did look into the CNL program, but after reading the description I had some concerns are they in demand? Will having that type of degree help or hurt the type of nursing I can do? I want to work in the OR. Georgetown sounds like a great program but I live in Pikesville and I know the commute would be ridiculous because of traffic.

Yes I receive grant money now. I didn't even consider not getting it for a second bachelors, makes sense I guess. I did look into the CNL program, but after reading the description I had some concerns are they in demand? Will having that type of degree help or hurt the type of nursing I can do? I want to work in the OR. Georgetown sounds like a great program but I live in Pikesville and I know the commute would be ridiculous because of traffic.

I have thoroughly researched the CNL program at UMB since I plan on applying there in the near future. I'm currently finishing up my BA in liberal arts.

The CNL program at UMB is a fairly new program. Less than five years old I believe. CNLs basically have the same job opportunities as a BSN would after graduating. The only significant difference is that you will have a master's degree and then that puts you ahead of the game if you do decide to pursue a master's specialty later on.

So yes, they are in demand, just like any other type of nurse out there. I definitely don't think that it will "hurt" you. And yes, you would be able to get a job in the OR with this degree.

Also, take into consideration that UMB is a public university while JHUSON is a private university. The tuition at UMB will be significantly lower than JHUSON, especially since it sounds like you would qualify for in-state tuition as a MD resident. Just another thing to think about.

Hope this helped a little.

It did help thank you.

I too struggled with which program to pursue-second degree BSN or ADN. You mentioned that you would consider a community college - - -

I already have a BA and MA and didn't want to increase my financial burden with more student loans. So I'm finishing up my science prereqs this semester at a community college and will pick up my ADN. This way, I will still be eligible to sit for the NCLEX just as BSN students (but in two years instead of four) and begin working as an RN. My goal is to then work with a hospital/health care facility that will pay for my RN-BSN or RN-MSN program. I encourage you to look at the passing NCLEX rates for ADN programs versus BSN program (ADN programs generally have higher passage rates). I know it's no guarantee that I'll pass 1st time around but the statistics below were a major factor in determining which route I would take.

Here's a link to the MBON NCLEX Passage Rates for 2008: http://www.mbon.org/education/nclex_rn_stats_fy08.pdf

Keep in mind that UMD's CNL program will charge you graduate school level tuition. So although you do get a master's level generalist degree, you get the same opportunities as a BSN prepared graduate would, with more debt. To me, that was a deal breaker.

Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.

Just FYI...If you would be interested in moving.....The University of Rochester in Rochester, NY is where I went for my BSN....I had a BS in Health Science and did the one year accelerated BSN program (longer depending on how many of the pre-reqs you have/need) May to May. It's a big school....General university programs then the medical school and the nursing school. They had and may still have a program where if you work for the hospital (any job there) at least 17.5 hours a week they will pay for 2 courses for being an employee and then if you agree to work for 5 years after you graduate they will cover 2 more courses each semester--that covers all four classes each semester (total of 3 semesters) and you can do a RN/BSN to MSN program too. If you are interested they have a website. www.urmc.edu

Keep in mind that UMD's CNL program will charge you graduate school level tuition. So although you do get a master's level generalist degree, you get the same opportunities as a BSN prepared graduate would, with more debt. To me, that was a deal breaker.

Your post gave me some food for thought and I decided to do a little research for myself. Actually, I was quite surprised to find out that the tuition per credit hour is cheaper for the CNL at UMB than it is for the BSN at JHUSON, even though the CNL is a graduate program. Don't know what the bottom line will be once you add in all the additional fees, but the actual tuition is lower.

CNL=$468/credit hour

BSN=$1,281/credit hour

http://www.umaryland.edu/institutionalresearch/tuition/parttime.html

http://www.son.jhmi.edu/apply/fees/

True, but comparing UMB and JHU is like apples and oranges (when it comes to tuition).

When I originally researched programs and saw how much JHU charges, I almost had a heart attack. Im no trust fund baby so there is NO way i could afford anything from JHU.

UMD's BSN tuition is only $301/credit hour (in state). Although this isn't accelerated like JHU's or UMD's CNL, I really wouldn't mind waiting a few more months to work. I'll be working for the rest of my life, no need to take on more debt. But in my case, keep in mind that I also have a previous degree (and the accompanying debt:cry:)

Thank you for researching sewnew, I was concerned about that also.

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