BSN over ADN preferences in STL area?

U.S.A. Missouri

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I am trying to decide on which RN program to do, the ADN or the BSN. I'm leaning toward ADN, bc if I do that and then do the BSN completion track I'll have to take less classes overall (the BSN has several more prereqs I would have take than the STLCC ADN program) and save about $30,000 or possibly more depending on the program I choose:yeah:. The schedule would work better for me too. I am just wondering how much does it matter when looking for a job? Do certain specialties or types of medical facilites only hire one type of RN? Is it getting really hard to find a job as an ADN RN?

Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

New grad nurses are facing a much more competitive job market than when I graduated in 2006. What specialty are you looking to pursue? Do your ultimate career goals include anything that requires a MSN? Do you plan to secure a job at the hospital while in school? All of these factors should influence your decision of ADN vs. BSN. BSN is definitely more expensive (and I have the student loans from my pre-licensure BSN program to prove it), but sometimes it may be worth the time and money spent. If your heart is set on a popular specialty (L&D, ED, peds, ICU, etc.) and you have no connections/employment on that floor, BSN may give you an edge when it comes time to get the new grad RN job.

If the ADN works better for you and your budget, you may still be able to compete for new grad jobs without a problem. However, I would suggest that you be open to any specialty (including subacute and long-term care) and get a job in the facility/hospital system where you would ultimately like to work. Just remember that there are a lot of nursing programs in STL - no harm in doing the ADN, but I do think that you will need a little more to stand out at hiring time.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for replying to my post. I would be open to starting out in pretty much any setting after nursing school, as long as I got to use my nursing skills. I would actually not mind starting out in a clinic, and I would be very interested in working with low-income patients. My undergrad degree is in Spanish and I am fairly fluent so if I could find a job working with immigrants in a clinic that would be great, but I know those are hard to come by.I am a SAHM mom right now, and I plan on volunteering at a hospice this year and shadowing a nurse to get my feet wet in the field and meet people who could be my references, since I haven't worked in a while. I am hoping by 2012 I could get my CNA cert and work part-time. My kids are still little so I am not sure if I can juggle prereqs plus work, but maybe I could do Per Diem and be very part time. For now I will get on the waiting list at STLCC and start taking my non-clinical classes, which I will need if I apply for the BSN programs anyway if I do change my mind.

Do you have any other recommendations for places I could volunteer or other things I could do to stand out before receiving my degree? Hospice and palliative care at hospitals is the only field I found where volunteers are needed.

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