The Financially and time sensible approach

Libra_8 · Jun 5, 2009

Its faster to get your BSN all at one time if that is what you want. If not then, provided that you don't have any college credits it'll take you 2.5 to 3 yrs to get your ASN. If you want a masters, i suggest that you just go through and get your BSN.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Jun 7, 2009

Many people for financial or time-constraint reasons will go the ASN route, then work and obtain their BSN while working afterwards.

This is a good plan if you have those issues or others, however, don't forget that sometimes "life" gets in the way of such a plan.

I think a BSN is the best way to go at this time for your RN if it's at all feasible.

That being said, I graduated a year ago from an ASN program and had no problems getting a job.

I just know I see an awful lot of BSNs out there and I think the market will get considerably more competitive for those who start with their ASN.

MrsIndependent · Jun 7, 2009

I think a BSN is the best way to go at this time for your RN if it's at all feasible.
That being said, I graduated a year ago from an ASN program and had no problems getting a job.
I just know I see an awful lot of BSNs out there and I think the market will get considerably more competitive for those who start with their ASN.

WDW, I think you might have just solved my dilemma. I've been accepted to STLCC for this fall which will result in me quitting my job which, for me, is almost impossible, financially. I've also been accepted to Barnes and Chamberlain. I would prefer Barnes but Chamberlain does offer parttime, as opposed to Barnes. I was hearing a lot about schools preferring those with a BSN. Do you think there would soon be a surplus of nurses, here in Saint Louis?

Jillybean1988 · Jun 11, 2009

I had this very same dilemma. :bugeyes: I personally am in the same seat, I am on waiting lists for Barnes and accepted at SCCC. It will not take you 3 years to get your ASN. All the programs I have seen for ASN are 2 year programs including the one I am enrolled in at St. Charles community college. 1 year of prerequisties, and 1 year of nursing and clinicals. You may have to do a summer course or two, but there are online options of all the classes and they are very easy.

That being said... If you choose to get your BSN after your ASN, I would advise you to do as I am (even if you are not decided on your BSN if you have the time, I would to the prereqs anyway) and get the other prerequistes done BEFORE you take your 1 year of actual nursing. That way, if you choose to go back for your BSN, you already have the prereq's done. They are essentially the same for every school, Barnes being the most "rigorous" in terms of "hard" classes. They have the requirement sheets outside any community college counselors office and on UMSL and Barnes websites. It is one more year of prereqs. If you are counting, that is 3 years, and you would graduate with an ASN. Then you can enter the RN to BSN option, complete 37 credits, and voila! You have your BSN in 4 years, possibly minus a few summers. The upside to this method? Lets do the math.

STLCC and SCCC are (roughly and in district) $80 per credit hour.

You need 67 prerequiste hours for a BSN.. $80x67 cr/hr = 5,360 plus, figure 2,200 in books (67 hours/ 3 hr course= approx 22 courses x $100 books per course) that comes out to $7,560. Thats without financial aid.

For one more year (of nursing to complete your ASN) is another 41 credits, or $3,280 plus $1350 in books (9 courses x $150 per book) is $4,630 and a total of $12,190 for your community college degree PLUS your necessary prereqs for your BSN, totalling 108 cr/hrs.

Plus your one year for your BSN at Barnes 37 hours x (an ASTONISHING) $500 per cr/hr is $18,500 plus the recommended $1,000 for books for BSN students per semester= 2,000 in books coming to a

GRAND TOTAL OF... $32,690 (mind you this does not include any fees! This is just tuition!) :up:

Whereas for two years at Barnes, at $500 a credit hour :uhoh21:... You would pay the $80 for your 67 prereqs, and then you would take the other 66 nursing classes

Your 67 prereqs at the CC level at $80 cr/hr = $5,360 plus $2,200 in books (see above for book factoring)= $7,560

Plus your 66 credit hours at Barnes in the "upper divison" courses x $500 cr/hr = $33,000 plus the recommended 1,000 per semester in books= $37,000

GRAND TOTAL OF...$44,560 (again this is without fees. Uniform, clinical, drug test, testing fees, parking, computer, etc) :down:

That means by getting your ASN at a community college and only doing a one year RN to BSN program you save yourself a whopping $11,870. I dont know about you, but thats about 3k short of what I make as a college student in a YEAR. :cry: So as far as financially sensible its community college ASN for the win.

The other option is getting all your prereqs out of the way and then just taking your two years at Barnes. They call it the upper divison option. But this is full time, and I believe it is days. The nice thing about community colleges is that they have very flexible hours for all their regular courses. I know the RN completion program at Barnes has a nights and weekends option. But I think the upper divison 2yr BSN, as well as the community colleges' ASN require full time dedication. They told me that having a full time job would be "all but impossible".

So as far as time sensible, I would think that either way takes you 4 years, maybe a summer or two longer on the community college side. As we saw before, the ASN route is about 12k less than straight BSN (at Barnes which is where I think you said you were going). I am also on the path to my Nurse Anesthetist liscense, which is a Masters-and-then-some program. I am doing the community ASN to Barnes because of the time and financial sensibility.

One more thing, in closing... I would point out that both our masters programs require 2 YEARS of ICU/acute care experience. Which means you will have to work while doing your schooling if you want no gaps. I know the ASN route will allow you to definately have 1 year under your belt by the time you are finished and have your BSN, the 4yr BSN option WILL NOT! (as you obviously have to have an RN to work in an ICU) I may also point out that while many places will reimburse you for a percentage/portion of your tuition, some hospitals will pay 100% for you to go back for your BSN. That means you could be working in your 1 year in ICU while they pay for your (extremely expensive) BSN year at Barnes.