Nursing Program

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2003

HI! I'm sorry- somehow I totally missed this post!

Yes, NICU nurses make the same (sometimes more) money as other nurses. Occasionally, some hospitals will pay more for certain critical care areas (usually anywhere from .25 to 1.00 or more, depending on the facility), but many of them do not offer that. You still get the same or similar hours, benefits, etc.

As for the degree issue, there a number of threads on here that I'm SURE could help you decide between an ADN and BSN- do you know how to do a search for old threads? If not, let us know and someone will re-post the instructions for you.

PS. Welcome to the forum! Good luck with your schooling! Let us know if we can help you more, and I do apologize for not posting to your message earlier. I just plum missed it! :)

Nrs. LaLa-Land · Oct 2, 2003

If I were you...I would just go for the BSN...you are still young and have time on your side....I will have my ADN in a couple of months but i plan to continue on...I got my ADN so I could work a lot sooner....I am proud of my ADN that I have ALMOST earned but there is more room for advancement and a lot of specialized areas require a BSN....trust me I know because I am starting to look for jobs... I wish you the best of luck...I wish I had known what I wanted to do when I was 18! You go girl!

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2003

I totally agree! I have my ADN because the BSN program was too long and too costly for me to attend when I began nursing school. If you are able, I would second the recommendation that you go ahead and get your BSN right from the start. This will save you years of frustration and regret should you ever decide to pursue your BSN later! Of course, you may say that right now you don't think you'll want to continue with your schooling when you've become an RN, but *should* you change your mind, you'll be glad to have your BSN later on.

It's a personal decision, and one that is dependant upon yourself, where you are in your life, parental or family support, etc. Would you mind sharing with us a little more about your situation? That would make it easier to tailor our answers to *you*.

Is there family that will help support you? Is financial aid a concern? Are you afraid that you won't make it in the BSN program? Are the colleges too costly in your area? What is motivating you to get your ADN vs. the BSN now? etc.

The good thing is that you can definitely work in the neonatal intensive care area with an ADN in almost every hospital in the country! So, your decision to go to a certain type of program is not really hinged upon your placement after you graduate. You can work in any number of NICU's with your ADN.

Either way, good luck!

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2003

Have you checked out the four-year colleges in your area? I did a search and came up with these schools with BSN nursing programs:

UNC-Chapel Hill

North Carolina Central University