Job Prospects in NYC? A.S. or B.S.?

I want to switch from teaching to nursing in NYC. I have a few questions: Should I obtain an A.S. in nursing or is it worth going to an accelerated B.S. program (my BA was in English)? I'd like to be a nurse asap. I'm 29 years old. I feel that future employers would value work experience more than a higher (B.S.) degree and that getting a B.S. rightaway before the experience may even limit my job prospects as a new nurse hire down the line?? Not to mention the accelerated program is much more expensive than going to a community college. Also, how is the job market in NYC for nurses? Are new nurses being "snapped up"? It took me a few years to find a teaching job, and I dread the idea that I would encounter the same job prospects in nursing upon graduation.