Adviser threw me for a loop- ADN vs 2nd bachelor's

[ShelbyaStar]

I have a previous BS in Animal Sciences from an out of state university that I acquired in 2010.

I ideally would have started an accelerated program but there are none where I live. Thinking it would be silly to get an ADN when I already have a BS, I signed up at university and am now in my second semester of prereqs. My fiance and I have since agreed to move to another city so I will be transferring to another school but still the same state once this school year is over.

I was talking it over with my adviser and she brought up a point that I previously hadn't thought of- that while I had been thinking it would be silly to have a BS and then get an ADN, she said it would be silly to have two Bachelor's. Her suggestion was that I transfer, do my associate's, and then using that along with my current bachelor's step into a master's (probably after some work experience).

I thought this would make for some interesting discussion. Thoughts on this?

My state just started a new curriculum (called MANE- I'm in Minnesota) where you can attend a CC for two semesters to get prereqs done (I would skip this part), another two semesters gets your ADN done (at which point you can step out if you so choose), and then a few more semesters at the same school that partners with university gets your BSN done. A couple universities have master's step-in tracks.

I think maybe I made a big mistake doing prereqs at a university. I don't really know what I was thinking. If I drop down to ADN I'll save a lot of money, and then when I do decide to move forward either to BSN or master's I can be getting experience and making decent money as an RN at the same time.

[RunBabyRN]

Why are you wasting your money on doing prereqs at a university? Even if you were to do a university nursing program, your prereqs will transfer.

A lot of people do either an ADN or BSN program after a different bachelor's. You would not be alone.

I can't speak to how master's programs work in MN, but there are a variety of them here. Most, of course, require a BSN, so going that route opens you up to many more options. Do you WANT a master's? What do you want to do with your master's? Many of the routes that aren't BSN to master's are not specialized, so it depends on what you plan to do. Do some research so that you DON'T waste your time. Nursing schools generally have informative websites, and you can contact nursing departments to get more accurate info.

[ShelbyaStar]

I guess originally I thought it might help my chances of getting into nursing school. I was worried about previous low grades but now last semester I got a 4.0 and this semester I'll probably have a little under a 3.5. I definitely won't do more prereqs at university though- I now realize that was not cost effective. Fortunately my university is unusually inexpensive, but still definitely more costly than CC.

I don't think I'd pursue a master's right away. It seems to me they're a lot more useful with job experience. But when/if I do it would probably be for something like becoming a nurse midwife.

[13grad71]

I got an AS in Nursing but I had previous BS in a University in a completely different field (Business). Nursing is my second career and I think a lot of people are in the same boat.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I think that the MANE articulation program would be your best approach... less expensive, but really any longer to obtain your BSN. Most states are developing similar articulation programs as part of the effort to increase the percentage of BSNs in the workforce - you're lucky to be in one of the first states to roll it out.