Am I wasting time?

[TimRace]

I've recently been accepted to my community college's nursing program. After already spending 2 years here, the only classes I have left to take for my associates degree is the clinical courses (theory, lab, clinical hours). I feel that on one hand I've wasted time because I could be finishing with my baccalaureate from neighboring colleges and universities. However, I've heard this school graduates the best RN's around and the teachers in the program tells us that, if we survive (which sounds spooky, right?), we'll know how it feels to have a full case load and our first job will basically feel like second nature. I eventually would like to get my masters and am hoping to be a CRNA one day. I feel that's a lot of schooling and I don't want to waste time and money I don't need to. Your opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

[DadStudentPerhaps]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I would be hard pressed to walk away from the offer you already have... just my 2 cents.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

My personal opinion is if you are that close to the finish line, continue to give it your best and all to cross the finish line.

Thank you.

[Nursingstudent4smiles]

Apping to nursing schools isn't an easy feat, and if you already have one foot in the door, I say go in!! There are tons of RN-BS programs at which you can earn your BS quickly either on-line or at a campus. The competition for the RN-BS programs is not nearly as fierce as for the entry-BS programs, so this ends up being an easier route, although it does take slightly longer. I have met several hospital personnel who started even lower, as LPN's, and got their AS, then RN-BS and then went on to earn their Masters, FNP license and even their PhD. The road exists in nursing to move forward regardless of how you get there! The trick is to keep up with due dates and have all of your ducks in a row so that you don't end up wasting time between semesters. If you're interested in becoming a CRNA, I would suggest talking to the head of that department at your nearby college and finding out what they require for their students. At my college in NYC, Nurse Anesthesia students must have a background in biochem and have 3 years of critical care experience before they can begin the program, and knowing these requirements are important so that you can apply for jobs in these areas beforehand. Good luck and keep going forward!