Male, 25, Prospective nurse. ADN or Accelerated BSN?

Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Hi all,

I am a 25 year old male currently living in Long Island, NY with my grandma and working in NYC at a market research firm. I have been doing research to make a career change and enter the nursing field.

I have read many of the forums here discussing accelerated BSN programs vs ADN programs weighing the pros and cons. It seems that the pros of the BSN are: greater hiring potential post-gradation as well as more opportunities to advance education and career. However, cost seems to be much greater than that of an ADN program.

My questions for you all is, as a male, should I just go for the lower cost ADN considering males are supposedly more hirable in this field? I am not sure how well that stat flies in the NYC area, but any and all feedback is much appreciated!

I should also note that I graduated with a double major in French and International Political Economy, so I will definitely need to be completing pre-requisites.

Thanks!

NewSN13

151 Posts

Do you know what area(s) of nursing you would like to work in? Which hospitals employ the type of nurse that you want to be? What are their hiring policies?

I ask because I think those are more relevant than being a male. If you want to work in critical care in a Magnet hospital, for example, being a male and any additional hiring perks that your gender may carry, won't mean a lot if your application is tossed because you don't hold a BSN.

It all depends on your area. I live in North Carolina, and ASN nurses are still hired here in all units of the hospital, and in other medical facilities. I am in an ASN program, but I plan to apply to an online RN to BSN program while I work full time. Because the hospitals here hire ASN nurses, I can get my ASN at a community college and do my BSN prerequisites there too. After I graduate from the CC, I can go to work full time in ICU (we hire new grads in our ICUs down here), and can pursue my BSN online in three semesters. In total, I will spend about $12,000 for both my ASN and BSN. That's cheaper than one semester at any four year university in this area, so it's worth it to me.

kjawnq

4 Posts

That's an excellent point. I am still very much in the preliminary stages of this so I plan on doing some volunteer work in a hospital just to see what resonates with me and take it from there. I've been told from friends who are nurses that males are typically sent to work in ER's at first. That appeals to me very much as I've always been fascinated by ER's and their pace. Indeed, it would be very challenging as well!

I volunteered, and did CNA work in the ED and ICU. I worked in a level I trauma center and a community hospital. The ED was fun for a bit, but I became burnt out on the drug seekers, people who used the ED as a primary care clinic, etc. In the ICU, my patients always deserved to be there, and they needed excellent and skilled care. Sometimes the families can be a bit much in ICU, but you take the good with the bad. The ED is a great place to learn how to deal with stress, to learn how to keep your cool under pressure, and to pick up skills. I don't think I would want to work there for the long term, but I know that it's some people's dream. I would think about doing PRN work there after I got a full time ICU job just because I love trauma patients.

NewSN13

151 Posts

It all depends on your area. I live in North Carolina, and ASN nurses are still hired here in all units of the hospital, and in other medical facilities. I am in an ASN program, but I plan to apply to an online RN to BSN program while I work full time. Because the hospitals here hire ASN nurses, I can get my ASN at a community college and do my BSN prerequisites there too. After I graduate from the CC, I can go to work full time in ICU (we hire new grads in our ICUs down here), and can pursue my BSN online in three semesters. In total, I will spend about $12,000 for both my ASN and BSN. That's cheaper than one semester at any four year university in this area, so it's worth it to me.

This, too. I should have clarified that my example was specific to my area. Our hospitals will hire new BSN grads to the ICU but not ASN grads. Of the two health systems I'm interested in working in, one has Magnet status and one is working towards it which also affects their hiring decisions.

In my case, this is my 2nd bachelor's and because of sequencing (AP I then II, etc) and volume, it required 3 semesters of pre-reqs for both the ASN and BSN programs in the area. Once in, the ASN program is 4 semesters of less than full-time credits (6-10 per semester) versus 5 semesters of full-time credits (14-17 per semester) for the BSN. I don't have to work so the heavier course load is fine. I go to a public university that's very affordable - tuition and fees minus books is about $3500 per semester. For me, going straight for the BSN is worth it.

OP, as you can see, there are a lot of variables that go into which option will be best for you. Job desires, local hiring policies, financials. Hopefully we've given you some things to think about to help guide you to the right decision for you!

iPink, BSN, RN

1,414 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

Many good advice was given, but I know a little about the NYC area and it's tough for nurses especially for ASN grads. If I were you, I would go for the ABSN if your finances can afford to do it. I'm actually a few months of graduating from my ABSN program and the more I speak to nurse managers in my area, the more I feel good about my decision to go that route.

RNGrammie

81 Posts

.There was an article in our daily paper today......

N.Y. bill would require bachelor's degrees for RNs | Press & Sun-Bulletin | pressconnects.com

ALBANY -- New registered nurses would have to earn bachelor's degrees within 10 years to keep working in New York under a bill lawmakers are considering as part of a national push to raise educational standards for nurses, even as the health care industry faces staffing shortages.

txhusker-SN

531 Posts

I JUST read, that they might try to pass a bill for residents of NY, they have to have a BSN in order to practice nursing. Basically if you have an ADN, you have 10 years to get a bachelors degree or you can no longer practice as a nurse. Keep that in mind incase it passes, or you plan to move.

I am in an ADN program, mainly because I could not afford to pay tuition for a BSN, I did not want any debt in student loans. But my plan is to get a BSN after I graduate and find a job. Most hospitals here will pay for you to get a BSN if you work for them for a certain amount of time, 6months to a couple years in most cases. I work as a home-health aide right now, which I will continue doing while in school, so i'll have some patient experience when i graduate, maybe it will help me with finding a job! :lol2: Where i live, there are plenty of hospitals that actually hire on there ADN students right after they graduate and take the NCLEX. You need to prove to them that you will be a great student and an even better employee.

but I dont think it will matter which one you choose, as long as your passionate about what you are doing. You can get an ADN and then go for a BSN later if you wanted. You just have to plan it out accordingly. I looked through the BSN degree requirements at the university I want to attend afterwards and prepared my transcript by taking the required classes based on what was needed for a bachelors.

AtomicWoman

1,747 Posts

Please do yourself a favor and go to the New York Nurses forum here on AN and ask your question. It is very important that you understand the job market where you will want to work. Here in the Philadelphia area, many of the largest hospitals no longer hire ASN graduates. In essence, they have forced nursing students to either enter BSN programs or look elsewhere for a job after graduation.

bmelissa

25 Posts

Mattmrn, I also live in NC and that is my exact plan too. A cc is so much cheaper for the basics and I plan to work on my transfer courses for my BSN there too. Then I will do the RN to BSN all online. I will then go on to get my MSN for FNP. I am so excited about this. I also volunteer at the hospital and free clinic in my area. Reading your post was like reading my own "5 yr plan". Good luck to you!

Kjawnq,

It sounds like either way you go would work great for you. So if it is cheaper to do ADN then RN to BSN that would be what I would do (and plan to do, accelerated BSN is not an option for me). Online classes at some schools can be cheaper and more convenient. It sounds like in NY you have 10 yrs the work on that BSN anyways. Best of luck to you whatever you decide!!

Thank you and good luck to you too! I agree that, if you can get hired with an ASN, a community college is totally the way to go. One of my friends is at a four year university pursuing her BSN, and when she graduates, she will owe over $250,000. She has been working on prerequisites for over two years, and she still has at least a year's worth of prerequisites to complete. She is so depressed, discouraged, and downright broke that she is discussing transferring to a community college to do as I am doing. If you can get away with it, I think the route we are taking is best. However that is just my personal opinion, and everyone must decide what is best for them as an individual.

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