from rn to bsn or straight to bsn

[educateme]

Hi, I just want to for anyone who is currently a nurse. I am on my last semester doing my pre req to apply to nursing programs, I wanted to know what would you recommend as far as doing the RN program first or going straight to BSN and why? I am kind of up in the air on what to do. And if you are located in the south florida area what schools would you recommend

[SwampCat, BSN]

Go for BSN!! Job postings will often have "BSN preferred". If you go ADN and start working, you may find it hard to get the ambition to go back to school or it may be stressful holding down a nursing job plus taking classes. Do it all in one swipe.

[Taylo040]

I am in the same spot as you I am in my last pre req class and I am going into an Accelerated BSN program. Everyone I talk to in the hospital says BSN because all hospitals are looking for BSN's rather than RN's. You'll have a higher pay gap and you can even look at the jpb postings, there are more postings for BSN's.

[educateme]

How long does an accelerated program usually take I have never reallly looked into that. And I didn't even know there was a different pay gap between bsn and rn.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

Accelerated programs usually take 12-18 months, though when I was looking at programs I came across one "accelerated" BSN that was really only an evenings-and-weekends program.

There's usually not a pay gap between BSN new-grads and ADN new grads on any particular unit, since a new grad is a new grad. It's just that the better positions are generally BSN-only, which brings the averages up. Plus, you'll need at least a BSN if you plan to be upwardly mobile, and if you're young-ish, you might as well get that out of the way now.