A little lost

[Emartin]

I'm interested in becoming an RN, then eventually a BSN, but have no idea where to start. I've gotten as far as enrolling in the local JC, checking out the prerequisites, and plan on attending the mandatory course meeting before enrolling, but that's about it. I have my AA, but have a feeling my GE courses have lapsed the 5-7 years. Any advice about how long it takes, if nursing course need to be taken in one semester, or what the course loads are like (I work full time) would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Sounds like you need to obtain specific information from the programs you're interested in. Contact them to get the details about the program schedule and structure. Keep in mind that nursing program schedules are very rigid.. no flexibility whatsoever. So you may have to do some modifications in your job situation in order to accommodate your education.

I know it's a bummer to have to repeat those 'elapsed' courses, but it could work in your favor if you make higher grades this time around.

[RunBabyRN]

Check to see if your GE courses have a time limit. No school I applied to had a time limit for general ed, and only a few did for the sciences (5-7 years, depending on the school).

Have you thought about attending the JC (I'm guessing SRJC, since most others are community colleges?) for your prereqs, then applying to CSUs directly? You don't necessarily have to do an ADN program if you know for sure you want your BSN. You could apply to both ADN and BSN programs (there's no limit to how many to which you apply- I applied to 10 my first cycle) and see what pans out. Just make sure you've met the requirements for all of those schools. Each one should have a website with everything you need listed.

DO NOT take your nursing sciences all in one semester. Take them one at a time. Some can do it two at a time, but don't take anything else at the same time, or do it while working.

How long it will take depends on what you have done, what you still need to do, and at what pace you plan to do them. You could feasibly do it all in a year and apply for next fall, most likely, if you can go full time. If you have your general ed done, there will be few classes you need that aren't direct prereqs. You'll need the 5 unit anatomy, physio, micro, and chem, general nutrition, critical thinking, and English; some of these you may have completed already. Some schools may also require CNA certification or other prereqs.

Keep your GPA as high as humanly possible- GPA is very important, especially in your prereqs, as programs are highly competitive. Take your TEAS as you get close to applying, ideally once you've taken some of your prereqs.

If you can, take one of your sciences this summer. I took Micro over the summer, and it was intense but good.

Good luck!

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

A RN is either a ADN or BSN. They sit for the same NCLEX. If you get your BSN you will still be considered a RN. The only difference is the degree you obtain. You really need to sit down with an advisor at the schools you are looking at and ask them. I go to a community college and the prereqs can take anywhere from 1-2 years to complete. Then you apply to the nursing program which is 2 years itself. There is also usually an entrance exam. So your best bet is to see what you need to do to apply to these programs.