Accelerated BSN vs. Part Time BSN

[mabebu]

Hi All,

Deciding to change careers midway through life has caused some strife in my marriage...

I'm currently taking prereqs and plan to start a 12 month accelerated program next May. However, my husband would prefer that I go part time in the regular BSN program. He thinks I should work while I go to school...

I am really burned out from my current job and though I make good money, I can't see myself staying here for any length of time w/out getting really depressed. And I can't w/ a good conscience get another job in my field because I'm so sure that I want out. My husband makes good money and though we would probably have to cut back a bit, I have already worked up a budget we could use during my schooling.

Has anyone else gone through a similar decisionmaking process? Do you agree with me or with my husband? What are your reasons?

Thanks in advance for helping me through this!

[fleur-de-lis, BSN, RN]

I had a very similar experience. I was in a full time job where I was unhappy, then taking pre-reqs at night. One day it was finally too much and I told my husband I wanted to quit. He was worried about the $$ but supportive, I ended up taking a few days off then quitting, and focusing on pre-reqs full time. I just finished the first summer semester of an accelerated BSN program, and it was the best decision I ever made. What we ended up deciding was that it is better to get the entire curriculum done in a year and a half then be able to make good money than to take 3-4 years doing it part time. Hopefully your husband just needs some time. Try presenting him your information (budget) plus the cost of the programs (accelerated vs. part time), the value of being in the nursing workforce sooner, etc., but don't discuss it right then. Just give him the info and ask him to look it over, think about it, then come back in a week to talk about it. That trick works wonders with my hubby! His first instinct is always to say no, but when he thinks about it for a while he comes around. So, I let him think rather than argue, and he usually ends up agreeing! Be real nice about it and tell him that his support would mean so much to you. Good luck!

[firstyearstudent]

I went the ADN route because of the expense (so much cheaper than a second BSN for me), but I really didn't consider part-time. It wasn't a readily available option (I would have had to enter as a full-time student and then find an "excuse" to drop down to part-time).

To me it made more sense to just plow through and get it over with. You can borrow money if you need to, and there are scholarships available, even for folks who already have a BSN. I just got one for $2,000!

[JaxiaKiley]

Full time makes so much more sense to me, but it sucks to drop down to one income when your family is used to living on two. I'm sure you will find the best solution for your family.

[mabebu]

Thanks for your replies (and for the happy outcome story). I've pretty much decided to quit my job at the end of December to do a full time semester of pre reqs and to begin the accelerated program in May. He knows what I've decided but is not really comfortable with it, even after having presented him with information showing that the part time effort will cost more money in the long run. Not sure what will happen with my marriage over this but I'm at the point that I am feeling compelled to do this....

Unfortunately, there is a waiting list for the RN program at the community college so it would take longer to get an associates than the accelerated BSN so that isn't a good option for me.