ADN at a community college or GEM at Rush University?

Published

I am studying pre-nursing at a local community college and am planning to pursue an ADN at the same college. Lately I was also looking into a Generalist Entry Master's program that Rush University is offering that I could qualify for because I have a Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.

My dilemma is whether the much higher cost of the Master's degree at Rush will be justified by better job offers after graduation, or more job offers, for that matter? Or should I stick with the lower cost of an ADN from Harper College?

Thank you in advance for all your opinions!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ANP/GNP, CRNA, APHN, FNP, NNP, Peds, Psy.

Dear Bronze:

In today's complex health care environments, from acute to chronic to community settings, nurses are taking on more responsibility for the delivery of quality patient care. It has become clear that the traditional way of educating nurses needs to be re-thought. While similar to bachelor's programs in that they prepare graduates for generalist practice, the pre-licensure direct entry master's: generalist entry master's program includes the comprehensive clinical leadership content that most bachelor programs are unable to include — evidence-based practice, quality improvement, clinical outcomes management, team building and delegation, inter-professional communication, informatics and fiscal accountability. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) collects data on entry-level master’s degree programs (MSNs), which remain a popular pathway into nursing for those transitioning into nursing with degrees in other fields. Graduates from these programs are most likely to have secured jobs at graduation (73% for MSNs vs. 57% for BSNs) and at four to six months post-graduation (92% for MSNs vs. 88% for BSNs). These data illustrate a continued employer preference for hiring the best educated entry-level nurse possible. I hope this helps.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion