ADN then MSN, or just go straight for MSN?

UVA Grad Nursing · Jan 28, 2009

What about going for an accelerated BSN first? There are over 100 of these types of programs for those with undergraduate degrees in other areas. These ABSN programs can be completed in as litle as 12 months

kaya767 · Jan 28, 2009

the problem with that is my husband and I live on two incomes, so I would either need to work while going to school or take out loans for living expenses (which would rack up more debt). I'm also pregnant with our first child and I'm not sure I'd have any time for family if I did the ABSN?

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 30, 2009

the problem with that is my husband and i live on two incomes, so i would either need to work while going to school or take out loans for living expenses (which would rack up more debt). i'm also pregnant with our first child and i'm not sure i'd have any time for family if i did the absn?

you won't have time for family no matter what program you choose... your husband will need to make a commitment to your studies too and take primary care of the kids... if he is not up to that you might have problems getting through your nursing education.

as for which school… given that your finances are a major issue (like it is for most of us) getting your adn first is the way to go. accelerated programs are expensive and you can find yourself over $100,000 in debt when all is said and done… nurses do not make enough to justify that kind of debt!! not to mention there are very few programs that will pay down student loans that high. plus, new grads right now are having a hard time finding employment in many places around the country so you could be out of work for up to six months upon graduating a absn or amsn…. whereas if you gain employment at the hospital (even part-time as a nurse extern) while getting your adn, you have a better chance of graduating with a job.

i paid cash for my adn and worked two full-time jobs in the summer and the same jobs part-time during the school year. i am working full-time as a new grad and am enrolled in a rn-bsn program my employers are paying for with no time commitment. good luck to you...!

UVA Grad Nursing · Jan 30, 2009

There may be some cheap ABSN programs in your state. There is a 12-month program here in my state where the total tuition is about $10,000. The local ADN programs are about $100 a credit (which makes the degree about $7000). The ABSN programs at private universites are much more costly.

Jobs are tightening here too, and the academic medical centers and those aspiring to Magnet Hospital status are hiring BSN grads over ADN grads (I've heard of an 80:20 ratio this year). We still have 6 diploma programs here in Virginia, and several hospitals are no longer interviewing diploma grads for new grad positions.

I agree with MBA 200% that you will need the support of all your family if you are to go back to school at all. Having a good support network (or a supportive spouse/SO) is so important.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

i am working full-time as a new grad and am enrolled in a rn-bsn program my employers are paying for with no time commitment.

wow!! how nice for you!! i looked in to having my facility pay for an advanced degree, but i'm not sure i want the additional time commitment so will have to pay as i go. best wishes!!

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 2, 2009

wow!! how nice for you!! i looked in to having my facility pay for an advanced degree, but i'm not sure i want the additional time commitment so will have to pay as i go. best wishes!!

my facility has two programs... one that pays for all of your tuition and fees with a time commitment and another that pays for some of it (a set amount per year) with no time commitment. since i do not take classes full-time due to other obligations (including work), the money i receive for my education per year using the second option covers all of my tuition and fees. if i ever make a time commitment to an employer it will be to an employer that provides me a bigger purpose then the all mighty dollar, such as those found in the public sector. :twocents:

FLmomof5 · Feb 3, 2009

I want to eventually get my MSN as well, but chose the ADN then MSN route for a couple of reasons.

First, I would be able to get a job as an RN (yeah, yeah, I know about the economy but this wasn't the case when I made my choice!) and get some experience first. I had concerns that once I got an MSN, I wouldn't be able to get a job at that level without experience!

Second, I am in IT. (OOPS! WAS IN IT...got laid off Friday!) Anyway, I knew the volitility of the field and was tired of getting laid off. The ADN would allow me to get a more secure job sooner than an MSN.

Next, an ADN at the local CC is about $7700 total including supplies (uniforms and stuff). I would take out student loans to pay for it....if I got a job at a specific local hospital, then the state of FL would pay my student loans at the rate of $4k per year up to 4 years or amount of loans, whichever is lower. This would then eliminate my loan debt in 4 years!

I would evaluate my situation during that period to determine when starting the MSN would be feasible and how it would get paid for (maybe by the hospital?).

Good luck in your decision!

mmm333, LVN · Feb 4, 2009

I am a college graduate (BA), currently in an ADN (A.S.) program. This is mainly because I got into the first program I applied for, one that only required one chem course as a prereq. So I am a prime candidate for the RN-MSN pathway.

My situation is almost exactly the same. I earned B.A. degrees from UC Berkeley in unrelated areas. I worked dead-end jobs in the legal services industry and in technology sales before realizing that law school wasn't for me and success in business was a crap shoot these days.

My wife & I decided to forget about starting yet another "job" hunt, and instead performed a "career" hunt. I reflected on the jobs I had truly enjoyed most in life... and quickly decided to fall back on my military medic experience and enter nursing. I worked hard and got straight A's in the prereqs. I applied for the first ADN program I could, and finished all other concievable prereqs (thinking it might be important since some MSN programs require organic chemistry, developmental psych, etc.). I got called last on the waitlist and started the ADN program without skipping a beat.

So I never even applied for the "entry" / "generic" MSN programs (EMSN). It seems to me that "Entry" MSN programs are basically accelerated BSN programs for 1 year + 2 more years covering the generic MSN program format, all put together under the banner of "EMSN". Total of 3 years. ADN programs take two years and standard MSNs take 2 more years. 4 years.

For me, the major considerations were 1) money, 2) time, and 3) likelihood of paid employment during school and 4) immediate or rapid employment after graduation. Of course, fate will dictate what programs you get accepted to first (definitely apply to both) and your current situation will dictate what you can afford to do.

ADNs are attractive because they are cheap, even after you consider the cost of living. Employment may come sooner with the ADN. ADN applications are usually very easy to complete, don't require GREs, multiple letters of rec etc. If you can get into an Entry MSN program, your first year will be intense, basically an ABSN program, and you might be considered a G.N. (Nursing Graduate) and start working like an RN in a clinical setting- possibly getting paid a decent stipend to survive on. You will then study theory for 2-3 more years, earning the MSN. This is a long hard slog with little rest. Consider that you will have to contend with NCLEX and your personal life in the meantime.

If you are married with kids, I personally think that the ADN>RN>MSN path is better. But again, you can't control where you will get accepted. That's up to fate. Apply to both.

You have a BA. I totally understand the feeling that you don't want to "move backwards" by earning any more redundant associate's or bachelor's degrees. I have taken so many units that every time I take a class at community college, I earn another AA degree. And I already have two bachelor's degrees. It's getting ridiculous to take anything below the graduate level.

It's like "enough already!"... You worked hard on the B.A.'s you earned, and the rest of the world thinks you are crazy not to take your education to the graduate level. People look at you with pity in their eyes when you tell them that you are back in community college... Yet the nursing community is filled with people who frown at the idea of anyone passing them up without going through the same ADN or BSN pipeline that they did.

Your English degree has prepared you for graduate study. English grads are usually great writers. It is obvious that this will give you an edge if you later decide to become a nurse educator or anyone involved in research and writing. In an ADN program you may even feel bored and frustrated at times. An MSN is going to be your ticket into these advanced fields after you gain some floor experience.

If your life and finances can support it, the EMSN is attractive. Otherwise take the ADN/BA>MSN path. Accelerated BSNs designed for people with BA degrees might be an option, just because they save time.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Feb 5, 2009

I will add that the BSN is getting to be more and more a minimum for a lot of facilities, especially those that have a semi-abundance of applicants/graduates to choose from.

Just something to think about....

mmm333, LVN · Feb 5, 2009

Yes, that's true. If you do an ADN, you should definitely plan on doing a BSN or MSN.