All right from what I understand in terms of a (2nd degree accelerated nursing program) BSN or ADNs, ADN is 2 years, both allow you to sit for the NCLEX RN exam and hence from either one emerges as a Registered Nurse. Starting pay is roughly the same and both are allowed to perform the same duties.
The primary difference aside from time and monetary comment is the BSN allows one to transition more easily into managerial positions, perhaps better job prospects. And if one is looking into the military, BSN is accepted in any service whilst ADN can only look into the reserves.
Is there anything I am missing from BSN or ADN?, are employers only looking for BSN etc....
My situation is I am a college grad who is looking to get into the nursing field. Currently my options are go to a Community college for the ADN or enroll in a 2nd degree program. Ideally I would like to go 2nd degree but from what I understand ADN is cheaper and faster.
Previously I believed the prerequisites for a 2nd degree could be completed in one year (2 semesters) however for some courses there are prerequisites to the pre requisites. I.e, statics and Biochemistry are prerequisites to getting accepted into the 2nd degree program, yet they themselves require certain courses to be completed before you can even take Stats, Biochemistry etc...
What is giving me reservations about the 2nd degree is money and time.
I am assuming with the 2nd degree the prerequisites would take a little over 2 semesters to complete, maybe 2 semesters and a summer/winter or if I was truly lazy at the most 4 semesters to complete before actually taking any nursing courses.
In comparison with the ADN your done in 2 years
Money would have to come from student loans, either a 2nd degree or a ADN I am relying on student loans. Since I am assuming the 2nd degree will take longer I will obviously have to take out more loans.
If you where in my situation, what would you do? Would you take the additional time and money and go for the 2nd degree program or would you go for the quicker route and go for the ADN?
(I am unsure of how common/sensible it is for someone with a Bachelor's to go back to school for an associates)
Any advice, personal experience would be extremely helpful for I am ready to take the next step.
When faced with the same choice, I went with the ADN. My main reasons were money (now that i'm done, I'm completely debt free) and quality of life. The ADN program took me 3 years -- for the first year, I was working part time and taking a few pre-requisite courses; for the second 2 years I was a full time student in the program and was still able to work a per-diem schedule. If I had gone with the ABSN program, I could have been done in as little as two years (a year of part time pre-requisites plus a 12-month Accelerated BSN program; the other ABSN options were 15 and 18 months). I think I would have been miserable though -- the schedule for the ABSN programs were intense, you're in class or clinical for 8 or more hours a day each day of the week, with barely any time to go home, do your reading and get back the next day. I would never have seen my husband, or my friends. The ADN program was intense (and much more difficult than my first BA degree), but I still had some time to myself.
I know many ADN students (including many of my classmates) are having trouble finding jobs, so I know that is a big issue to consider. I was one of the lucky ones to get a job right away (working per diem as an ER clerk during school was a HUGE help); otherwise I might be regretting my choice today. But now I'm working on my BSN and it is being paid for (mostly) by my employer so I'll still be debt free by the time I finish that a few years from now. It's a much longer road, but I'm glad I made the choice I did.
phaerie
12 Posts
When faced with the same choice, I went with the ADN. My main reasons were money (now that i'm done, I'm completely debt free) and quality of life. The ADN program took me 3 years -- for the first year, I was working part time and taking a few pre-requisite courses; for the second 2 years I was a full time student in the program and was still able to work a per-diem schedule. If I had gone with the ABSN program, I could have been done in as little as two years (a year of part time pre-requisites plus a 12-month Accelerated BSN program; the other ABSN options were 15 and 18 months). I think I would have been miserable though -- the schedule for the ABSN programs were intense, you're in class or clinical for 8 or more hours a day each day of the week, with barely any time to go home, do your reading and get back the next day. I would never have seen my husband, or my friends. The ADN program was intense (and much more difficult than my first BA degree), but I still had some time to myself.
I know many ADN students (including many of my classmates) are having trouble finding jobs, so I know that is a big issue to consider. I was one of the lucky ones to get a job right away (working per diem as an ER clerk during school was a HUGE help); otherwise I might be regretting my choice today. But now I'm working on my BSN and it is being paid for (mostly) by my employer so I'll still be debt free by the time I finish that a few years from now. It's a much longer road, but I'm glad I made the choice I did.