ADN-RN w/o experience & BS in healthcare admin... accelerated BSN

[first_lady22]

Hey peeps :) I had an allnurses account a few years ago when I was in nursing school & found this site to be incredibly helpful & am hoping that's still the case.

Here's the situation- I attended a community college & got my ADN degree two years ago... didn't pass NCLEX my first try & had a bit of a weak stomach so when I transferred to a 4 yr. university I declared a health services admin major. I decided it was in my best interest to get the license anyway, used Hurst review, passed & got licensed. But...now that I'm about to graduate w/ the HSA degree I'm realizing that I need a masters degree in that field to get a decent job that pays over 35k/yr. I'm considering going back to nursing to help pay for my masters degree instead of going further into debt w/ student loans. I have zero RN experience besides nursing school, and it's been so long that I wouldn't feel comfortable having a patient's life in my hands right now. I'm wondering if it's idiotic to complete an accelerated BSN program since I'll have the required bachelors degree instead of an RN-BSN because I'll be lost w/ clinicals & have lost a lot of the core competencies that would be expected of someone in the program. Does anyone know if there are any problems associated w/ an RN completing an accelerated BSN program & then just not taking boards again since I'm already licensed?

And btw... yes, my stomach probably is still kind of squemish but I'm in survival mode and have to make a living somehow. I made it through nursing school w/ the weak stomach before because I was using my GI bill & getting paid to finish the program so I know if I have to- I can tough it out for a few years to reach my ultimate goal of getting my MHA.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice that is offered.

[RN0915]

Why don't you do a refresher course instead? It seems that this would be the best option for you. I believe they are specifically for RNs who have been out of practice for several years.

[UVA Grad Nursing]

I second the suggestion of a RN-refresher course. Several of the community colleges in my area offer these programs that include about 60 hours of didactic instruction and 60 hours of clinical work (in the labs).

Then perhaps apply for a new grad RN position and get some practical RN work experience.

[first_lady22]

Thanks! I looked at some community colleges here and found one that includes clinical components.

[CarryThatWeight, BSN]

My RN to BSN program required us to be actively working in nursing as a condition of enrollment. We also had clinical--leadership and public health. I'm pretty sure these requirements will be standard for any RN to BSN bridge program, so I'm not sure that would be an option for you. I would go with the refresher course, as others have suggested, but know ahead of time that the job market is tough, especially for an ADN. You will not be eligible for new grad programs because you didn't graduate recently enough, but you don't have the experience required for non-new grad positions. I'm not trying to be negative, but it's an incredibly tough place to be. Good luck to you.