ADN vs. BSN (kinda long, sorry!)

U.S.A. Arizona

Published

I'm new to the board - so hi everyone!

I tried to do a search on this (to no avail), so forgive me if this has already been addressed...feel free to link me to a thread if it has.

My situation is this: I already have a bachelor's degree (psychology), and have been taking nursing pre-req's at Rio, MCC, GCC, and PC. I have about 2 semesters left before I can apply to the BSN program at ASU.

The reason I've geared myself toward the BSN is because it would take me about the same time to get my BSN (already having a bachelor's) as it would take me to get my ADN. At the time, it seemed to make sense to me to get the BSN if it took about the same amount of time.

Then recently I had a discussion w/ someone at work whose wife just graduated from Gateway (Banner program). He was like, "why do you want to get a bachelor's? my wife had a 3.7 and couldn't get into ASU. ASU offers no practical experience, only simulations." Needless to say, I took all of this in with a grain of salt. But it did spark my interest - I've been so focused down one path that others didn't really occur to me.

I guess what I'm wanting to know is if any of you are/were post-bacalaureate, pre-nursing and if so, what route did you take? My goal is to position myself well for both the short-term (by getting a good job, etc) and the long-term (some kind of graduate degree).

Any thoughts/insight would be tremendously appreciated!

Thanks,

Chicken

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Hi Chicken,

my situation was similar to yours. I chose to get my BSN because I thought that I'd want to get a graduate degree in nursing a little later on. It was going to take me the same amount of time to do ADN or BSN because of prior university course work. By getting my BSN right away I wouldn't have to do a bridge from ADN to BSN later.

I had no problem getting into ASU, and graduated in May 2005. I was hired by the hospital of my choice, for day shift, before I graduated. While I was going through ASU's program, I knew people going through MCC's program. The programs are similar, and yes, ASU does have plenty of clinical hours. That was something I stressed about a lot. It was needless stress.

Each program has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Each program does a good job of preparing entry-level nurses. The nurses who hired on at the same time I did, who have ADN degrees, do exactly the same work. We get the same pay. We were equally well prepared to be entry-level nurses. What it comes down to is your plans for your future. If you're considering a graduate degree in nursing, I'd advise going straight for the BSN. If you're considering a graduate degree in a different field, the BS you already have may be enough.

Good luck to you.

jgwe4e

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Hi Chicken,

I was in the same sitiuation as you. I have a BA in Psychology and decided to go back to school for Nursing two years ago. I also struggled with the ADN vs BSN decision because I plan on working towards an MSN. I had all of my pre-reqs completed for for both programs but ended up going the ADN route. My reason was personal. After meeting with the ASU advisor and seeing the course load I realized that, being a mom, the schedule just wouldn't work for me. I would have been in school/clinical 5 days a week while my son was in school, so, when would I have time to study? With the ADN program, I had all of my pre and co reqs completed so I would be in school only 3 days a week leaving the other two days free for prep work and studying.

Nursing school isn't difficult but it is A LOT of work! I am currently taking 9 credit hours and I am working more than I did when I had a 15 credit course load LOL! YOu have to study for the lecture classes, practice skills, go to the hospital the day before clinical to pick patients to care for, write care plans, etc, etc....

I agree with the above poster who said that both programs do a great job at preparing you for an entry level nursing position. However, I think you should also look at both programs and see which will fit in better with your lifestyle. If you do go the ADN route there is always ASU's RN-MSN program that takes about 3 years to complete. I have a friend that is doing that and she says it's great, also, her employer has paid for all of her books, tuition etc.....Univ of Phoenix also has another good Rn-MSN bridge program.

There are some great options out there...I would suggest making appointemnts with an ASU advisor and an advisor at a CC to get a better idea of what each program entails. At MCC, we have an advisor from ASU that comes to our campus twice a month. You could make an appointment with her and meet with MCC's Nursing advsior on the same day and kill two birds with one stone.....Good luck!

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If you are in a hurry, ASU has 16 month accelerated programs.

ASU does have clinical times but there's lots of emphasis on paperwork such as collecting patient data and having care plans ready the day before clinicals begin and then just about each clinical week there are enormous write ups (40 to 70 page) that are time consuming with intros to the PT, pathophysiology, concept maps, care plans, and reflective journals all referenced and cited in APA format. The write ups get to be pretty monotonous.

Word has it, ASU is changing the program format so we'll see what that entails. As with most programs there have been problems getting (good) instructors and so there're been some growing pains there. I understand ASU is in the process of deciding what to do with one class/course at an ASU campus which is in the process of failing 1/3 of the class. Supposedly it's never happened before and the requirements to get in have never been more challenging.

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

I was sorta in the same boat. I already had one Associates Degree when starting NS, so when I am done, I will have two AA degrees! (Yep, I chose the ADN)

I met with an advisor at ASU and, if accepted after one semester wait (key word there is IF), I could have been done with my bachelors by the same time I will be done with my Associates. At the time tho, I was working full time and would have to have taken on 14 credit hours at ASU that semester to finish the pre-reqs. The classes were not offered at night and I did not want to quit my job just yet. That is not why I decided against ASU tho. Advisor said that they were only considering GPA's of 3.6 + and that you would need, pretty much, a 3.7 atleast to get accepted. Well, I only had a 3.2 and did not want to risk waiting around and never getting in. If it was gauranteed (like community college is after so long) then I would have gone to ASU West. I can play the waiting game but with no gaurantee of admission??? No thanks.

That said, I do plan to go RN-MSN at ASU West. That program, by the way, is not competetive at all and admission is practically gauranteed (per the advisor).....

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I say, if it's going to take you the same amount of time either way, it will almost always be better to get your BSN. As others have said, each program offers its own strengths and weaknesses. As long as it prepares you to pass the NCLEX, then it's done its job, IMO. The real learning comes after graduation.

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It's always worth a try to apply to ASU. The cut off score for ASU FALL 2006 was a 5.969. Some people had 3.2 GPA's and were admitted. They just received great scores on their NET exams and essay. For example, in one scenario, someone had a 3.2 GPA, .98 on the math, .92 on the reading comprehension, and .95 on the essay. She made a total of 6.05 and was really excited!:biggringi

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Some more data for your consideration.....I am in a similar situation, having a B.S. in Business from ASU. I originally planned on getting my BSN from ASU and then, after my ethics class last spring, changed my mind and moved towards making application to the ADN program through MCC. The irony is that after one year and completion of all my pre-reqs, I actually believe I stand a better chance of getting into ASU, than into one of the MCC programs. I had thought it would be the other way around, but unfortuantely, while ASU is strictly a meritocracy system, the MCC programs pretty much let anyone in, given a pass on the NET and a 'C' average on all their pre-reqs. So, the end of the story is that I am applying both at ASU and through the MCC system, hoping I get in somewhere! My end goal is an MSN anyway, so the BSN will have to come at some point and time. I thought with fewer prereqs, the MCC programs would be easier to get into. How wrong I was! I agree with the comments of the other posters......you need to have a clear understanding of what is required for entrance through the MCC system and through ASU's program. Several folks have mentioned having a higher GPA required, but in actuality, the folks are placed strictly based on points; GPA plus Net math plus Net reading AND the essay. So if you do very well on the NET exam and are able to articulate well on your essay, you could get into ASU with a lower (relatively) GPA. I believe you won't see any folks at ASU with less than a 3.0, that is for sure.

DC

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry/PCU, SNF.

I too thought about the ADN vs BSN debate and ended up going ADN, mostly due to timing and completion of pre-reqs. I'm at CCC and didn't much like the reception I got at NAU. It was almost like they didn't know how to deal with someone not fresh out of high school...but I digress. I figured, I already had a BA (social sciences w/psych minor) and new that I could always go back for BSN and up. Besides, the reality was that I could pay for the ADN out of pocket and not rack up any more loans/debt. Considering I was going to get squat for financial aid due to multiple reasons, this was a huge consideration for me. I figure that in a year of three, depending on how I feel, I'll be back in school for my RN-BSN and probably further. I feel like I made the right choice for me, and believe in the program I'm in has prepared me to be a nurse, so it works.

Cheers,

Tom

May 12th baby!

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

Go for the BSN, especially if it is going to take you the same amount of time. I also had a BA in Psych. I ended up doing an accelerated masters program and love it! I considered an ADN but i'm SO SO SO SO glad i decided to go the way I did!

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Specializes in ICU, Oncology.

I, too, considered ASU BSN but decided on ADN. I have a B.S. already in Biology. My grades were good (3.75 GPA), and I felt I had a great chance of getting in. The decision-maker for me happened to be the fact that I would need 15 more credit hours of prerequisites --along with the fact that ADN is about 40% of the cost of a BSN. I realize I could have knocked out the prereq's in the time that I am waiting to get in to an ADN program. Even though I know a lot of hospitals have loan repayment programs, I can't stomach the thought of taking out any more loans when I'm still paying off my first degree.

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Thanks everyone for your responses. I've met with an ASU advisor, so my pre-req path has been geared toward ASU - I don't know the difference between the pre-reqs for the ADN and the BSN. So, I think I'll meet with some advisors re: the ADN and then just see which fits best for me when the time comes (hopefully only 2 semesters after this one).

I'm married with no children right now and can afford not to work (although I have a part-time job right now), but my husband and I are also trying to start a family so my life situation may definitely change.

Thanks again, I really appreciate everyone taking time to respond and share your experiences!

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