ADN or wait two years to get BSN?

PauperRN · May 6, 2014

If I were you, I wld do the ADN, get my license then figure out the many bunch of online ADN/RN to BSN. Just make sure ur credits are transferring, as in pick a school and have a rough idea where u'll be taking ur BSN so as to be on par with their requirement

bamaguh1988 · May 7, 2014

If you get your adn, I know the university of south Alabama has an online track to go from adn to bsn

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · May 7, 2014

I would contact California and ask for the minimum requirements for an out of state ADN program. I think it has to do with clinical hours, that's why a program like Excelsior is no longer accepted because the students do not do clinicals.

I would not leave in the middle of a bachelors program as it is a good chance that not all credits will transfer. Schools can be goofy about what they accept and will not accept. Generally general education credits transfer okay with a handful of issues but the nursing classes may not if the program is unfamiliar with the other program. Plus programs are also set up differently whereas I have had my OB and peds last but someone else may have their OB in the beginning.

If you chose to do an online RN to BSN, make sure your associate degree is accredited by the NLN now called ACEN. Without it, some programs will not accept students who apply. There are other accreditation like the state board approval, but NLN or ACEN (same company) is the one that is important if you want to continue on.

The only difference between RN to BSN and ADN to BSN is that the RN to BSN may include diploma programs and ADN to BSN is an associates degree. All programs I look at require licensure within the first few months of class if not before school.

kelskelsb · May 7, 2014

Thank you so much for the helpful responses! Ya your right I don't want to start anything and leave, plus I looked into that and once your in a nursing program you must finish with that school I've read. Being a military spouse is hard putting all your school on the line ! But everything happens for a reason! Thank you ! Good luck to you in your classes : )

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · May 7, 2014

Well, it's not necessarily true that you must finish with that school. At my school, we had a sort of "trade" going on where people would fail our program and go to this other college. Then those that were failing out their program would apply to enroll into our program. They would work it in a way to accommodate both somehow. I know their OB class was done earlier whereas ours was one of the last classes. The two programs were near enough to each other that they could familiarize themselves with the students who were leaving the program and it happened often enough that it was not too much of a bother.

KYERNURSE · May 9, 2014

I would definitely go for your ADN! I have an associate's degree and currently work in a management position. My degree has never kept me from obtaining a position that I wanted. You can always get your BSN later online. You should go ahead and get that degree! Make some money and get some experience while you're waiting to be in a position in your life when you can work furthering your degree! I'm not sure about other states, but where I practice....there is absolutely NO pay difference between an ADN or BSN.

SierraBravo · May 9, 2014

Also consider that if you want to work at a Magnet hospital, there could be potential difficulty landing a job there without the BSN. In NY, there IS a difference in pay if you have a BSN vs. an ADN.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · May 9, 2014

I'm unclear on your statement "I'll be moving from Georgia to California". Are you going to be in CA for nursing school or move there in 2 years?

Important because I hear getting into ADN schools in CA can be quite challenging, lots of applicants for every spot. Also I hear the new grad situation is very tight in CA with some areas better than others but especially so for the ADN grad.

As a pre-nursing student with no other HC experience, you wouldn't qualify for Excelsior's initial licensure program. CA will not care if you use them for RN to BSN as long as they approve of your original program. There are literally dozens of RN to BSN online programs, EC is just one of the many players out there though they are quite military friendly.

kelskelsb · May 9, 2014

Tiffany , I will be moving back to California in two years! My problem right now is my husband is in the military and if I was accepted to the spring nursing program here in Georgia I'd have to stay a whole year after he left and that's just unrealistic ! But since we will be here for two years I'm not sure if I should try and get my ADN here (either way I want to go for my BSN) but I don't want to get my ADN and California schools not accept it... I've contacted some schools and there checking for me if the nursing credits will transfer. But I'm scared cause just like you said I know CA is soo impacted and getting into a nursing school can take years :/. Ive been volunteering and have a medical assistant certificate I just am scared we would move back home to California and i would have to wait years to get in you know? It's just frustrating haha

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 9, 2014

The main thing you need to research is whether or not you could get licensed initially in California through an out-of-state program. California has some very specific requirements that apply to everyone that wants to be licensed/endorsed to work in the state. The biggie is the "concurrency" issue. This has certainly bit BSN's from the Philippines very hard, but it it applies to US grads too. Once you know you can be "endorsed" into California, the next thing you'll need to find out is whether or not your College/University units will transfer to California Colleges and Universities. There will be some courses that don't transfer and some that will. Those that do not will have to be challenged or repeated.

If you determine that you have to wait to begin a program in California, as soon as you're able to apply to schools out here, do it. Hopefully you won't have to pay out-of-state tuition rates your first year here. That gets very expensive per unit... The reason I suggest applying to programs out here as soon as possible after you know you're moving here is so you can hopefully get in a program sooner rather than later. If you're able to figure out a path to getting your RN license locally that also meets California standards, that might work out better in the long run because then you can arrive in-state with your RN license and ready to work while "attending" a BSN program through any of the many options available. As it is, I'm about to graduate from an ADN program and I'll be looking at going to a BSN Program as soon as I'm able to afford it, if not an MSN program (I have a Bachelors already).

I wish you the greatest luck, and I know just how difficult Military Life can be on the family.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · May 9, 2014

Get your ADN thru a community college now and then when you go to CA enroll in a BSN completion program if you want. An RN is an RN you pass the same NCLEX. You would just need to get a CA license. Starting a BSN now in GA would complicate things when you move and you would probably end up having to retake classes and paying more. As for classes not transferring that is usually a problem of going to for profit schools that have a national not regional accreditation. Stay away from for profits and the problem should be solved. Understand when you want to get a BSN or BA/BS they usually require at least 30 credits at the school you want to transfer to because they want to get some money from you too and you would be using their name for the BSN.

But have you considered an Ultrasound tech program thru the community college. The pay is as good or better than nursing and more likely to have family friendly working hours!