Am I stupid for not doing the ABSN?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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About a year ago after I graduated with a previous bachelors degree, I decided to go back to school for nursing. To most people, it would seem obvious that I would have wanted an ABSN program.

Instead, I applied for a traditional 3-year BSN program and got accepted. I was beyond happy with getting in, but I kept hearing this voice of doubt and insecurity in the back of head. I'll be 24 when I start NS and 27 when I finish. I could have been done at 25.

I currently don't work and I have no kids. It seems like a foolish idea that I decided to pick the longer route. A second career older person in my chemistry class last semester confronted me. She asked me why I just didn't do the ABSN like she was doing. She had kids and a job. I felt like I couldn't remotely justify an answer. If she could do it, why couldn't I?

Am I stupid for not wanting to rush something like this?

No, you're absolutely not stupid for taking the traditional program route. ABSN is a great option if you're restricted by time and money, and if you're willing to bury yourself in school for 12 or so months without a break. ABSN is fine if it's what you want and you can make the sacrifices.

But a traditional program will allow - if you want it - to go into more depth with your studies. In an ABSN program you're goal is to keep your head above water. It's a sprint. A traditional program will give you (a little!) more breathing room, and also give you more clinical experience (very important) and give you more opportunities for summer employment (VERY IMPORTANT) and even summer work-study experience. If you apply yourself you'll have good job offers (conditional, of course) before you graduate.

You may also have the chance to do some nursing oriented school trips during spring break. My school has a for-credit spring break where we go down to Jamaica and do public health stuff with nurses down there. They also have another for-credit spring break trip to do clinicals in a hospital in Europe, and meet with european nursing students, etc. You will probably not have the chance to do any of this in an ABSN program.

I'm not knocking ABSN - I'd planned to do it myself but the state cancelled funding and it was suspended for a year. So I went into a traditional program instead and in retrospect I'm glad I did.

Finally - it sounds like you're gut is comfortable with your decision. Don't let your mom, or anyone else, mess with your head. Sounds to me like you made the right decision. Congrats!

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No, you're absolutely not stupid for taking the traditional program route. ABSN is a great option if you're restricted by time and money, and if you're willing to bury yourself in school for 12 or so months without a break. ABSN is fine if it's what you want and you can make the sacrifices.

But a traditional program will allow - if you want it - to go into more depth with your studies. In an ABSN program you're goal is to keep your head above water. It's a sprint. A traditional program will give you (a little!) more breathing room, and also give you more clinical experience (very important) and give you more opportunities for summer employment (VERY IMPORTANT) and even summer work-study experience. If you apply yourself you'll have good job offers (conditional, of course) before you graduate.

You may also have the chance to do some nursing oriented school trips during spring break. My school has a for-credit spring break where we go down to Jamaica and do public health stuff with nurses down there. They also have another for-credit spring break trip to do clinicals in a hospital in Europe, and meet with european nursing students, etc. You will probably not have the chance to do any of this in an ABSN program.

I'm not knocking ABSN - I'd planned to do it myself but the state cancelled funding and it was suspended for a year. So I went into a traditional program instead and in retrospect I'm glad I did.

Finally - it sounds like you're gut is comfortable with your decision. Don't let your mom, or anyone else, mess with your head. Sounds to me like you made the right decision. Congrats!

Thanks for the kind words. Good luck on your journey as well :).

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Absolutely! Good luck to you, too... Follow your heart, it's the best GPS there is!

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Unfortunately, multipath entry creates lots of problems. :(

Hi... if you happen to see this, could you explain more?

I know the direct-entry MSN causes a lot of issues for new nurses who go that route and have a hard time finding their first job... but what are other multipath issues?

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If you graduate at 25 or 27 you'll still have plenty of time in the workforce. Don't rush it and good luck!

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Hello! I, too, am a second degree student. I graduated in 2008 with my bachelor's in Ministry to Children and Families, was in a chaplain residency program for a year (loved the hospital setting and the nurses were so influential on my journey) and then taught kindergarten for 3 school years. Due to working as a teacher, I've been taking a pre-req at a time (more in the summers) at a local junior college.

This summer my fiance and I are moving and getting married. I will be going through a traditional BSN program (there is no ABSN at my university). I still have a year of pre-reqs to go before nursing school, but I have decided to increase my Spanish communication skills by getting a minor in Spanish as well. With an ABSN, I wouldn't have the time to get my minor in Spanish, which I believe will help me in the long run in nursing. With the path I'm on, I'll be graduating from nursing school when I am 30.

It's your life journey. Decide what is best for you. I'm excited about attending nursing school at my university because it really is an up and coming program, a true hidden jewel at my university, which is more known for engineering. I would love to do a summer externship and work at the local hospitals while I'm a nursing student so the traditional BSN for me is the right choice.

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To the OP: Hopefully, this will make you feel a little better. I was in the exact same position as you were a couple years ago, and now, I'm 27, and just graduated with a BSN, starting my first nursing job in a couple weeks. I do NOT regret my decision!!

While it could be a little strange being with people who are so much younger, for the most part, I didn't really notice. I was one of the oldest, but was able to make some friends close to my age.

Also, I am still shocked at how much they managed to cram into my head in two years. The thought of trying to do that any faster sounds awful! Decisions like this are hard, when neither of them is a horrible idea. Don't worry too much, because both of them will get you to your goal, just do what you think is right for you.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Are people who BASE jump stupid? Does it matter? You do whatever you want to do. I did an ABSN however I would not say that makes me smart OR stupid. It is just me. One person may say it is smart while another may say I was stupid to not get the BSN first time in college. I could care less if someone thinks I am stupid. Do what is right for you. Who the hell am I to tell you that you are "stupid"??

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You are not stupid, I too have a BA and am now in a traditional bsn. The time, the length of the journey does not matter- if it did I'd spend my whole life regretting not doing nursing rite out of high school. But the past is the past, as much as we want, as much as it pains me the oast cannot be changed. kudos to moving on ,Again the length doesn't matter, as long as you get to the end, that is all that counts.

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