ASN the "easier" route to RN

[mydee]

HI,

I am a 25 year on pre-nursing student at cc and I am worndering is it "easier" to go ASN or BSN. Please understand that I know that becoming a RN in either program is very difficult. You have to admit that there are more prereq in BSN program and you do take more of the nursing management courses. As older student at this time I am not sure If I could heck the extra nursing classes right now. I honsetly just want to be able to call myself a RN. I figure going to school for a RN is hard with the extra load of classes. Once I am done with my prereq. I will be apply to the all ASN RN programs at CC but also at private schools as well (the nursing program is very hard to get it and I am trying to keep my options open) not to mention that a private RN program cost almost twice as much when you go stright BSN. I am trying to go through school with as little debt as possible becasue my husband and I would like to buy a home and start a family after I finish nursing school. So I was thinking that I could do all my prereq for BSN RN then once employed as a ASN RN find an employer that would pay if not 100% most of BSN degree. The big problem is that my long time goal is to be a NP and going for ASN frist will actually in the long run cost me more time to finish and become a NP. :monkeydance:

[justme1972]

I actually disagree with that. I have the same career goals that you do, I'm getting my ADN first. The reason I'm going that route is so I can be WORKING while getting my BSN, and then apply to an NP-MSN program.

It ends up being the same amount of time. 2 years for an ADN, 1 to 2 years for your BSN (4-year degrees are just that...4 years)...and the NP program that I am looking at will take about 2 to 2 1/2 years.

My CC college has a BSN program that I am seriously considering...mainly because I can get the BSN for the SAME tuition rate as I am paying at my dirt-cheap CC.

It's just something to consider.

[luvmyscrubs]

I agree with the last post. I am doing the same thing. Atleast, if you go ahead and get your Assoc. degree, you can be working while you get your RN to BSN. Plus, you can get it online. I am 29 with 2 kids and am in my last semester of my program. It is harder than I ever thought it would be, but you can do it!!!! th eonly thing about the Assoc. Degree programs is that it seemed to me that they have to cram so much info in such a small amount of time. I worry how much of it I am retaining sometimes!

[suzanne4, RN]

BSN programs, if the full four year program, actually include the pre-reqs with the program. It is the non-traditional BSNs that have the pre-reqs. The ADN programs also have pre-reqs, so those programs usually tend to be about three years from start to finish, they definitely are not two year programs if you do not have the required courses already completed.

[NJNursing, ASN, RN]

I agree with the above. It took me 4 years at a cc to get my ASN. It could have taken me 3 if I had gone full time from the start. The pre-req's take a good year by themselves and then the nursing/clinical portion is 2 years by itself. However, it was cheaper and I was basically able to go for free on grants and scholarships that most certainly wouldn't have covered the cost for a BSN program anywhere. Now I"m working and working on my BSN online with the hospital reimbursing me plus my grants and scholarships from before.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Going the ADN route is not necessarily "easier". But it might be the best idea time and money wise.