ASN vs BSN

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I'm wondering which i should choose when ever i start college. Is it worth doing college for two years, so you can jump into nursing quicker? Or should i just get my bachelors right off the bat? How about only doing two years, becoming a nurse at that point, but then going back to school to finish my remaining two years? I could make time to resume my studies on my off days and what not. Is there any real benefit from choosing one of these over the other?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

What is it like where you live? Do hospitals hire only BSN grads or do they hire ADN grads?

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What is it like where you live? Do hospitals hire only BSN grads or do they hire ADN grads?

I'm only 16 so i'm not sure. I believe they do both though. I'm in Houston tx

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I'm only 16 so i'm not sure. I believe they do both though. I'm in Houston tx

Since you live in Houston (I live in Texas as well) I would go for your BSN.

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There is no one size fits all answer.

* do you have family and/or other major responsibilities? Will you be living at home with your parents? If no responsibility and living with parents I vote BSN.

*What are the hospitals you plan to work at(most people this means locally) looking for? Are they or looking to achieve magnet status? Look up their websites and look at the openings, what do the nursing posts say about education required or preferred?

*IF it comes down to choices between schools, what are their reputations? What are their NCLEX pass rates? Personally, I would choose an associates with a good school that local hospitals like their graduates over a BSN at a school with not so good pass rates.

* does how much loans you take out matter to you? It did for me because I am planning on pursuing a Masters degree. Getting an associates degree and then working might help minimize loans because you can take advantage of tuition reimbursement from a job to go get your BSN or use your income to pay cash for your BSN.

* Time. This will depend on how long it takes to complete your prerequisites. Most associates programs will not accept you without having completed some perquisites. How long will that take. For some it's 1-2 years, others take 3. Then you have the 2 years of the actual RN program. Then it's another 1-2 years for your RN to BSN.

For me, for example, I only spent 1 Year on prerequisites, currently in school for my associates, and plan to complete my RN to BSN online in 1 year. So, I'm still achieving my BSN in 4 years. Saving thousands by not going straight for my BSN. My program is well respected and graduates actually are preferred over the BSN schools. My area still is in need of nurses so getting a job with an ADN is a non issue. I also have 2 young girls and a husband, pay bills, etc. So I definitely benefit from hitting the job force a year earlier, I need the money! All the local hospitals offer tuition reimbursement, I can pretty much get my RN to BSN for free.

But for someone else living someplace else, going straight for the BSN is the better option.

Hope that helps!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
How about only doing two years, becoming a nurse at that point, but then going back to school to finish my remaining two years?
Be mindful that a two-year associate degree in nursing almost always takes more than two years to complete.

You must complete prerequisite coursework such as anatomy & physiology, English composition, microbiology, lifespan psychology, and humanities at a community college or university before applying to nursing programs. The prerequisite coursework sequence can take a year or more. Also, you must attain competitive scores on pre-entrance nursing exams such as the TEAS V, HESI or NLN/PAX.

You cannot just apply to a reputable nursing program and secure immediate admission, so it will not take 'only' two years.

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Be mindful that a two-year associate degree in nursing almost always takes more than two years to complete.

You must complete prerequisite coursework such as anatomy & physiology, English composition, microbiology, lifespan psychology, and humanities at a community college or university before applying to nursing programs. The prerequisite coursework sequence can take a year or more. Also, you must attain competitive scores on pre-entrance nursing exams such as the TEAS V, HESI or NLN/PAX.

You cannot just apply to a reputable nursing program and secure immediate admission, so it will not take 'only' two years.

Well if it'll take around three years anyway, i should just go ahead and get my BSN right from the start right lol?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Well if it'll take around three years anyway, i should just go ahead and get my BSN right from the start right lol?

That's what I would do. If you have no other commitments (like a PP stated) then just go for your BSN.

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No question get your BSN. You won't regret it.

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Times have changed now. Years ago, you can easily get a hospital job with an ADN degree in our state. Things have changed and most hospitals in our state now preferred to hire a RN, BSN grad. If you are aiming for a hospital job, it may be more recommended to get a BSN right off the bat. Goodluck!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I think it depends on where you live and if hospitals are hiring ADN's. They still hire ADN's where I work but now they are requiring a BSN within three years or lose your job. If you live in a big city with many colleges then you probably will need a BSN. If you live in a more rural area you might be able to get by with an ADN. If you have a choice you might be able to take the science prereqs at the local public community college as long as they transfer to the state college/university, which they usually do. An ADN thru your public community tech college is usually the cheapest route, but not always the fastest because they might have waiting lists due to the low cost/high demand.

If you go to the state university you might need a higher GPA because of the amount of competition vs a private school, but try to go the low cost option if you have a choice! Student loans are the worst debt out there and I've met many nurses lately with six figure 90,000 to 100,000+ for their RN and not always even a BSN, mostly because they went to a private school for a liberal arts degree and then went to a private ADN program when they couldn't get a job with their first degree.

May I suggest getting a job as a nursing assistant at your hospital or even volunteering at a hospital or nursing home to get a feel for what nurses do. Where I work they have a program for teens interested in the healthcare field and we occasionally get teens still in high school working as a CNA. The local public tech community college usually has a short program to train you for CNA. Hospitals have much better staffing than nursing homes and it would give you a chance to learn more about nursing.

Whatever you do I highly recommend taking a personal finance class now while in high school and maybe some business classes as well. Learning about money management will help you no matter what you choose to do in the future! If anyone is shooting you down for being concerned about making decent money without taking out excess student loans, I think that is a smart consideration on your part. I know only too well if I had not become a nurse and had stayed a secretary I would be really struggling financially and probably not able to own a home. Money has to enter into choosing a job, it is important to earn a living wage so you can afford to drive a safe car, live in a safe neighborhood, save for the future and just live a full, happy life! There is nothing wrong with being concerned about making a good wage. If you can take any classes on starting a small business I would recommend that as well as you never know it might be a way to make extra money or turn a hobby into a business. Some people make good money writing on blogs or being computer consultants or even being dog walkers. I personally think every high school student should be required to take a personal finance class as a minimum and be encouraged to take some basic business classes as well no matter what field of study they are considering.

Lastly I see you have asked lots of good questions in other posts but have been shot down and not received a welcoming response. I'm sorry for that. A lot of us come here to vent about our frustrations with the job, but that is not a reason to be unkind. Nursing can be flexible and you can work different shifts. I like 12 hrs and I generally get my preferred schedule, although I have to work every other weekend and every other holiday. Some places though do only every third weekend and some people are able to find coworkers to switch to get needed weekends and holidays off and yes the weekend option exists in some hospitals as well. Overtime is available in many places as well and some coworkers prefer to do agency for extra cash rather than overtime at the hospital they work once they gain some experience. Some do travel nursing which is great when you are young and free! We've even had nurses that have done travel assignments in Alaska and Hawaii! A nursing degree gives you the ability to get a job just about anywhere in the US! Where I work I get called for overtime frequently, while it's not my thing, there are plenty of young nurses that soak up the overtime and everybody is happy!

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