Associates in Nursing or ABSN?

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So.. idk what direction to go in. I already have my BS in Forensic Chemistry & I’ve been out of college for about 2 years now. I’m a military spouse so it’s been hard to find a position related to my college major due to the area my husband is stationed.... soo I’ve decided I really want to become a nurse, but I don’t know if I should get my associates or do the ABSN... what do you consider? Pros & cons? What is the average cost of an ABSN program?

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Both will lead you to where you want to be, an RN. If you have the time and discipline for a fast-track program, why not go for the ABSN.

Feel free to message me directly. I got into ADN programs but I ultimately chose ABSN. It's getting me to where I want be, faster.

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Specializes in ICU, School Nursing, Health Education.

My first choice would be an ABSN. There are no programs near me, so I went the ASN route.

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On 2/20/2020 at 9:59 PM, etchensketch said:

Both will lead you to where you want to be, an RN. If you have the time and discipline for a fast-track program, why not go for the ABSN.

Feel free to message me directly. I got into ADN programs but I ultimately chose ABSN. It's getting me to where I want be, faster.

How did you go about paying for your ABSN? Do you think it’s worth the debt if you used loans?

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11 hours ago, KFields said:

Do you think it’s worth the debt if you used loans?

I would suggest just looking at the big picture costs to decide which is a better choice. You should think about both the cost of the program and money you could be earning if you were done sooner. Don't worry about things that cost the same (rent).

For example, the numbers I came up with for my local CC's ASN program are about like this:

Tuition: -$7,000

Part time job (24 months, 20 hrs/week @ $12/hr): +$25,000

Total for two years: +$18,000

The ASN program takes two years, but it's slower paced, so a part time job should work.

A nearby ABSN program takes 16 months and costs $60,000. A part time job is probably not feasible during the program, but you get to work as an RN about 8 months faster. So the two year finances look like this:

Tuition: -$60,000

RN (8 months, assume $60k/year salary): +$40,000

Total for two years: -$20,000

Even if you didn't work the part time job while doing the ASN program, you would still be $13,000 ahead of where this particular ABSN program ends up after two years. The exact numbers will change a bit depending what programs are available in your area, but either way it's a pretty simple way to look at the costs.

You mentioned you are a military spouse, so the program length may be important for you. You probably don't want to be halfway through a program when the PCS orders come. Another contributing factor is how long the prereqs for various programs will take to complete and whether or not there is a wait to start (my CC's ASN program has about a two year waiting list after you complete prereqs).

Have you looked at what programs are available in your area? Or are you willing to move?

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