Associates and then sitting for the licensure exam vs Second Degree BSN

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2009

You have to decide which is more of an issue....

Time?

or

Money?

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Dec 24, 2009

I had a BA when I decided to become a nurse. Since I had to pay for it myself, a $7,000 Associates made a lot more sense than a $25,000 (at least) BSN. In the end, I was still an RN.

Jubilayhee · Dec 24, 2009

I faced this exact same decision. The Accelerated BSN cost 42 k where the ASN cost 7 k. In this economy where all you hear about is nursing new grad not finding jobs, I choose the ADN.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2009

My BSN coworkers haven't found their BSN to be that much of an advantage in the workplace, other than earning an extra buck an hour. You can do that by getting additional certifications for a couple hundred bucks a pop. Unless you think you want to go into teaching, management, or some high falootin specialty, an ADN is really a very practical choice.

meandragonbrett · Dec 24, 2009

Do you plan to obtain your MSN?

netglow, ASN, RN · Dec 24, 2009

I'm with the gang, as this also is my second degree. If I go further I will bypass the BSN and go direct to masters with a little tuition reimbursement.

litchi · Dec 24, 2009

I'm in a similar situation.. The deciding factor for me was that I plan on eventually continuing my education, so getting a BSN is my ultimate goal. Because of that, I took into consideration the cost and time associated with going straight for my BSN vs. the cost and time it would take to get my ADN and then go on to do the RN-BSN bridge program. For the schools I was looking at, it would take me two years to get my BSN and cost about $17k. For the ADN program + the RN-BSN bridge, it would take me four years and cost about $15k.

Basically, it comes down to time vs. money. Going the BSN route is the fastest and it's not always that much more expensive (of course, this really does come down to the school in question).. but if a BSN isn't a big deal to you or you don't know yet if you want to continue your education, getting an ADN first is a good choice. You'll be an RN either way, so you can't really go wrong.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

cookderosa · Dec 25, 2009

Like most people with previous degrees, I had to make this decision too. If you are planning on a master's degree, you can always do a bridge program RN (ADN) to MSN. Many of the bridge programs I looked at charged graduate tuition rates. So, the bridge isn't all that cheap. The specific program I am looking at (Frontier) charges about $8,500 for the bridge. My community college ends up being about $9,000 for the the associates.

I don't know about your programs, but the BSN here has a lot more science/math prereqs than the ADN. If I did the ADN I could apply now- I'm still 3 semesters out for the BSN here.

So- for me, it's 3 years and $17K for that plan vs 1 year at $35K. I have not made up my mind yet, but I am leaning toward the BSN...and no matter which I decide, I'm taking all the math/science prereqs anyway. You never know. If I decide later to try for a NP or PA program, they want allllllll the sciences- and it won't get easier later! LOL

You also have to also consider getting into the workplace sooner (if that's the case for you) and the income you can make as an RN. For me, I know I'd be able to earn more than the difference in those 2 years....

But...there are no guarantees. What if I don't pass a class? The 1 year program has only 1 start date per year, so that would mean anything below a B average could put me out of my group waiting for the next year to try again.

There are pros and cons to both, that's for sure!!

sunnycalifRN · Dec 25, 2009

I would just get the ADN, since it costs less. Some hospitals, like where I work, will pay for the ADN to BSN bridge program. So it's a win-win situation. Also, there only a minimal, if any, difference in starting pay for ADN versus BSN.