bachelors in non-nursing field, rn? msn? bsn? i need help!!

Brainiacster · Sep 15, 2010

My suggestion: Get the prereqs for community college associate's degree nursing programs (competitive & non-competitive)...make sure you keep your prereq GPA high (your bach degree GPA may or may not be counted, but certain of your prereq courses will definitely be counted in your GPA, so be aware which classes each school counts in GPA for admission). Then when you have those prereqs done, immediately get on the wait list for those schools. Then finish off any extra prereqs you need for the accelerated BSN or even a master's in nursing (there are a few of the accelerated master's programs if you already have a non-nursing bachelor's - there's one in Tucson AZ at University of AZ (U of A) for a masters...only ONE yr long, BUT you need the 2-semester chem sequence, so think about that before you take your chem - most nursing programs whether associate or accelerated bachelor's require only 1 semester of chem. It's basically a chem survey course that rolls the 2 semester chem into one semester...the associate's degree & accelerated bachelor's degree programs will usually take the 2-semester sequence instead of the 1-semester course...either way you cover the same material, but more in depth in the 2-semester sequence...but check to be sure first. Also, make sure whatever school you apply to requires the 2-semester sequence for a master's degree...I know for sure the U of A accelerated master's program does, but others might not. Anyway, if you're careful with order in which you take your classes and you check the prereqs for several programs carefully, you could have those preqs done pretty quickly. Also, a lot of community colleges offer all the prereqs pretty cheaply and even online if time is an issue (although some online courses require essays as well as regular tests & quizzes).

Another thing, in your particular case, you might think about starting to work on a MSW or something...you could take some of the courses in addition to some of the easier nursing prereqs...or maybe start taking them if you end up on a waiting list for a non-competitive program or if you have a semester wait before you get into a competitive assoc, bach, or master's accelerated program. The upshot is, if you plan carefully, you could be halfway done with a MSW by the time you get into nursing school & then finish the MSW (maybe online) after nursing school while you're working as a nurse. It would give you 2 decent career options in just a little extra time than it'll take anyway to get through nursing school.

By the time you have the prereqs for the associate's degree, there's only a few more prereq classes you need for most of the accelerated bachelor's or master's nursing programs, so you might as well take those too and apply to those too (just make sure you apply to the assoc degree programs first though...ie. the minute you have the prereqs for the assoc degree programs, so you're not delaying applying to those programs while you're finishing any extra classes you need for the accelerated programs). If you plan carefully, the beauty of it is, you've knocked off the prereqs for the accelerated programs while on the waiting list for the assoc degree programs anyway. Here, I'm assuming you're looking at the non-competitive assoc degree programs which usually have a wait list. IF you're looking at the competitive assoc degree programs, there's usually no wait list except for the semester or yr early that you have to apply...which still gives you 1 or 2 semesters to take courses for the accelerated programs). Overall, choose your courses & the order in which you take them carefully so you won't be wasting any time...and remember just because you apply to a bunch of programs doesn't mean you can't turn down a seat if you get a better program. Also, if you end up taking the extra courses for the accelerated programs while you're waiting for the associate degree programs, keep in mind those extra courses will also make your assoc program easier. (The reason you have to take the extra courses for the accelerated programs is because you usually get those courses or similar in the 2-yr program & you'll need to know them for the accelerated program to do well...and if you end up sticking with the assoc program, those extra courses will make your 2-yr program that much easier!)

Also, don't forget: if you need to, you can CLEP out of some of the more basic prereqs too (yeah, it requires some study time, but it's a lot faster than taking the courses...esp with some of the easier courses).

Another thing, some community colleges offer 8-week courses (double the work in that time relative to a 16-week class though)...and some even start up once per week (ie not on a regular semester schedule...Rio Salado College in AZ is an example...same with other Maricopa Country CC's...and it's all online...even labs...but you have to be disciplined to do it that way). Pretty cheap for AZ residents (71 bucks a credit hr)...more if you're out of state, but still not bad...plus, your own state probably offers something similar if you look around. Actually, I think there's a CC (community college) in Calif for 20-25 bucks a credit hr online (although dont know if that applies to non-Calif residents too...might worth checking though). As long as the school is accredited by one of the major accreditation bodies, you're usually pretty safe (check with the nursing schools where you intend to apply to be safe). Anyway, the point is: there are relatively cheap ways to get the prereqs done pretty quickly, so GOOGLE! (http://www.geteducated.com/

One other thing: different schools & different programs often have different requirements for HESI-a2 or TEAS entrance exams. For example, the CC I applied to requires only the HESI-a2 basic math & English (reading comprehension, vocabulary, etc), BUT one of the accelerated programs I applied to requires HESI-a2 math, English, A&P, chem, and biol. Other programs may require just HESI-a2 Math, English, A&P. One particular school to which I applied: they wouldn't let me just take biol, chem, and A&P on that HESI-a2 and add it to the HESI-a2 Math & English I took for the CC...had to take the whole test including the math & English plus biol, chem, and A&P because they wanted a composite score...so make sure you ask the schools where you're applying what their policies are on that.) Other schools may require require TEAS instead, and so on. Lastly, best to take whatever tests you need to take when the prereq course material is fresh too (plus your regular studying for those tests). LOL and when you're ready to scream about so much studying for so many tests, keep in mind all that studying will also make your nursing degree that much easier when you finally get into school!

IF you decide to take any MSW master's classes online, check out University of Idaho (about $500-$600 per credit hr...which is a lot cheaper than most master's programs...I know they're accredited as a major university (can't recall the name of the accreditation body for major uni's off the top of my head, but you can Google it or it might be on GetEducated too) and U of I is also accredited in engineering by ABET (the biggie for engineers)...just double check they're accredited in whatever the biggie is for soical work IF you decide to go that route on top of nursing prereqs...guessing they ARE...but check)

cmw6v8 · Sep 15, 2010

I also have a bachelors in an unrelated field, and here's what I did. I decided to go back a few years after I graduated, and I worked full time while taking evening and online pre-req courses. I spent a total of 15 months completing the prereqs (while simultaneously applying to an accelerated BSN prorgram).

I was put on the waitlist for the ABSN (did not end up getting a spot) so then I applied to a traditional BSN program, got in, and am now in my third week of classes in the nursing program. :)

There are a lot of different ways you can do it and a lot of it will depend on personal factors like your own income and financial ability to pay for coursework along with the nature and duration of the different programs. The first step is to get your pre-reqs underway so I would focus on that, as well as researching all the different nursing program options available to you. Good luck!

Oh--one other thing: I couldn't have paid for my pre-reqs had I not done a year of service in Americorps (like the Peace Corps but in the U.S.). You get an education award of about $5,000 which covered 95% of my pre-req courses. I did a Vista program and it was great--they paid for me to relocate and it was a great experience. You get a very modest stipend while you're volunteering but some programs have rent subsidies and other perks. I had no idea I wanted to do nursing while I was in Americorps but it turned out to be a great thing, even though the work was unrelated to nursing.

AmyB86 · Sep 16, 2010

Thank you for the responses! Very helpful. To cmw6v8- congrats on beginning the program! So you are in a traditional bsn program? The bsn programs I have looked into (all in California, where I live) are generally 3 years, vs the accelerated bsn which tends to be 12-18 months. Is that how long yours is? I figure if I go back to school for another 3 years I should just get an MSN.

I guess this will all come to me when I am done with my prereqs, there are just so many factors to weigh, and funding is a huge issue for me! Thanks again though for the advice!

cmw6v8 · Sep 16, 2010

Thank you for the responses! Very helpful. To cmw6v8- congrats on beginning the program! So you are in a traditional bsn program? The bsn programs I have looked into (all in California, where I live) are generally 3 years, vs the accelerated bsn which tends to be 12-18 months. Is that how long yours is? I figure if I go back to school for another 3 years I should just get an MSN.
I guess this will all come to me when I am done with my prereqs, there are just so many factors to weigh, and funding is a huge issue for me! Thanks again though for the advice!

Yes, I am in a traditional BSN program. The nursing coursework itself is two academic years. So I am basically a Junior in college again, and will graduate at the end of my Senior year. The accelerated BSN I applied to was 15 months, not counting the time for pre-reqs of course. So essentially I will be spending six more months in school than I would had I gotten into the ABSN program. Which honestly doesn't seem that bad to me. I'm just happy I'm in! And there are some advantages to doing a slower-paced program. For example, over the summer break between our junior and senior years, we will have the opportunity to do an externships in a hospital.

Jane Doe 1 · Sep 16, 2010

Go for the ABSN program!

birthrevolution · Sep 16, 2010

I have a BA in a non-nursing field. I took my prereqs while working (I worked at a university so I could take one a semester) and then applied to 3 year MSN entry programs and a second degree BSN program. Honestly, the MSN programs I applied to had fewer prereqs than the BSN program. I ended up going to the BSN program in state because I wanted to save money. I decided to do a BSN instead of ABSN because I wanted to do an international practicum experience and have time to do some extracurriculars. Realize that there's also a limit on Federal students loans for undergraduates, so if you do a BSN program you might max out what you can borrow, whereas it's higher if you're doing an MSN.

melmarie23, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2010

I had a Bachelors in a previous field too before going on to nursing. I opted for a direct entry Masters program. For me, as shallow as this may sound (though I assure you that it is not my intention) I didn't want to settle for anything less than an equivalent degree to what I already had, and I didn't even consider Associates programs. So I instead looked into both direct entry Bachelors and Masters programs. In the end, I chose the direct entry Masters because a) it was cheaper and b) I have long term plans, once I have the necessary experience, to go to school again, either for my NP or to become a CNM.