Best path for second career

You could also transfer into a traditional, "unaccelerated" BSN program. Many of them are set up as two years of general ed and prerequisites followed by two years of the nursing-specific courses, and people are able to transfer into the last two years.

I suggest you talk to all the respectable nursing programs in your area, and see what they have to offer you.

If you decide to do an Associate's program, you should plan on completing a BSN (at some point) after you do get licensed. The career possibilities for ADN-prepared RNs are shrinking as time passes, as you can see from the many threads on the topic here.

Best wishes for your journey!

I too, recommend looking at traditional BSN programs as well as accelerated ones. Since you might only have a few pre-req's to complete, the difference may be very small.

Here is another option that might be available where you live:

In my state, most of the Community Colleges offer an ADN with concurrent enrollment in a very respectable state university's BSN program for people in your situation. They take the pre-req's, introductory nursing, and clinical courses at the Community College and earn their ADN. However, they simultaneously take a couple of courses (available online) at well-respeced state university instead of at the Community College. Upon graduation, they are only 1 full time semester away from the BSN (which can be completed online).

It's a great option for them because they can do most of their classes "close to home" at the Community College -- convenient and less expensive than at the university. The rest is done online from home -- paid for by their employers who hire them with the ADN's. I work for a hospital that does not hire new ADN grads and requires all ADN new hires to be currently enrolled in schools. These "concurrent enrollment" student meet our requirements at graduation because they are already enrolled in their BSN program and only a 3 or 4 classes away from the BSN when they get their ADN.