Best path for second career

[Racer1986]

Hey everyone, I am a 28-year-old married male looking at transitioning from a career in journalism/publishing to nursing. It seems to me that my best option would be an accelerated BSN program as I already have a Bachelor's degree in journalism. My wife could support us while I was going to school, so I am thankfully in a position where I could quit my current job to focus 100 percent on the program.

However, I know some of these accelerated programs can be very difficult to get into. I completed my undergraduate work with a 3.39 GPA and I'm not sure there is anything about me that is going to stand out in a field of applicants who are coming in with better stats than me.

So here's my question...I am going to have to take pre-reqs before I can apply for an accelerated BSN program, so let's say I go ahead and do those pre-reqs, apply to the accelerated BSN and don't get in. Could I then apply those pre-reqs toward work that I would do in an associate's program and work toward my ADN? Would I have any other options?

I guess what I don't want to do is waste time/effort/money going for an accelerated BSN if I would have to start over at square one to go toward an ADN. Perhaps it might be better for me to start off in an ADN program from the get-go?

I greatly appreciate any thoughts and/or personal experiences anyone can share on this. I am in the beginning stages of trying to figure all of this out...

[elkpark]

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!

[Racer1986]

Interesting thought. I hadn't realized that was an option. Thanks for your help!

[Everline]

ADN programs have nursing pre-reqs. They are mostly likely close to the same ones you would take for a BSN program, especially since you already have a BA.

You can apply to both BSN and ADN programs and see what works out. Just compare the pre-reqs of each program to see what is needed. Good luck to you.

[llg, PhD, RN]

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.