Best Way to Become an RN if you have a Bachelors Degree in Business

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2009

I had a bachelor's in business and went into an accelerated BSN program. It was 15 months but full time only. You were encouraged not even to work part time, although a few students did 12-24 hours per week as a tech. I do not know of any accelerated programs that are part time. You can probably get your pre-requisites part time, however, and maybe save up some $$.

Once your pre-reqs are done, you would have to make the decision if it is better to go for a part time program (which may be for an ADN or a BSN depending on what is available near you), or if it is better to go for an accelerated program and get it done faster, even if that means tightening the budget or getting extra loans. You will figure out what is right for you! There are many different paths to becoming a nurse and none is right or wrong.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 16, 2009

ltf500 said:
Hello,
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and would like to make a career change into healthcare. I am also a mother of a small toddler and need to work full-time while attaining a degree that will allow me to become an RN. I'm looking for advice on the best way to do this. What are the advantages / disadvantages to getting an associates degree & obtaining an RN license, then getting a BSN later? Or would it be best to get a second bachelors in nursing right off the bat? Are there any online schools that enable you to get a second bachelors in nursing degree at your own pace, or schools that allow you to work and go to school at night? I live in the Portland, OR area. Help, please!

Since you have a prior degree, I'd ask that you consider doing an accelerated BSN. This would take ~12-18 months, depending on the program.

If you go the route of getting an ADN, then going for a BSN later, there may be some disadvantages. Many ADN programs have 2-3 year waiting lists before you could start. Then it's another 2-2.5 years to get your ADN. After that, you'd be working full time as a RN, while trying to take classes for your BSN (another couple years).

There are online nursing schools (see the Distance Learning forum on allnurses) such as Excelsior. It may or may not be for you, depending on your preferred style of learning. Some states do not accept Excelsior grads for licensure, while others (such as GA) require that you do 500 hours of unpaid clinical time before they'll issue you a GA RN license. This is due to the lack of clinical time in the Excelsior program. As I understand it (I MAY BE MISTAKEN on this, though), your only "clinical" time in that program is the weekend or weekends of practical skills testing. These weekends are a very intense "hands on" test environment - not the best for learning clinical skills. Numerous folks choose this route, however, so it must be "doable."

Best of luck!

elkpark · Jun 16, 2009

CrufflerJJ said:
There are online nursing schools (see the Distance Learning forum on allnurses) such as Excelsior. It may or may not be for you, depending on your preferred style of learning. Some states do not accept Excelsior grads for licensure, while others (such as GA) require that you do 500 hours of unpaid clinical time before they'll issue you a GA RN license. This is due to the lack of clinical time in the Excelsior program. As I understand it (I MAY BE MISTAKEN on this, though), your only "clinical" time in that program is the weekend or weekends of practical skills testing. These weekends are a very intense "hands on" test environment - not the best for learning clinical skills. Numerous folks choose this route, however, so it must be "doable."
Best of luck!

Yes, the issue some (an increasing number) of the states have with Excelsior College (EC) is the absence of supervised clinical experience, which they require of all other nursing programs they approve. The EC program is a "self-learning" program in which they provide the outline of material on which you're going to be tested, and it is the responsibility of the individual learner to seek out that knowledge and master the clinical skills. The CPNE weekend is not at all "clinical" in the traditional nursing school sense, and not at all about learning skills (during that weekend); it is a "final exam" type situation in which you demonstrate to the proctor that you have mastered the required skills and knowledge.

To the OP, I would encourage you to talk to all the nursing programs in your area (ADN, BSN, whatever) and see what they have to offer you. There are many possible paths to a nursing career, and the "best" choice for each individual is a v. personal choice based on many variables. There is nothing wrong with getting an ADN initially; the majority of US RNs are ADN-prepared and never (feel a need to) move beyond that. If you start out with an ADN and decide later that you want to continue your education and expand your opportunities, there are a kazillion of "BSN-completion" programs, many of them on-line, all of them based on the idea that you're employed full-time, that make it relatively painless to complete the requirements for a BSN degree.

Accelerated BSN programs are designed for people who already have a BA/BS in another area -- but they're called "accelerated" because they cram an entire nursing program into a shorter amount of time (minus the general ed degree requirements, that is). They are extremely fast-paced, rigorous, and demanding. The schools encourage you not to work at all while doing an accelerated program; some students work part-time and manage okay with that. I doubt it would be possible for anyone to work full-time while doing an accelerated program (and be successful in the nursing program, that is). There are a bunch of threads on this site by/about people in accelerated programs; you may want to review them if you're interested in that option.

There are a few "part-time" basic nursing programs around, but not many. Basically, you need to consider any "basic," entry-level (preparing you for licensure) nursing program the equivalent of a full-time job (at least). There is a lot to master. Lots of people cut back and work part-time while they're in school; some people are able to manage working full-time while attending school, but please do think of that in terms of holding down TWO full-time jobs for the duration. Some people "bite the bullet," quit their jobs and take out student loans for the whole schmear. Again, the "best" option is a very personal decision.

Welcome to allnurses! There is lots of info and support available here. Best wishes for your journey!

kirham · Jun 17, 2009

I'm finding out more and more that the best way to become a nurse if you have a B.S./B.A. is to join an accelerated program. My issue right now is that I was denied an RN program by .07 of a point (my G.P.A. was 3.70). Now I have to re-take Chemistry and Statistics for the accelerated BSN program in New York (it's been 10 years) My question is one school requires the N.E.T. and another requires the G.R.E. has anyone taken these exams?? I'm considering taking them both because I am unsure of what school to apply to.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 20, 2009

kirham said:
I'm finding out more and more that the best way to become a nurse if you have a B.S./B.A. is to join an accelerated program. My issue right now is that I was denied an RN program by .07 of a point (my G.P.A. was 3.70). Now I have to re-take Chemistry and Statistics for the accelerated BSN program in New York (it's been 10 years) My question is one school requires the N.E.T. and another requires the G.R.E. has anyone taken these exams?? I'm considering taking them both because I am unsure of what school to apply to.

Denied over a lousy 0.07 point?? Your GPA is impressive (OK, disgustingly high!).

I didn't take the NET exam, so don't know anything about it. I took the GRE a few years ago for admission to my accelerated BSN program at the University of Cincinnati. Here's some hints about the GRE exam:

I highly recommend the Kaplan GRE prep book & CDROM. Search on Amazon.com for ISBN 1427795029 (or newer versions). The Kaplan CD I used when prepping for my GRE (admittedly, the previous version of this book/CD) lets you take an evaluation test. Based on the results of that test, and how much time you had to work on your weak areas, the software tailored a study plan for you over that time span. Excellent!

Barron's was pretty good - I used it with the Kaplan.

Go to your local library, and see what GRE books they have available for checkout. That's where I got the Kaplan book/CD.

Plan on studying for at least 2-4 weeks before taking your GRE.

Good luck!

kirham · Jun 24, 2009

Thanks so much!! I'm def done with RN programs. I am gonna go for the accelerated B.S.N. I've actually decided to take both exams (N.E.T& GRE) just to cover all my bases. On top of that I am taking a five week Statistics course in July and Chemistry in the fall. I must be crazy, but I want to make sure all of my prerequisites are done by December. Thanks again for your help.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 24, 2009

kirham said:
I've actually decided to take both exams (N.E.T& GRE) just to cover all my bases. On top of that I am taking a five week Statistics course in July and Chemistry in the fall. I must be crazy, but I want to make sure all of my prerequisites are done by December.

That sounds like SO MUCH fun! OK, maybe not.

Don't you think that you could fit in a distance learning genetics or pathophysiology course in there somewhere? Maybe a Biostatistics course too. Sleep IS overrated, you know.

Just trying to help maintain your apparently altered mental status!

BigRussKCMO · Jul 3, 2009

I'm in a similar boat. BS in Marketing, MBA, and soon to be EMT-Basic. I am thinking about nursing pretty heavily. Do I need a BSN to move up in future management positions or would an Associates suffice with my other education and experience. I love para-medicine so far and could picture myself in a hospital or pre-hospital setting for a real long time. I love helping people and treating patients it is a rush. I live in Kansas City and seems like BSN is the quickest route I think... Only RN program I see open right now without a wait is Concorde Career College and I get mixed reviews on cost and quality. Most likely I will start a Medic program soon if I can not find a nurses program that will allow me to test for the RN License. I'm rambling...

LiferRN, RN · Jul 3, 2009

Why do you want to become an RN?

BigRussKCMO · Jul 3, 2009

If that question is geared towards me, I just want to save lives and help people without going a 6 year route thru medical school. Plus there is a lot more stability. Being 30 and with all that I've already accomplished in my career, layoffs still got the best of me so I am doing my EMT-Basic (2 weeks from testing) and to further my education in healthcare an RN degree would be the best option.

LiferRN, RN · Jul 3, 2009

BigRussKCMO said:
If that question is geared towards me, I just want to save lives and help people without going a 6 year route thru medical school. Plus there is a lot more stability. Being 30 and with all that I've already accomplished in my career, layoffs still got the best of me so I am doing my EMT-Basic (2 weeks from testing) and to further my education in healthcare an RN degree would be the best option.

Actually, it was to the original poster ?