BSN...Help!

Nurseinprocess · May 6, 2018

I didn't even realize that you could start BSN classes before you complete an Associate's program. That is quite a load! Are you just taking classes or are you actually in a Bachelor's program? I would wrap up the Associates and the NCLEX before you start something else. Keep your focus on getting that first degree and license before you get too overwhelmed. I agree with your advisor. I have really never heard of doing it the way you are trying to. The first few months of working as an RN can be rough so you may want to just slow your roll a little bit.

beekee · May 6, 2018

You are just taking BSN classes? Eh, those classes tend to not be very challenging. Being a new grad and working is tough, but if you are focused, I think you will be fine but very busy.

cleback · May 7, 2018

Would you have any dedicated time to study for nclex? I spent a month after graduation, which was sufficient.

llg, PhD, RN · May 7, 2018

Listen to your advisers. They know the particular program and the requirements -- and have a good sense of what is a reasonable workload and what is not. Trying to go too fast and do too much at one time is a set-up for failure.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · May 7, 2018

Everyone is different. If school comes easy to you so far then I wouldn't see it being an issue but if you are one that has to put forth a lot of time and effort in order to be successful with your grades then I would follow the advise that your adviser is giving you. I will say though that I had one tell me that I should not take other courses with one particular course, especially if I was working full time only to have another adviser act like the one that I talked to a few weeks earlier was completely nuts and tell me that students work full time and go to school full time and do just fine. It really depends on the individual.

You could always play it safe and spread it out over three terms instead of two. Unless its impacting when you can apply for certain positions I wouldn't be in a huge rush to complete the degree when we are only talking about a few months time difference.

Ddestiny, BSN, RN · May 13, 2018

I don't know about your school but when I bridged I ended up taking a lot of online classes that were each 1 hour credits. I took a bunch of these in the same semester and it nearly killed me because I was taking a fulltime load (14 hours, I think) and working FT and I learned the hard way that there's no such thing as a 1 hour class that's 1/3 the work of a 3 hour class. I had 2-3 papers due every week and was taking Chemistry online which was just awful. lol So just be aware that though I don't think that BSN courses are "harder" than ADN courses, they do require a lot more writing of papers which can naturally make them more time-consuming.

And that wasn't even with a job transition. I had already been in my job as an LPN and there wasn't really a transition for me in duties when I became an RN because I worked in a doctor's office. However, my second semester into my BSN after we moved and I took a FT hospital job...I initially started out taking a PT school load then ended up taking the semester off after the first week or two because, between stress of learning the new job (I really felt like a new grad), moving, emotionally supporting hubby during his first semester of grad school and feeling school burnout... it was just too much.

I took 2 years to finish the 30 hours. The pros of this for me were that it actually helped me get more of it paid for by my new job because they would pay a max of $1,200 per calendar year for tuition. I wasn't in a huge hurry since there's not a big benefit for me having the BSN (no raise, not looking for a management position). With being burnt out from my path as a non-traditional student it honestly was just better to save my sanity and make sure I had plenty of energy to put into working all those understaffed shifts. lol

Bottom line...as it was said above, these advisors know about the rigor of their program and they have the benefit of working with other students over the years and seeing what helped them to succeed or fail. Consider all of the angles, including the fact that the first year of working as a new nurse is to many even more stressful than nursing school itself. Is it better to push forward at full speed and possibly need to pull back and/or end up with lower grades? What are the longterm goals? How strict is your timeframe? Only you can really answer that.