Cant figure out what to do!!!!

Good Morning, Gil · Sep 14, 2011

Well, I don't know that I can really give you any useful advice on which to choose. Only you really can know what you want to do! Making career decisions...not easy. Did you do the standard pro/con list of each area? Sounds like family flexibility is important to you...which degree would afford you more time with family, schedule flexibility? Also, don't know much about BS in health sciences, end of life care, but is this a position that would involve work with patients/families or be more of a paperwork/managerial position? I guess you really just need to decide which option suits you best, what it is that your really see yourself doing. Online learning, you're right about the self-motivated part, definitely need that, but I would think that online learning if you can lay out a schedule for yourself and stick to it would enable you to work and complete RN courses at the same time.

Is it possible that you could do both somehow, the bachelor's in health sciences and RN (and maybe only tack on an extra semester?). Wishing you the best as you make your decision!

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2011

I'm doing LPN/BSN bridge @ the university. I take classes part time and try to schedule them on the same day. I work part time in hospice. My employer is very good to me by working around my schedule each semester. Would something like that work for you?

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Sep 14, 2011

Maybe you can go to school parttime or work weekend option.

germanshep · Sep 14, 2011

I am not sure what hospice manager positions require but the Nurse Manager's at my facility must have a B.S.N. A ton of Nurse Manager's were laid off or had to work bedside because they did have a BSN or were not willing to go back to school. They cannot even have an ASN with a bachelor's degree in another field.

What on-line programs have you researched? What about a hybrid program (half on-line, half in the classroom/distance education)? Maybe you could do both...BSN with an End-of-Life Certification to move up to an administration position.

Good Luck :)

subee, MSN, CRNA · Sep 14, 2011

Is it really possible to become an RN through on-line courses ONLY? What about clinicals?

Lab sciences? I'd be very skeptical of a degree of no proven worth with the vague title of "health sciences."

IdrilRN, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2011

Is it really possible to become an RN through on-line courses ONLY? What about clinicals?
Lab sciences? I'd be very skeptical of a degree of no proven worth with the vague title of "health sciences."

I concur to be skeptical about that vague title.

The on line RN-BSN program I looked at required you to have one day of health assessment evaluation at the school. As for clinicals, you picked a person to precept/clinical with, they had to submit three letters of reference, and a few other pieces of information to the school and as long as they were approved you did a certain amount of hours of clincials with them, with a specific plan from the school of what had to be done. And that person submitted evaluations, and had one or two conference calls with you the student and your advisor. It's a very good program.

Good luck with what ever you decided, and it will be tough for a bit, but making it through and finishing is well worth it. :coollook:

subee, MSN, CRNA · Sep 16, 2011

The original OP was not talking about RN-toBSN program. She is an LPN who wants to become an RN. This cannot be done online.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2011

The original OP was not talking about RN-toBSN program. She is an LPN who wants to become an RN. This cannot be done online.

Excelsior is one of the online LPN/RN programs.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

The original OP was not talking about RN-toBSN program. She is an LPN who wants to become an RN. This cannot be done online.

Yep. See ads all the time. Don't necessarily agree (but don't know the individual programs, either), but it's there.

Next, we'll have drive-by med school

agldragonRN · Sep 18, 2011

i did excelsior's lpn-rn. it is not "online" per se but you study on your own and when you are ready, you schedule the exam at pearson vue then after all the exams, you do the 3-day clinical part called cpne.

if you really want the rn title, being "not structured" should not stop you from attaining your goal. excelsior's rn program is nlnac accredited - just fyi.

good luck to you.

rhondell · Sep 24, 2011

Thanks to everyone who replied. Again I'll say, the traditional RN program is not something that I'm leaning towards. My household needs 2 incomes. My husband can not take care of us and our 2 year old alone. Therefore, my full time job (with an employer that is not flexible when it comes to school) is a necessity. These programs are not tailored to someone who has a family to support. The online program as I've previously stated is self study. Given the choice of no deadlines whatsoever, and the thousands of other things going on each day, its hard to say that I will actually open those books. And let's be real, a lot of people try to convince themselves that they will actually study. I'm being honest up front. Lol. I've been on the hospice area of nursing for a few years now and I actually like it. That's why I was happy to find the Bachelors in Health Sciences program because it will focus in end of life care, which is obviously what I'm doing now in hospice. I've given myself up until the beginning of October to chose either one. Thanks again for your input, I'll keep checking back and responding. Take care.