Colorado school programs & job market

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  1. Is option 1 or 2 better?

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      1 - Colorado Mountain College ADN program, then ADN->BSN, etc.
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      2 - Move to Denver for accelerated or regular BSN program, try to advance career to MSN, etc.

Hi -

Does anyone have any advice if I am considering 2 different options -

1) Colorado Mountain College's ADN program in Glenwood Springs (I live near here), try to obtain local job and get this school's BSN from their ADN to BSN program, eventually get a MSN somehow.

- Main advantage would be that it's here near where I live. Disadvantages seem to be it's probably not as good of a program as elsewhere, might take longer and cost more overall to eventually get MSN, might have to move anyways to get an MSN?? But I've also read that the programs in Denver can be competitive and that the job market basically sucks there. Does anyone know how it is on the Western Slope?

2) Try to apply to an accelerated BSN or regular BSN program in the Denver area, try to get MSN right away also.

- Better programs, obtain more advanced degrees faster???

FYI I am in my 30s, have a previous unrelated bachelor's degree, and this would be a mid-life career change basically.

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I can't believe no one ever replied. Honestly I'm uncertain which I'd vote for given I'm in a similar predicament currently. I'm applying to Colorado Mountain College for the ADN program, and I'm also applying to many ABSN programs (not in Colorado), one of which I was accepted into, Creighton, but it's in Grand Island, Central Nebraska in the middle of nowhere. I see the benefit of going to a community college type RN program, saving money, but not time, on your education. After graduating and getting a job as an RN, having your hospital pay for your BSN OR MSN makes sense. However, I am an older student and think I may opt to just go for the ABSN and pay more in favor of saving time. You also need to factor in the salary you could earn working as a nurse if you finish a nursing program in 1 year (ABSN) vs 2 years (ADN). Depending on where you get that first job, that could be a good $100k in earnings you miss out on by taking the longer and cheaper route. 

What did you end up doing? 

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