Community College and then BSN?

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Hi everyone. I've made a thread in another forum, but it seems hard to get answers there... but I am also impatient (and currently in Guatemala, where nothing happens). But this also seems like the area to get more targeted advice for this issue.

I am going to graduate in 2012 with my BA in Theater. Yeah. So, as you can see, I'm considering nursing (specifically psychiatric nursing) as a career I want to pursue. Coming from a liberal arts college, I have few prerequisites. I want to pursue an accelerated BSN program but I would have to take pre-reqs first.

I've thought about doing this at community college, but is that really a good idea? Someone told me that I'll have no chance of getting into a BSN program if all my pre-reqs are CC.

Secondly, my parents will not pay for another degree. Though I would go for the 2-year BSN, where could I get money to do this? I don't want to be 60,000 dollars in the hole (despite the fact that this seems inevitable... don't lecture haha).

I'm really new to the real world and haven't experienced much of it. All advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Casaanova:

While I cannot speak for all schools, my program has no problem with people completing all of their prereqs at a community college. UVa has a direct entry MSN, and over 80% of the class of 2010 completed at least 50% of their prerequisites at a community college.

The questions you ask about financial aid area important though. Since you have an undergraduate degree already, you cannot receive federal scholarship aid for a second bachelors (no Pell grants,etc). I would encourage you to look at state schools where you live; you can likely find an ABSN or DE-MSN for less than the cost of a private school ABSN. For example, an instate student at my school pays $13,000 per year in tuition.

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Thanks for the scholarship information. I've been looking at the community college courses around here and it seems both community colleges around me offer you a AAS in Nursing? But you can take the NCLEX and become an RN? Is this the same thing as an ADN? I don't want to get that degree then find out I can't get my BSN.

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I've been doing some research--looks like a good option for someone money-handicapped (me) is to get an ADN and then do an online RN-BSN program... also seems like the best option since if I can't get a job, it's cheap, and if I can, then it's online and flexible for me.

Does this seem correct, or am I underestimating costs? Doing an ABSN is way way too expensive for me to consider...

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Cassanova:

Look at the ABSN programs in your home state; these may be much less expensive than the ABSN programs at private universities.

Many of the online RN-BSN programs are with private, for-profit schools. An ADN + for-profit RN-BSN may be more expensive in the longrun.

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I live in Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia area. While I do live close to many schools, I can't seem to find tuition info on any of their websites, and even so, I know the reputable ones (Drexel, Thomas Jefferson, UPenn) are more expensive than an ASN then RN-BSN would be.

I haven't looked more into other schools around my area, but I'd have to do pre-reqs first to begin with, which who knows how long that will take. Most schools that I would assume have lower tuition are far from my area.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Check out MUSC's ACC BSN to see if you can make maximum use of the credits you have already earned with your BA.

http://www.musc.edu/nursing/academics/undergraduate/accelerated_bsn.htm

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Hi everyone. I've made a thread in another forum, but it seems hard to get answers there... but I am also impatient (and currently in Guatemala, where nothing happens). But this also seems like the area to get more targeted advice for this issue.

I am going to graduate in 2012 with my BA in Theater. Yeah. So, as you can see, I'm considering nursing (specifically psychiatric nursing) as a career I want to pursue. Coming from a liberal arts college, I have few prerequisites. I want to pursue an accelerated BSN program but I would have to take pre-reqs first.

I've thought about doing this at community college, but is that really a good idea? Someone told me that I'll have no chance of getting into a BSN program if all my pre-reqs are CC.

Secondly, my parents will not pay for another degree. Though I would go for the 2-year BSN, where could I get money to do this? I don't want to be 60,000 dollars in the hole (despite the fact that this seems inevitable... don't lecture haha).

I'm really new to the real world and haven't experienced much of it. All advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you aren't going to graduate until 2012, why not just change majors now? It wouldn't be that hard to switch over and do the BSN route. That's what I did. You could also get pell grants now since you don't have a Bachelors degree already. Btw- I wouldn't go into psychiatric nursing unless you are just dead set on it. But, to each his own. Hope everything works out for you Pal.

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Lol, I don't want to change majors because 1. not sure if nursing is what I want to do and 2. I go to a tiny liberal arts school... there is no nursing major! lol :D

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The plot thickens now. Good luck with your decision buddy.

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