considering career change

[Wendy-jeanne]

Greetings all,

Im sure you see lots of messages like this but I would love any/all feedback that can be offered. Im considering a career change and have several questions about the best way to go about doing it. I do have a bachelors in a non nursing field and am aware of the accelerated 2nd degree programs available. The issue is I will probably have to relocate to attend a BSN program while I can attend a community college from where I live. It looks like the course work is relatively the same...does it matter that much in the end? Could I still get into a grad school for a health care feild w/an AA for Nursing, and a BA in a social science (Criminal Justice)? Also, tuition in invariably cheaper at a community college and I wonder if anyone knows what kind of financial assistance is available for a SECOND bachelors.....I have many more questions but will stop here and see what happens. Thanks for all your input.

Warm Regards,

Wendy J. Carr

[llg, PhD, RN]

You are going to hate this answer ... but the truth is ... "It depends."

Some schools (particularly the better ones) do require a bachelor's degree in nursing before they admit you to a graduate program in nursing. They want you to have the theory and philosophy of nursing that is more prevalent in BSN programs than is often found in ADN programs. But there are probably some that don't require it. It will be interesting to see if others on this board can answer that question.

If you are thinking of graduate school anyway, and considering re-locating ... why not save time and money by going to a program that will give you a either a Master's Degree or a Nursing Doctorate all at once? There are some 3 year programs that will do this. It will be more expensive up front. But in the long run, you might come out ahead.

I've worked in leadership positons for a long time, and for career advancement, an ADN and a BS in another field is usually not considered as suitable as a BSN. For an entry level staff nurse position, the distinction is considered less important. But for career advancement, it is.

Good luck,

llg