Degree in different field before nursing school

westiecoast · Oct 30, 2020

Hi there!

I got my undergrad degree in Public Health and am hopefully starting nursing school in January as a junior/transfer student. (Had my interview today and it went super well YAY!) My advice would be to look at ALL your transfer options- even if it's an expensive, private university, transferring there and entering as a junior will probably be cheaper then completing your degree and then going for your ABSN. ABSN programs are notoriously expensive, and hospitals won't care if you have 2 undergrad degrees, as long as you have your BSN. Plus, that would be faster then completing your degree.

I didn't know I wanted to be a nurse in college, but if I had, I definitely wouldn't have gotten into the program at my school LOL (it was 5th in the nation for nursing). If I were in your shoes, I'd apply to a ton of BSN programs as a transfer and be done in 2 years!

Best of luck! ?

cieethekid · Nov 27, 2020

I got my AS in Radiology and about halfway through the program, I knew that it was not the field I was to be in forever. My school offers a FastTrack BSN that I am applying for after I complete the last 5 pre-reqs required.

I don't necessarily regret getting my degree in Radiology, however I wish I would have went with my first mind and stuck to nursing the first time around.

verene, MSN · Nov 29, 2020

I started with a liberal arts degree because when I went to college first time around I had no idea I wanted to be a RN. I later change careers, became a CNA and then went through an ABSN program. I think having a non-nursing background has given me a broader perspective, and my prior career (paralegal) is a very useful background in my current subspecialty (forensic psych).

Part of me regrets not realizing nursing was what I wanted the first time around through school because I could have saved myself time and money. Realistically though - I didn't have the interest, the dedication, or the maturity at 18 to considering nursing school. It's the life experiences I had after college that set me on the road to even being interested in nursing as a career, and which pushed me to grow as a person such that I can work in this field.

secondtimer14 · Dec 3, 2020

Definitely transfer and get the BSN now if you can get admitted. I have a previous degree and am going the accelerated BSN/MSN route, but that's only because I didn't know this is what I wanted when I was in undergrad. It's so much more expensive going back to an ABSN, and I feel sad sometimes knowing how many years experience I could have by now.

Yes, I think I'll definitely be a much better practitioner now than I would have been at 24 (I'm ultimately going for an MSN in midwifery), but I certainly wouldn't deliberately go a different path in your shoes.

Kate Walker · Dec 3, 2020

10 minutes ago, secondtimer14 said:

Definitely transfer and get the BSN now if you can get admitted. I have a previous degree and am going the accelerated BSN/MSN route, but that's only because I didn't know this is what I wanted when I was in undergrad. It's so much more expensive going back to an ABSN, and I feel sad sometimes knowing how many years experience I could have by now.

Yes, I think I'll definitely be a much better practitioner now than I would have been at 24 (I'm ultimately going for an MSN in midwifery), but I certainly wouldn't deliberately go a different path in your shoes.

Thanks for the advice everyone!! I actually got accepted off the wait list for the BSN program at my current school, so thankfully I don’t have to worry about getting a different degree!

westiecoast · Dec 3, 2020

18 hours ago, Kate Walker said:

Thanks for the advice everyone!! I actually got accepted off the wait list for the BSN program at my current school, so thankfully I don’t have to worry about getting a different degree!

That's wonderful! Congratulations!