Driving me crazy...its so complicated help with Nursing program choice!

U.S.A. Louisiana

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About a year ago I started to take prerequisites so that I can get into 10 month OLOL Accelerated program. I have already sent in my application. The program starts in Aug or Sept 2010. I won't finish my prerequisites till the end of July. I'm afraid that I might not make it in time and I have sit out for awhile. Therefore I might have to think of options.

I have recently went to Charity School of Nursing open house and have a very good vibe with that school. I like the hands on training and the way they lay out the study material for the students. Only thing is I have to wait till Fall of 2011 since they take application one year in advance.

Someone else recommened that I look into LSU's BSN Care program. I would still have to wait till Fall of 2011 to start.

And now everyone is talking about how it is hard to get a new grad nursing job because of the economy and state cuts and the like. :crying2:

My options:

1.) I should just go to CSN because nursing will pick up and that I will have a less stressful cirriculum. Unfortunately, it'll take me a total of 3 years starting in Fall of 2010 b/c of the one year wait.

2.) Just go to the 10 month program and wing it out in the bad economy. I'll finish quicker this way.

3.) Apply for the LSU RN Care program because the time to complete is almost the same as CSN except I will have a BSN instead of a ASN.

Sorry for the rant, but I would like the hear out what other Nursing or potential nursing students have to say that way I can get over the emotions and make a good solid decision. Thanks in advance!

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And now everyone is talking about how it is hard to get a new grad nursing job because of the economy and state cuts and the like.

According to people we've had speak to our class, the new grad job situation is more difficult than the in the past but not impossible. You just can't be picky about where you work first. A friend of mine graduating this May has over 30 applications out in varying areas and has gotten interviews with half of them (no word on an actual job yet).

1.) I should just go to CSN because nursing will pick up and that I will have a less stressful cirriculum. Unfortunately, it'll take me a total of 3 years starting in Fall of 2010 b/c of the one year wait.

Sitting around in school isn't going to make the recession go any faster :D. If you don't want to wait, don't; however, if you feel you need things a bit more structured and paced, go to CSN for your ASN.

2.) Just go to the 10 month program and wing it out in the bad economy. I'll finish quicker this way.

Again, if you just want to hurry up and get out of school, then why not? If you can handle getting a 2 year degree in 10 months, go for it!

If being a nurse is what you want, stop worrying about "winging it" in the economy. New grads are getting jobs they're just not getting them as quickly as before and aren't necessarily having their choice of specialty areas to work in. As an example: It's possible that you won't be able to hold firm to working ONLY in the ER upon graduation, you might have to extend you area of interest.

3.) Apply for the LSU RN Care program because the time to complete is almost the same as CSN except I will have a BSN instead of a ASN.

This was the choice I made and the exact reason I made it. I'm assuming you have a prior bachelors since you qualify for OLOL accelerated. If you don't decide on the 10 month program, just weight your personal pros and cons between CSN and LSU. The time to completion is the same. I graduate from LSU CARE in May 2011 and I would've graduated from CSN the same month.

I wanted my BSN ASAP. I didn't trust myself to go back to school for an RN-BSN after working for a couple of years. That was my deciding factor. Don't start school just for the sake of starting. Take a look at what you want at graduation time (other than a job - LOL!). There are plenty of emotions involved, I know. I had personal ties to CSN and I felt a sort of betrayal when I chose LSU. I had to go with what I thought was best for me in the long run. Being 1 of 55 in CARE felt better for me also than being 1 of 150+ at CSN.

There's my take! No one program is better than the other, it's a matter of what you want. All 3 programs train great nurses - I work with graduates of all 3 in my current clinical and they're all incredible. Try to take the economy out of the equation while you make your school decision. A year could make a bit of a difference, but what if it doesn't? You can't live your life by "what if's."

Good luck! :)

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cpkrn2b201,

Thanks for the insight!

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