Enrolling in online RN to BSN after NCLEX: Should I work?

Nurses Nurse Beth

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Dear Wondering if I Should Work,

The answer to Would (not working after I pass NCLEX) hinder me from getting a job?” is Yes, probably.” Waiting to start your career may very well hinder your successful Job Search down the road. I'm not sure I would want to take that chance.

Marketability

Employers look at the date you were licensed as Day One.

So if you wait to start job searching until you get your BSN, that puts you at around... Day 500 or so, right?

Employers will typically hire an inexperienced Day One nurse over an inexperienced Day 500 nurse. By waiting, you will have forfeited the golden new grad advantage. Now you are a Not a New Grad with Also No Experience.

What you would have in your favor at Day 500 is your BSN. You would have advantage over an ADN applicant if the targeted employer values BSN enough to outweigh the lengthy non-experience. You would not have advantage over another BSN applicant if that applicant was newly licensed (Day One).

Take a look at the employers in your area as you make your decision to see what they are looking for.

Experience

Marketability aside, I would not recommend working part-time as a new nurse. You need the full time immersion for at least a year while you are still a novice. Knowing this, many employers do not offer part time employment to new grads.

Working full time and earning your BSN are not mutually exclusive. Many programs are designed for the working adult, and you'll find they are very flexible. Another option is to take a year off from school if you are lucky enough to land a job. School will always be there. Jobs not so much.

I hope this helps you evaluate your situation realistically and make the best choice for you. Keep us posted on your journey!

Also be sure and check out the career discussion forum here at https://allnurses.com/nursing-career-advice/ for more collective wisdom.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, SICU.

I would like to point out that the year to 18 months that it takes you to complete your RN-BSN is a long time that you will have to forget everything you learned in your ADN. I am doing online RN to BSN currently (working 4 12s a week) and I must say that there is no clinical aspect or pharmacology involved in my program

Oh my gosh, I am so happy I came upon this thread! I was wondering the same thing. I haven't started my actual RN program yet, but it is a dual-enrollment program, where you get your ADN from the community college (and can sit for the NCLEX), and you are also automatically enrolled in a state univerity BSN progam which starts the next sememster. It is NOT online however, and seems to be very much an in-person situation, taking a year and a half (due to it not going through the summer). So I would add to the OP's question...would it be best in this dual-enrollment situation to do the same thing as suggested above, or wait to take the NCLEX (which I think would not be a good option, as a lot of the BSN is more theory and leadership and other info could get rusty). The caveat is in my area it seems EVERYONE wants a BSN, regardless if it's in a hospital or not, so this worries me in trying to find a job as a new grad ADN. Should I add on a resumer that I am absolutely planning on getting a BSN? (which I am). You all are so helpful!

Get a job! Graduated from an ADN program in May and took NCLEX in August and passed. I then took the fall off to watch my son play his senior year of football and to finally take a break since I took no time off from retiring after 25 years in the Air Force. I did the job hunting starting in January and got hired in March with no prior nursing experience. I started my BSN program in August. I can't even imagine trying to do a BSN with zero practical, real, nursing experience. Nursing school does not give you enough foundation to really, truly, contribute to a great BSN experience.

Aside from the issues of employability already discussed, you will find that an on-line BSN program will typically assume you are a working RN and assignments will be based on information you would be expected to gather from that experience.

Very true. I started my BSN program 5 months after I started my first RN job. I couldn't imagine contributing a lot to the class with zero real nursing experience. It's hard enough with only a few months. I have a year under my belt now and still sometimes feel like I'm missing something.

I enrolled in an online only RN-BSN program right after finishing school and I think it helped me get my job. A lot of hospitals are Magnet or going Magnet and want to know that you're going to go back for it. I worked full time and did the program in 3 semesters, easily. I started school in august and work in september. If an assigment needed a real life experience and I didn't have one, I did a "what if". It's all about organization. Right when I got my due dates of assignments in the beginning of the semester I would put them all in my planner. Then I'd make my work schedule around that, knowing I need to get an assignment done if I work the 2 nights before it's due, etc.

Working full time and doing your RN-BSN is manageable. I don't have kids but I worked full time (3 12's per week) and did the program full time. It was only 3 semesters. The biggest thing is to stay organized. Once I got all of my due dates for the semester, I would put them in my planner and work around my due dates.

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