Guidance Please - Associates vs BSN

U.S.A. Texas

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I am not only a newbie, but I am also newly coming into the whole nursing scene. We have just moved to Lubbock, and I am going to head to school next semester to start my pre-reqs. I have some choices, and though I am pretty sure I know what steps I will most likely take, I would love your input. Once I have gotten my pre-reqs I can apply to a choice of 2 schools. Covenant School of Nursing (RN) or Texas Tech (BSN). The question that is burning a hole in my mind is what will taking one over the other mean to me. More money, more opportunity, etc? I have heard it is super hard to get into nursing school, demand is great, just not enough classroom space. I have noticed in Dallas where we moved from you can go to some of the community colleges and get your RN degree. Can anyone share with me salary ranges for someone starting out in Texas. Does it make a big differnce from RN to BSN. My friend just had a neice graduate from TWU and already has a job at Cooks Children starting out close to 70K working in NICU. Which leads me to wonder if her neice graduated from El Centro Community College would she have had the same opportunity, and income potential.

My plan is to go RN, then once I have that do the BSN if it really makes a difference in pay. My dream is to be a L&D nurse.

Thanks in advance for everyones input.

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If she had graduated from El Centro would she have had the same $70K opportunity? Heck yeah! DFW hospitals LOVE El Centro graduates. They know they are some of the best trained in the country.

Whether you get your BSN or ADN will be soley based on a few personal issues. Money, time commitment, locations of schools, and waitlists will all help you make the decision. Do a search here. In most hospitals around the country there is NO difference in pay between ADNs and BSNs. They all have to take and pass the NCLEX in order to call themselves an RN.

A BSN will increase your chances of advancing into management in the future, but there are lots of ADN nurse managers. If you do decide to go to graduate school having your BSN will be one less admissions hurdle (though there are loads of ADN to MSN programs nationwide).

Education is never a bad thing!

IMHO, pick the progam that best suits your present needs and future career goals.

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>My plan is to go RN, then once I have that do the BSN if it really makes a difference in pay. My dream is to be a L&D nurse.>

Thanks in advance for everyones input.[/quote

There has been a controversy over minimum level education for entry into practice for registered nurses for over 30 years.

Recent studies have shown that there is a corelation between educational levels of registered nurses and mortality of hospitilized patients. (JAMA,9/23/03)

Since 1965, the ANA has called for BSN as the minimum requirement for entry into professional practice. (http://nursingworld.org/ojiin/topic18/tcp18_3.htm ) - both of these articles are great.

I have been a registered nurse since 10/76. I just returned to school 2 years ago for my BSN because wanted more opportunity. I will receive a slight differential for having my degree-but then money wasn't the primary motivating factor.

If I had to do it again, I would opt for the BSN from the beginning.

It took going back to school to enlighten me as to the importance of a baccalaureate education.

good luck,

Paula

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I should clarify - My plan is to start ADN and go to BSN. I'm learning.

Also - For those of you who are going ADN to BSN - What is the time you are having to take out of your schedule to go to school. I was told by that somewhere in Dallas that someone had this program where you could go 1 day a week. She did say the class was a several hour class. That would be perfect if that was offered like that, at least in my opinion.

Thanks Everybody!

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I should clarify - My plan is to start ADN and go to BSN. I'm learning.

Also - For those of you who are going ADN to BSN - What is the time you are having to take out of your schedule to go to school. I was told by that somewhere in Dallas that someone had this program where you could go 1 day a week. She did say the class was a several hour class. That would be perfect if that was offered like that, at least in my opinion.

Thanks Everybody!

The ADN class was once a week or the BSN completion for RNs was once a week? CLarify so I can help.

I think you are talking about the UT-Arlington RN to BSN program. Many folks go that way or through Baylor U. If you work at a Baylor hospital in Dallas they will pay for you to get your BSN through Baylor Nursing school in Dallas.

Personally, I think EL Centro/ Northlake have the best introductory nursing program in DFW. Not taking anything away from Tarrant County, Brookhaven, UTA, TWU, TCU or Baylor. They are good too.

They know how to educate healthcare folks at El Centro!

I don't know of any part time ADN programs in Dallas.

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As far as myself I am going to go to school first and get my ADN. Then after I have my ADN, I would like to work, but also go to school and get my BSN. My curiousity was what kind of options were out there. In my opinion if I am working fulltime, and going to school, it would help to find a ADN to BSN program that would be one day per week.

While I am at it, how long does it take typically with the one day a week scenario to get that ADN to BSN degree?

Hope that was a little more clear.

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As far as myself I am going to go to school first and get my ADN. Then after I have my ADN, I would like to work, but also go to school and get my BSN. My curiousity was what kind of options were out there. In my opinion if I am working fulltime, and going to school, it would help to find a ADN to BSN program that would be one day per week.

While I am at it, how long does it take typically with the one day a week scenario to get that ADN to BSN degree?

Hope that was a little more clear.

Well, there many option for ADN-RNs trying to get that BSN.

For example, Texas Tech has a great program. If you graduate with an ADN in MAY you could have your BSN as soon as December of the same year.

There are also more than a few reputable online ADN-BSN programs. Many of them require no campus commitment and can be done while you work full time. Many of them advertise on allnurses.

Check out that Vanderbilt ad that I bet is to the left of this post :p ------>

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I should clarify - My plan is to start ADN and go to BSN. I'm learning.

Also - For those of you who are going ADN to BSN - What is the time you are having to take out of your schedule to go to school. I was told by that somewhere in Dallas that someone had this program where you could go 1 day a week. She did say the class was a several hour class. That would be perfect if that was offered like that, at least in my opinion.

Thanks Everybody!

Hi,

My name is Misty and its my first time posting. Good luck with your nursing career no matter which path you choose. ADN are very good nurses as are BSN nurses.

Anyway back to your question. I'm an ADN nurse and my plan was the same as yours. Go back later for BSN. Well let me tell you with its not as easy as it sounds. Once you start working and I don't know if you have a family but school sometimes can get hard to fit into your schedule. My hospital however had a really nice exelerated BSN program once a week and it was free. Unfortunately and I can't understand why not enough nurses signed up for it. That has happened in a few hospitals I know of. In a nutshell and IMHO and if I had to do it all over again I would have gone streight for the BSN. In a lot of cases it doesn't matter for pay purposes but not having a BSN has closed a few doors.......ie I wanted to join the military and wanted to be a school nurse. Both situations required a BSN.

Sorry for the rambling in a hurry.

Good luck to you.

Misty

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Specializes in trauma ICU,TNCC, NRP, PALS, ACLS.

I would go straight for the BSN, education is great and if you have an opportunity to pursue higher education why not go for it. In nursing school one of my professor told the class that New York is trying to pass a law were BSN is required to be a RN (to get details you would have to research the topic) I am a TWU student and I love it, It may take a little longer but it is worth getting the BSN.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Most hospitals pay RNs equally and their educational preparation doesn't usually impact their wage. Experience and years as an RN, however, do. Get a BSN if you want to get a bachelor's degree. However, to be an RN you only need to go to a school that will prepare you to be an RN. That would be a junior college or I hear there are still some hospital schools of RN nursing around. Having gone the ADN to BSN route myself, however, I would advise you that if your ultimate goal is to get a BSN just pursue that goal. After I got my RN from a junior college it took me another 9 years to finish my BSN. It was because of having to take classes that the university required that had not been required at my junior college. In the long run, I could have saved a bunch of years just going to the university for my BSN. Understand that in addition to being taught nursing, you are getting a bachelor's education and will have many more credit hours of general education classes to take than the actual nursing classes. So, if you're not particularly interested in having to take Art History and Introductory Philosphy kinds of classes, re-think why you want the bachelor's degree. Oh, and my bachelor's degree had a foreign language requirement. Most junior colleges don't require that of their RN students.

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