Have a Question for the Educators

suzanne4, RN · Aug 6, 2005

If you already have a Bachelors degree, you can also look at the programs that will give you the RN and MSN in one program.

Instructors at each is more of a personal thing. NCLEX scores are one of the better indicators.

2nddegreeNursewanabe · Aug 6, 2005

If you already have a Bachelors degree, you can also look at the programs that will give you the RN and MSN in one program.
Instructors at each is more of a personal thing. NCLEX scores are one of the better indicators.

Thanks so much for answering. Have not seen that option here in NC. How could you get your MSN with no real nursing work / experience? :confused:

utahliz · Aug 7, 2005

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2nddegreeNursewanabe · Aug 7, 2005

I am sure that all schools are different, but do you find the accelerated BSN?

What was your 1st degree in? Just wondering how it prepared you? Is it really fast paced?

I am considering applying to an accelerated BSN program myself next fall (13 months here). Just a little worried about the fast pace :uhoh3: . As an animal science major I would think I could pick it up fast...but ya never know.

Thanks for your reply

Tonya

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Aug 8, 2005

Hi my name is Tonya. I am new, so maybe this issue is somewhere else, but here goes. As an educator, what is your opinion?? Please excuse me for my ignorance.
How do the quality of educators/education compare from a Community College to a 4 year University..in general..or is it more of an individual basis kind of thing. Are the NCLEX scores a good indication of how "good" the program is?
The reason I ask...I have a 4 year degree in Animal Science (been out 6 years). Meet all the core course for nursing (except human anat & phys-taking this fall). Going back to get my BSN and really want to continue on to MSN and maybe beyond. Considering Community College ADN then distance learning for another year to get BSN. Will take longer, but will be much cheaper. Can apply to a 4 year school, but it is 1 hour away and will be much harder to pay for, but if it is worth it I will. NCLEX scores are both close really.
Thanks so much

Hi Tonya and welcome to the Nursing Educator Forum :balloons:

IMHO, going the community college route may be cheaper and more convenient for now, but in the long run you may wish you had taken the accelerated BSN route (since you plan to get your BSN and eventually your MSN). The process of going from ADN then to BSN, then to MSN can be very painful and drawn out, especially with differing course requirements as you transfer credits from one school of nursing to another. You also will not get all the credit you deserve for your four-year degree and courses you have already taken. On the downside, accelerated BSN programs can be absolutely brutal. (But then, most ADN programs are very daunting as well.) Are you aware that there are direct entry programs available for MSN if you already have a baccalaureate degree? With direct-entry MSN programs, however, graduates often face credibility and acceptance problems if they lack "real" bedside experience as a practicing nurse.

As for community college ADN programs, just getting a seat can be very difficult. If I were you, I would contact the admission advisors at nearby community colleges and find out what their prospects for admission into their ADN programs are. This year, for instance, in our community college, we had an incredible 385 applicants for 42 slots !!!! Applicants for our ADN program must first take a screening test (the HOBBET), then the top 70 scorers are further ranked by GPA and other criteria to fill our limited number of seats. Sometimes students wait years and years and years just to qualify for a seat in an ADN program, when they might have graduated sooner if they had simply taken the BSN route. It is often easier getting accepted into BSN programs, especially the accelerated variety or the direct-entry MSN.

Mymimi · Aug 10, 2005

Hello, I completed my BSN on-line in 1 year, and Vicky is right, it was brutual, working full time. My theory is how bad do you want to be a nurse? BSN programs will more than likely give you credit for your other degree, if you have those credits, why not go ahead with the BSN? ADN worked for me, when I received my ADN, I had 3 small children, and my husband was killed in a car accident, so I was able to complete my education to support my family, with the intent to further my education. (I just completed my MSN). Good luck, I believe in admission into BSN, but that is my personal opinion.

Hi my name is Tonya. I am new, so maybe this issue is somewhere else, but here goes. As an educator, what is your opinion?? Please excuse me for my ignorance.
How do the quality of educators/education compare from a Community College to a 4 year University..in general..or is it more of an individual basis kind of thing. Are the NCLEX scores a good indication of how "good" the program is?
The reason I ask...I have a 4 year degree in Animal Science (been out 6 years). Meet all the core course for nursing (except human anat & phys-taking this fall). Going back to get my BSN and really want to continue on to MSN and maybe beyond. Considering Community College ADN then distance learning for another year to get BSN. Will take longer, but will be much cheaper. Can apply to a 4 year school, but it is 1 hour away and will be much harder to pay for, but if it is worth it I will. NCLEX scores are both close really.
Thanks so much