Help with direction to take ?

[Dave10]

Hi all, I was hoping to get some advice on which direction to take from those who have already gone through nursing school. I have been interested in the RN program for a while now and have been taking night classes after work at community college to meet general requirements. I was recently laid off and have not been able to find another job so I have decided to ride the unemployment wave (for the first time in my life) and get through school as efficiently as possible BUT I hit a fork in the road.

For the first time ever, I'll be able to dedicate myself to school full time and want to make the most of it. If I stick with the community college I am already at, the 5 classes I need to complete can be done next year (2013), then I assume I can apply to the program after that but I have also checked on a trade school in so-Cal (WCC) and am wondering if I should try that way? It's more expensive but I was told it's a shorter/faster program. Does anyone know if the hospitals prefer one graduate over the other? Or think I was getting a sales pitch ? I would prefer advice from fellow students as sometimes the school counselors seem to be out of the loop..

Any help offered is much appreciated/needed..

[Joe1984]

You can always call a local hospital HR department and ask about good nursing programs in the area. If they don't mention the specific school your looking into, then maybe dig a little deeper. I know where I live in Ohio, my 2 year ADN program (Sinclair Community College) is much more competitive and our graduates are highly sought as compared to Wright State University's BSN program students. Our NCLEX pass rate is higher and all of the nurses I have spoke with say that we are much more prepared as new grads. Also, there are a couple of for-profit schools in the area that charge a ridiculous amount and it is VERY hard for their graduates to get a job, many hospitals will put their resumes at the bottom of the pile due to their lack of clinical experience as compared to ours.

In the end, I think it all comes down to the school's reputation. Like I said earlier, my ADN program is great, but Ohio State's BSN program is top notch (many of their grads end up as a CRNA or in med-school). So just do your research and determine which one meets your needs the best.

[puroticorico, MSN, CNA, RN]

I agree with Joe above. See what local hospitals are looking for. For instance, if you're in a city with an excess of nurses like Chicago, there is a lot of competition. They prefer to hire those with a MSN. Many hospitals are now Magnet which requires the majority of their staff to be BSN or higher. If you like geriatrics or working in a nursing home, an associates is enough. It really depends on the demand of nurses and your interests. Hope this helps! :)