HELP! Having problem choosing

Guest 360983 · Mar 16, 2010

What classes are different between ADN and BSN? You'll need more for your BSN, but most of them are general education--6 credits history, 6 credits government, probably a fine arts class, stats and nutrition. You still take the same A&P, psych, micro, growth and development, etc.

There's nothing wrong with getting an ADN. If you're serious about getting a BSN, look at the local schools like TWU and UT Houston. UT Houston even has a list of what class numbers at Lonestar correspond with their pre-reqs. Poke around their prospective student page and you'll find it.

You do realize that you can't take sciences online? HCC does have hybrid classes, where you only go in for the lab, not the lecture.

zmojaver · Mar 16, 2010

I thought so too, but I found a online intro to A&P, I will only have to go in for test days. I will just have to take a extra english, two histories, two governments, two more maths, and chemistry to complete pre reqs. I am considering Prarieview as well.

Guest 360983 · Mar 16, 2010

Ok, so is your dilemma whether to get an ADN or a BSN? The main difference is time and money. Do you want to spend the extra time and money on a BSN? If you get an ADN, you'll be done faster and then can continue going to school while you work. It'll take you longer to get your BSN if you go ADN then BSN vs going straight for your BSN. Ultimately, that choice is something only you can decide.

Good luck with your intro class. You will not be able to take micro or A&P 1 or 2 online. That's why I mentioned HCC. Check them out, but be prepared to work extra hard. My micro class was a hybrid and my instructor did not take excuses.

zmojaver · Mar 16, 2010

Yes, that is true. It is good people cannot take them online, because they need to learn it well for nursing. Thank you very much. The way I would pack on the classes for a BSN would have it finished in the same time as ADN. Only a semester longer, but that is a semester wasted. The main problem is that looked into ADN to BSN classes, and most of them required working as a full time or part time nurse, and if it takes awhile to find a job, then it may take a while to qualify for the program. Your advice was helpful though.

trae55 · Mar 16, 2010

Why are you taking intro to a&p? That class is only good for the lvn program. Are you considering the lvn route? If not, don't take it. You can also get into the lvn program with the regular a&p classes, which you need for the adn and bsn.

Also, you need all of the adn classes (except kine) for the bsn program. You won't be taking different classes for the bsn, just more.

This is what it would take to enter the ADN program for fall 2011. You would have to take A&PI this summer, A&P II in the fall, and micro in the spring. All of the other required courses would have to be split up between this summer and fall. Is that a course load you can handle? If so, that means you would graduate in 3 years. You can concentrate on your bsn prereqs during the summers off so you can go into the bsn-rn program after you graduate.

If that's too much with work then take a&pI this summer, a&p II in the fall, and apply for the lvn program. It's one year, five days a week. You could still work on weekends. Also, while you're taking a&p, take some classes toward your adn so you can do the lvn-rn bridge.

zmojaver · Mar 16, 2010

I am taking it so I will be ready for A&P one and two. I want to really be ready for it, and not risk a B. Also it will let me go for lvn if something bad happens and I need a quick route. That is a wonderful idea when it comes to course planning though. I can handle heavy loads, so I can take all the nurses pre reqs this coming year, If I decide to go really heavy I could get into bsn by fall 2012. But for some reason my grandfather does not want me in prarieview, and I plan to eventually get my masters, because I want to be a nurse practitioner. Would it be better to go for associates, and incorporate bachlors prereqs, then be a weekend nurse while finishing up prereqs? How hard is it to find a job with a ADN? I also heard tell they might not accept associate degrees anymore, and I am not sure if this is false or not. But I live with my sixty two year old grandma and I do not know if it would be fair or right not to get the ADN and get out, then work while going to school.

trae55 · Mar 16, 2010

I think that rumor about not accepting adn degrees and lvns has been going around for a while now. I wouldn't worry about it. Anyway, once you have your prereqs for your BSN, it only takes one year typically online to get your BSN. Not a big deal.

Honestly, I would skip the intro to a&p. Grab an a&p study guide instead. That will also free up hours for other classes you need. Even if you need to apply for the lvn program, keep in mind you'll still have to wait for the application period to start. It won't really help you in case you do need to graduate in a hurry. Check out the lvn application periods. I don't know about cy-fair, but at montgomery it's only in Jan for fall admission. By that point you'd be done with the regular a&p classes anyway. There's no need to take an unnecessary class when you have others to take.

Start taking classes toward your adn first and if you don't have a problem staying in school an extra year, go for your bsn.

zmojaver · Mar 16, 2010

It is too late because I already payed for this summer. And if I wanted to take A&P 1 instead for this summer the classes are already all filled up:crying2: And I work full time, so I did not have time to devote to lab, and that is also why I was afraid to take it this summer and make a B. I do know that many nurses are associates, so maybe I was silly to worry. No one wants to be out that many nurses. Actually, that is a great idea, to go for ADN first if I can do the rest online. Do you know any online colleges that do not require students to work full time first? If I do not find a nursing job for a few months I still want to continue my education in that time.

zmojaver · Mar 16, 2010

After what you said about A&P, I went just to check, and sucessfully registered for both Human development and A&P I for this summer:)

trae55 · Mar 16, 2010

Don't worry. A&P is more time consuming and different than hard. The upside is lonestar's adn program only counts the highest a&p I or II grade in their gpa calculation for the point system. Even if you made a C in the summer you'd be okay as long as you make an A in a&p II. It might cause a problem if you went straight for the BSN generic program because they calculate a science and cumulative gpa, but completely fine for the adn point system.

I'm going to apply to UT Houston's rn-bsn program when I graduate. They dropped the rule that you had to work for 6 months full time or 12 months part time before applying. I'll have all my bsn prereqs done when I graduate from lonestar. I only have three left so I'm going to do them in the summers.

zmojaver · Mar 17, 2010

Good luck! That is smart to have the prereqs done. Is UT hard to get into if you make perfect grades? I heard it is a good school.