Higschooler in need of help

[LIZ07]

I need help making a very important decision.My Major in college. I have been interested in nursing and applied to two colleges one I got accepted for nursing and the other I did also but for a different campus location about 2 hours away from my home. One is a state 2 year college the other is a 4 year. you can view the 2 year one at http://www.ivytech.edu Does it make a difference of which type of school you go to? What is the common pay for a nurse? How hard is it to get a job after graduating college? I appreicate your time reading this and thanks in advance for any advice/answers you may give me!!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Pay varies depending on where you are in the country. New graduate RNs here make about $19.00/hr to start, with a raise after six months, or something like that, here in west central Florida. It's higher and lower in other areas of the country.

It doesn't matter if you have a 4 year BSN degree, or 2 year ADN, you'll make about the same when you first start out. Here it's relatively easy to get a job.

The 4-year degree is helpful later on down the line as you get experience and want to branch out into the world of nursing. The opportunities are more diverse for a BSN nurse. So if you are able, to for the BSN.

I'm a community college graduate and it's never held me back whatsoever. I have an associates degree, and am now working on getting my Bachelor's degree. That's always an option too. If I had it to do over, I would have gotten the 4 year degree right away fresh out of high school, instead of now being 45 years old. :)

[WhatToDo]

I believe around here nurses make $20 - $30 an hour.

If I had it to do all over again, I would have gone for an ADN and directly into a BSN. That way you can work part-time making a nurse's salary during your BSN. Or you can go directly into nurse practitioner programs that last three years with an ADN and get three degrees in five years! That would maximize your profit and you'll end up making a nice salary. Plus you'll have a master degree when your 23 and have several years of part-time nursing experience.

Good luck!