I am so confused on where to start...

BellasMommyOBRN · Feb 17, 2009

were you looking into an accelerated program? if you at least have a bachelors degree, you shouldn't have to go through 4 years. accelerated bsn programs are much quicker and are usually noted on college websites.

Chrissylgg · Feb 17, 2009

No, I was looking into the normal 4 year program http://www.don.armstrong.edu/Blue%20sheet%20BSN%20Info2008.pdf #9 under Admission states what I quoted earlier. Looking at it again, I have the feeling that I would just need to have the courses listed and once accepted 4 semesters.....does that sound right?

By the way does anyone do the ROTC nursing route?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 17, 2009

Welcome to the the world of Nursing - we're on a whole different academic planet than what you did before. I am sorry you have not received all the information you need.

Nursing schools are mandated to have very specific faculty to student ratios - and the faculty must have very specific qualifications. So SONs cannot simply expand and let in more students when demand is high - despite the very high attrition rates that happen during the course of the program. As I'm sure you have already found out, admissions are very competitive.

Unfortunately, because you are switching academic 'sides' - from Arts to Sciences - a lot of your previous course work will only count as electives for your BSN. Most SONs require applicants to have completed all prerequisites before their application is accepted. This is because a lot of people kinda poop out when they get to Chem, Micro, Stats & such. GPA requirements vary from school to school, but most use them to prioritize candidates for admission.... higer GPA = better chance of admission.

Your assumption is correct - a BSN is a "4 year degree" but the clinical portion usually accounts for only half of that. Some schools have an extra semester tacked on the end that is basically the equivalent of a medical internship, but for most, the clinical component is 2 years. If you have read many of the threads on this site, you will discover that a lot of "second career" folks really regret going into an accelerated BS program because they feel that their clinical preparation was slighted.... so you are making a wise decision not to go that route.

Good luck! Hang in there - we're here for you.

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Feb 17, 2009

Quick pointers - look into ALL the nursing schools in your area, and make yourself a list or chart or something of the various requirements - usually certain 100-200 lvl science courses with a few odds and ends for each individual school. Figure out which ones pop up most often (A&P, Micro, Gen Chem, etc) and get the ones you don't have knocked out at a community college. Once you fulfill the prereqs for the courses, go ahead and apply.

As to what types of programs - since you already have at least a bachelors, an accellerated BSN or a Direct-Entry MSN might be better for you, if you can swing the costs (the master's is easier financially, thanks to the GradPLUS loan). If you're looking to save money, try to get your ADN at a CC (which are notoriously hard to get into in most places) and then do an RN-to-BSN program on your employing hospital's dime later.

As for how a normal four-year program'd deal with you, my impression from the reply they gave you is that you would be transferred in as an upperclassman and start on the clincal courses once you jumped through all the requisite hoops. However, I don't attend or work for the school you've been inquiring at, so I could be horribly wrong.

Chrissylgg · Feb 17, 2009

Thank you so much for your replies. I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel :) When I picked up my husband this afternoon we walked into the nursing department and in the unfriendly ladies office. Wow, she is not helpful AT ALL, but at least I got (most) of the info I wanted. Because I have a MBA I just need 6 courses (which are all 100 levels) before I can apply to the BSN program (which would be than 2 years left for me) in Spring 10. Thanks for the advice with going to a CC to save money :) I will look into this.

I guess my plan is now to sign up for a CC or Armstrong (where I wanna go for the BSN) and take the needed courses in the summer and fall semester and than apply in fall for the spring start of the BSN and in between start volunteering in a hospital. One of the hospitals where I wanna go and volunteer offers S.T.E.P. (Student Training Employment Partnership) for BSN majors...maybe I can get a position in that.

My only worry is that because the lady wasn't helpful, that she gave me wrong info. I don't have a Bachelor (just two AS and a Master) which I kept telling her and she said you're fine because you have a Master which is a little higher than a Bachelor! Do you guys think that in the end before I take the NCLEX exam it may happen that I get told I don't actually meet the requirements because I don't have a Bachelor?

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Feb 17, 2009

The NCLEX-RN is the same for every new nurse, whether the graduated with a Hospital Diploma, an ADN/ASN, a BSN, or a generalist MSN. The state BON, which is the body the schools petition to let their students sit the NCLEX, cares more that you graduated from your program than whether or not you previously had a degree. The only place that I can think of where your slightly non-traditional degree path might be an issue is during admissions, when the committee will look at your file and go "Huh?" If you talked to someone who was actually involved with admissions, then you probably got the correct info.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, one of the common trade-offs between going to a BSN program or going to an ADN program is that, while the community colleges are cheaper, there is consequently a much higher demand for the seats, and many can actually be harder to get into than some BSN programs - though, in some cases, that's because the nearest BSN school is over a hundred miles away. It's definitely worth some research, and some evaluation of your priorities in education and nursing. I'd go find some of the various "ADN vs. BSN" threads on this site - once you sort through all the vitriol you'll get a handle on the pros and cons of each. (I don't have a favorite in that particular battle: I'm in a grad-entry program, which is a different beast entirely.)