I am so confused

NurseRies, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2013

Im a third year sociology major and I just realize beginning of this year I want to be a nurse. However my university does not have a nursing program. I am taking the pre requisite. Is it ok to have a bachelor of arts then go to nursing school??

It may be better to get your bachelor's degree completed at your current university. Meanwhile, get on a waiting list for a second degree nursing program. That means its only for people that already have a bacherlor's. it will help you cut down on the electives. The second degree nursing programs are usually 2-3 years instead if 4. And that will get you an RN-BSN some new ones even give you a masters ( at a price ), which is what hospitals are pushing for these days (BSN). Apply to several nursing schools, since most have a wait list. If you have to wait, try to work as a CNA to make sure that this is what you're want to do. They say there's a nursing shortage, but if you keep up on current trends, you'll notice that about 40% of new grad nurses are unemployed. Many of them for 6 months or more.

I knew lots of people who already had a bacherlor's in biology or sociology or something. I think to get the most bang for your buck, try to find an accelerated second degree program. What makes you want to be a nurse? If you do it for job security or pay, you may be disappointed. I hope you can find a school! Nursing school is a HUGE challenge! Best of luck.

txrn13 · Feb 22, 2013

Im a third year sociology major and I just realize beginning of this year I want to be a nurse. However my university does not have a nursing program. I am taking the pre requisite. Is it ok to have a bachelor of arts then go to nursing school??

It's ok to feel slightly confused, change majors, or obtain a nursing degree after you get the sociology degree. My 1st degree is in Business Administration and after working awhile I decided to go to nursing school. I just recently graduated from a 2nd degree BSN program & look forward to starting my new career. Look into programs in your area & go for it! Good luck!!

queserasera, RN · Feb 22, 2013

Yeah, definitely finish your bachelors and then just do the accelerated BSN program.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Feb 22, 2013

You could finish off your current bachelor's and then go through an accelerated BSN program, which is for students with a bachelor's degree in another field except nursing. Accelerated BSN programs are shorter in length compared to traditional BSN programs and chances are with your other bachelor's degree, you will already have completed some pre-reqs and co-reqs.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 22, 2013

I would suggest doing a thorough analysis of the consequences of getting your degree prior to moving on to a nursing program.

Are you reliant on loans/grants? If so, these may not be available if you already have a bachelor's degree or max out on your hours. Accelerated programs are very expensive & so intensive that it is pretty much impossible to work while you're involved in the program.

How's your GPA? You're going to need a very high GPA to be competitive for entry into the most desirable programs. This could be a show-stopper. The GPA mentioned in in the admission requirements does not reflect the actual cut-off of students admitted.... the actual is more like 3.5 & higher.

Finally, what made you "realize" that you wanted to switch to nursing? Is this based on reality or an idealized impression? Make sure you really know what you are getting into.

Shorty11, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2013

It is definitely okay to obtain a bachelor's degree before deciding to go to nursing school. There is no penalty for changing your mind anyways! I have a BS in Biology and am currently working on a BSN. I did not realize I wanted to go into nursing until after I had already graduated and spent a few years in the "workforce" though. There are many things to consider before deciding to finish out this bachelors vs. switching to nursing before you finish this bachelors. Really depends on your individual situation: personal finances, loans (if any), how many credit hours are needed to complete this degree, home life, status on completed pre-reqs, ability to move/switch schools in a timely manner since your school does not have a nursing program, your level of confidence/commitment in your decision to choose nursing, planned pre-reqs that need to be completed before admission,..and the list goes on!

How many credit hours left before graduation and perceived difficulty of course load left? How are you grades? GPA? Have you looked into nursing schools in your preferred area? Have you looked into required pre-reqs for these schools and typical acceptance standards? Are you wanting to finish this degree first or are you feeling you want to make the switch to nursing asap? What type/length of program are you considering? Etc. Etc.

It is a lot to think about, I know! Best of luck!

greenlettuce · Feb 24, 2013

Thank you so much for the replies. It really helped a lot. It was so much to take in . I want to be a nurse because I basically grew up in a hospital and I always like the environment (I know its odd). I don't really care about how much money I make I just want to do something where I know I'll love it. I feel like being a nurse suits my personality and I really like taking care of people. To be honest I was a biochemistry major before but my gpa was really really low so I decided to change into a sociology which increase my gpa by a lot.

greenlettuce · Mar 31, 2013

I have another question do I need to physics, I actually took physics but got a D in the physics lab. Do I need to retake the physics lab?

maddiem · Apr 1, 2013

Nursing schools don't require that you take physics. Here is what you will need to take (generally speaking...different schools have slightly different requirements) - General Biology, Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2, General Chemistry, Microbiology, College Algebra, Statistics, Psychology, Sociology...And then there are a few random gen ed classes you need to take. Some schools require that you take Organic Chemistry. I've seen it recently in the Chicago area.

There are nursing schools for people who already have bachelors degrees that aren't in nursing. I'm not sure where you live but there are a lot of these programs in the Chicago area where I'm from. I would do some research. They look at the classes that you have already taken for your bachelors degree and accept credit for things like gen ed classes that you took in your first 2 years so you don't need to retake them. But you said that you have a low gpa...If you got a bad grade in any of you gen ed classes, I would retake them at a community college so that the bad grade will get replaced. This will make your gpa better and give you a better chance of getting into a nursing school. Also keep in mind that you will need to take an admissions exam as well. It will cover things like math, biology, anatomy & physiology, chemistry, grammar...You will take this after you complete all your prerequisite courses.

You also have an other option. Instead of wasting more money at the school you're at now to get a degree you won't even use...You could go to a community college and start your prerequisite courses right away. I would advise doing this because you are going to be wasting time and money getting a bachelors degree that you won't even use. Then you could apply to more nursing schools because the amount of second bachelor degree nursing programs is limited and they are very competitive. You could apply to regular bachelor degree programs and associate degree programs if you leave the school you're at now and stop pursuing your sociology degree. For your case, it would be an advantage to apply to an associates degree program because most of these programs only take the GPA of your PREREQUISITES and not your overall gpa that would include all the classes you didn't do well in that don't apply to nursing school. As long as you retake the classes you didn't do well in that would count as prerequisites you would be fine and your gpa would improve significantly. The average gpa for getting into nursing school is about a 3.40. I hope this helps you!

NurseRies, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2013

I have another question do I need to physics I actually took physics but got a D in the physics lab. Do I need to retake the physics lab?[/quote']
Respectfully disagreeing with maddiem. I think you're so close to finishing the degree you have now, if you're not spending a ridiculous amount, finish your degree!! You will probably be put on a nursing school wait list. Also if you have a bacherlors degree in something and it turns out you hate nursing school or simply can't pass, you will have a degree to fall back on. It may not seem like you will use it, but you're almost finished, why not be able to put it on a resume.
Keep in mind that 30-50% of people who start nursing school don't finish. I believe you can do it if you want! Anyone can! But if you're that close to having a degree, why abandon all your hard work? If you dropped out and then didn't like nursing school, you'd basically be in the same position as high school graduate with an insane amount of debt. I have seen friends of mine drop out with only one year left. You can say that you want to go back, but it's hard, as life begins to take over. Get it done! You want to look out for your future!