Interested in Nursing

meadow85 · Dec 13, 2009

I believe you need your bachelors. They have 2 year program for those who already have a previous degree. Well in Canada anyway!

John--RN · Dec 13, 2009

You can get an ASN first than continue with a BA or Masters program later, hopefully with tuition reimbursement. Also keep in mind that many RN programs have waiting lists, some of them a couple of years long. If you find this to be the case in your area you can also look into an LPN program to get into the field. Many of the online bridge programs to RN have no waiting list.

Good Luck.

RNYC · Dec 13, 2009

Dont bother with the ADN....your looking at 1-4 yr waiting lists right now and then 2 yrs once your into school. This means a 3-6 yr path to be an ADN, and then your at a slight (someday probably bigger than slight) disadvantage in getting a new grad nursing job. Get your BSN in an accelerated program (ABSN) - look at Drexel U. You can get your BSN in 11 short months and its right in Philly! I go to school up in NYC in an ABSN, and its rigorous but faster and ultimately worth it in the long run.

You can take a lot of prereqs online these days, but very few schools offer Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology online...these are usually prereqs for RN school.

Be prepared for a competitive admission process though...despite the fact that new grads are having difficulty getting hired theres a run on RN school these days.

Cheers mate!

rockkstarr · Dec 13, 2009

Hi Antchick!

Sounds like you're in a similar position as I was nearly two years ago. I'm also from the Philadelphia area (I live in South Jersey).

I would suggest that you do not go for the ADN, but rather go straight for your BSN. Since you already have a BA, it would take you the same amount of time, or even less, than it takes for the ADN. More and more healthcare facilities are requiring nurses to have their BSN's at entry level now, so it would be worth it to go for that degree.

There are a bunch of schools in the Philly area that offer accelerated BSN's for second degree students. Because these programs are much faster, they typically require more pre-requisites. They run anywhere from 11 months (Drexel's ACE program) to 18 months (Univ of Pennsylvania). Villanova has a 14 month program, Jefferson has a 12 month program, and UMDNJ in Stratford has a 15 month program. But, these accelerated programs are extremely intense, and most suggest that you do not work while completing the programs. If you could manage to sacrifice a year to a year and a half of work, it's definitely worth it.

You could also transfer into a traditional BSN program. Most will require fewer pre-requisites, and they have a slower pace. I'm sure some of them would even allow you to attend school part time, but I imagine you would have to have a flexible schedule in order to do so. But the slower pace, even as a full time student, would allow you to work at least part time while going to school (although i work with someone now who goes to school full time and works full time... people who can do that amaze me!) Look at Temple, Jefferson, Univ of Pennsylvania, Eastern, Holy Family... or even Rutgers Camden and UMDNJ.

You can do your pre-req's online, but I know a lot of schools prefer that you do them in person, especially for the science classes. Also, although a lot of pre-req's overlap for some schools, make sure you're familiar with what each one needs (like I know Villanova require religion courses, and UMDNJ wants your Psych 101 credits to be less than 5 years old). All of these schools have a range of preferred GPA's too, so it's worth it to check that out. And many also have direct entry MSN programs (you're accepted into the BSN and MSN at the same time and go straight through)... some of those require the GRE, some do not.

As far as financial aid goes, since you already have a Bachelor's degree, you probably would not qualify for any federally funded grants. You could qualify for federal Subsidized Stafford Loans (if you haven't maxed-out your individual allowance on your Bachelors -- can't remember what that is) and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. It stinks, but it's all about loans at this point . Definitely talk to financial aid at your local community college for that one.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you on your new journey!