Is it looked down on if you go for BSN full time after graduation instead of working?

Nurses General Nursing

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I just graduated from an ADN program in May and passed boards and I am enrolled in an RN BSN program. I want to go full time and just get it over with. But on the other hand, I am 24 years old and have no real work history. So my dilemma is if I should enroll part time for the BSN while working or if I should enroll full time for my BSN while either not working or working part time (if anyone even hires new grads part time). What do you guys think? Is it seen as "lazy" if you get your BSN immediately after your ADN on a full time basis? There's also the issue of skills declining because I'm not working and BSN programs don't have you practice skills. So I'm afraid of being considered a "stale grad" if I don't find a job right away.

Any input from former ADN grads? What do you think?

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Just curious - why did you bother getting your ADN? Why not just go straight for your BSN if you didn't get it to work while you work toward the BSN? Not trying to be rude at all, this just doesn't make much sense to me, and might not make sense to your future employer either.

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I think the declining skills should be your biggest concern. Can you work part time while doing the BSN full time? Or do the BSN part time while working part or full time? If i were you I'd find a way to work, because you'll have a very hard time finding a job once your skills have gone stale for 2 years.

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Just go for it. It wouldn't be any different if you would have gone into a BSN program to begin with. You are still in student mode and that's important.

As far as your skills going sour ... you do clinical in the BSN program also so you won't suffer there. ?Who told you BSN program doesn't do clinical? Is that a joke?

You are smart to get the BSN now because many new regulations per state and then national will be coming down the pike that will affect you due to you're so young.

Enjoy school while you can.

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If you tried to go part time in anticipation of finding a job in this economy all it might ever do is delay your BSN. If you have someone else paying for your living expenses/school which is the case I imagine, just complete your edu. Maybe you never need to be a breadwinner. Most new grads these days will not find RN employment that keeps them "live" for acute care consideration, it really doesn't matter right now in this economy. Thousands will not get the type of RN jobs that employers feel they need in order to qualify at even a later date. I've even heard that many of those 2009-2011 will just be tossed out with the bathwater as there will always be a new batch of RNs graduating...

This is a shocker, but it is true. So, now that you are continuing your edu you must understand that there are thousands of BSNs who are unemployed as well. Be prepared to not gain anything from continuing your edu as far as job-getting goes. Yup, it's just that bad.

I'd get a bachelors degree in something else entirely if I were you - unless you already have one. I would in no way begin any new edu regarding "nursing" until you know you have a job that will validate it. Seriously you will be just be taken advantage of.

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Just go for it. It wouldn't be any different if you would have gone into a BSN program to begin with. You are still in student mode and that's important.

As far as your skills going sour ... you do clinical in the BSN program also so you won't suffer there. ?Who told you BSN program doesn't do clinical? Is that a joke?

You are smart to get the BSN now because many new regulations per state and then national will be coming down the pike that will affect you due to you're so young.

Enjoy school while you can.

Most RN to BSN programs don't have a clinical component. How would places be able to offer an online RN to BSN program if there were clinicals? The exception are those that have like a 45 hour volunteer component.

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If you tried to go part time in anticipation of finding a job in this economy all it might ever do is delay your BSN. If you have someone else paying for your living expenses/school which is the case I imagine, just complete your edu. Maybe you never need to be a breadwinner. Most new grads these days will not find RN employment that keeps them "live" for acute care consideration, it really doesn't matter right now in this economy. Thousands will not get the type of RN jobs that employers feel they need in order to qualify at even a later date. I've even heard that many of those 2009-2011 will just be tossed out with the bathwater as there will always be a new batch of RNs graduating...

This is a shocker, but it is true. So, now that you are continuing your edu you must understand that there are thousands of BSNs who are unemployed as well. Be prepared to not gain anything from continuing your edu as far as job-getting goes. Yup, it's just that bad.

I'd get a bachelors degree in something else entirely if I were you - unless you already have one. I would in no way begin any new edu regarding "nursing" until you know you have a job that will validate it. Seriously you will be just be taken advantage of.

Okay, but I do already have a couple of job offers from hospitals. I am thinking of forgoing them in order to continue my BSN full time. Part of that is because I don't like the areas of the facilities.

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Just curious - why did you bother getting your ADN? Why not just go straight for your BSN if you didn't get it to work while you work toward the BSN? Not trying to be rude at all, this just doesn't make much sense to me, and might not make sense to your future employer either.

A combination of reasons. I decided late in the year to go to nursing school and an ADN program was the only location still admitting people in my area. Otherwise I would have gone into a BSN program. I also had a lot of pre-reqs to take that the ADN program let me take concurrently in the nursing program.

I also originally planned to work while working on my BSN but to put it simply, I might change my mind. I didn't lose any time by going this route, if that's what you're hinting at. As in, if I go full time for my BSN now, I will finish in the same time it would have taken if I went traditional BSN without the ADN.

Does that answer your question?

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

As far as your skills going sour ... you do clinical in the BSN program also so you won't suffer there. ?Who told you BSN program doesn't do clinical? Is that a joke?

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Most RN-BSN programs do NOT include the types of clinicals that are in a pre-licensure BSN program. Most RN-BSN programs assume that the student has already worked as an RN and is reasonably solid in their staff nurse skills. The clinical projects that they do as part of an RN-BSN program are more along the lines of leadership, community health, etc. The bedside care of the hospitalized patient that was covered in the ADN program is not repeated. It's assumed the student already has those skills.

The skill erosion would be one of my 2 biggest concerns. As an employer, I woudl rather hire someone whose clinical skills had been developed through at least a little practice after graduation rather than someone who had acquired a beginner level in school and then took 2 years off without "finishing" their development.

The other concern is that some RN-BSN courses assume that the students have some experience under their belts. The assignments, etc. are geared to the "returning" student and not to the student who has never practiced as a nurse. That might make the school experience less than ideal for someone who never practiced nursing and hinder their learning. They might also get bad grades that would hurt their ability to go to grad school later. I would check out the courses (and the backgrounds of the typical student) before I committed to a program in that situation. I wouldn't want to be the only student in the class who was not a competent nurse to begin with. I wouldn't want to be the weakest student in class. But some schools may cater to that inexperienced group and that wouldn't be a problem.

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Okay, but I do already have a couple of job offers from hospitals.

Oh my goodness - take one of the offers! Hospital jobs are hard to come by for new grads, and since acute care experience is the best and pays the most, you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity. If you turn them down to ONLY do RN-BSN, you might never get a hospital job afterwards. Enroll in the RN-BSN and do it part time while you work at the hospital, then up the number of credits per semester to full time if you feel you can handle it eventually.

I repeat- it would be a huge mistake to turn down an acute care job as a new grad!

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I would see how your job offers play out before committing to full time BSN. You may end up working full time and going to school part time or ViceVersa.

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The thing is I really hate the areas where the jobs are. One is very rural, about an hour from a small city and about 5 hours from anywhere substantial. I won't know anybody there. :/

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