Just accepted into adn program! Should i accept or decline?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey guys,

I just recently found at that I have been accepted into a ADN two year program for nursing school. When I found out I was stoked because I know how hard it is to get into a program these days when its seems like everyone is applying. My dilemma is whether or not to accept the offer and start this fall. I also feel as though I should go straight for my bsn and not waste any time with doing the adn program.I am actually almost done taking my pre-reqs for the bsn program. And would do the uta academic partnership offered through my hospital.

What would you guys do? I hear a lot that it is very hard for new graduates to find jobs in clustered cities like Houston (where I am from). I can't imagine completing the adn program and not being able to find a job. Should I accept or decline. What do you think?

This is coming from a 19 year old, not to say that I am not knowledgeable. I think that there are others out there who are in the field already who can offer great advice.

This must be school specific. Acceptance to all BSN programs in my area guarantees acceptance to clinicals. I can't see how it could operate any other way. :confused:

At a lot of schools you start out as "pre nursing" and after you complete your pre-reqs there's a separate application process for clinicals. Admittance at the university doesn't automatically give you a spot in clinicals.

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If you think your chances of getting into your BSN program is high, then go straight for your BSN. I live in S. Cali and hospitals are telling me they are accepting BSNs only! ADNs are having a hard time finding a job. It's also faster to graduate from a straight BSN program than to bridge over and then do an RN to BSN program just from my research. by the way, I'm in an ADN program right now, and I'm regretting not going into a BSN program due to the job market.

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I'm going to be a little different here since so many have put up arguments against the BSN in other discussions.

With prerequisites and then the ADN, you are spending probably 3 years in college. If you use those prerequisites, along with a few other classes, which are also part of the first two years of the BSN with the professional portion in the last two, you are saving time with getting a higher degree in 4 years.

If you are in a position to go through a 4 year program now, you might think about going for it. So many say they'll go back later to school but later never comes and you may see yourself missing future opportunities or you may want to focus on a personal life outside of your professional one. It would be nice to have your college education behind you to allow time for both.

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if you can get thru ADN in 2 calendar years, do it. you can then begin to work a full time schedule and convert to BSN thru a conversion program that takes as little as 18 months and requires 1 class day attendence per week. lots of colleges offer adults only conversion programs that are engineered around an adult working schedule. your final cost will be much lower, as CC tend to run 1/2 to 1/4 the per credit cost of a traditional college, and conversion ADN to BSN programs tend to have the same per credit cost.

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

OP: I'm in the DFW area too, most ADN programs around here are partnering up with a BSN program so students can go right from one to the other, which is cheap cheap cheap! Brookhaven partners with Texas Tech, Collin College with TWU, El Centro with... can't remember which school, might've been UTA but someone on here told me about it. These partnerships mean the BSN program will accept all your ADN classes so there's no guesswork as to whether you'll need classes other than those from your ADN and maybe a couple gen ed classes that you've probably already done since you said you're almost done with BSN pre-reqs. That's what I'm planning on doing! Hope this helps :)

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Specializes in Cardiac Critical Care.

Reading that I'm thinking I wasn't super clear... after you get your ADN from one of these schools you can go right into the associated school's BSN program. PM me if you have any questions :)

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At a lot of schools you start out as "pre nursing" and after you complete your pre-reqs there's a separate application process for clinicals. Admittance at the university doesn't automatically give you a spot in clinicals.

I don't understand that.. Especially since most of the classes like Fundamentals and Med surg REQUIRE a clinical componet in order to complete the class. That would be stupid to let's say you take the theory class in maternal child/ob and not be going to clinicals to reinforce the skills you learn in class/lab. And instead Having to apply to clinicals luke you would Apply to nursing school. That's just D U M B.

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At a lot of schools you start out as "pre nursing" and after you complete your pre-reqs there's a separate application process for clinicals. Admittance at the university doesn't automatically give you a spot in clinicals.

Pre-reqs are different. We had the same at my school, but once accepted to the nursing program, clinicals were a given.

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Specializes in CNA.

Do the ADN program then bridge to BSN if you so choose. You are young enough you have the time to do it however you want really. An ADN will get you there quicker then you can work as a nurse while finishing your bsn if you want and have your employer pay for it!

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Specializes in LTC.

"Life happens when we are busy making other plans" With that said If I were you I would go for the ADN while you have been accepted. You can transfer to do your BSN right after ADN and will only have to spend 1-2 years extra in school. You never know what life may bring in about 4 years. When you finish your ADN you will have a RN license and will be able to work to gain valuable experience and a decent income. Even though you are 19 and will have your parents to take care of you, it is nothing like earning your own income. Good luck on whatever you decide.

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I would accept and then work your butt off to make the best grades possible so that you can go into the RN-BSN program when you're finished. (If you still want to get the BSN)

At this day and age when it's so difficult to get into nursing school, I would take it!

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I don't know anything about the DFW area's job market right now. If you were here in the Philadelphia area, I would tell you not to get the ADN, unless you plan to get the ADN and then immediately transfer to an RN-to-BSN program, without any expectation that you will get a job after the ADN. In this area, it is getting harder and harder for ADNs to get jobs, and multiple hospital systems are now only hiring BSNs.

If you can accept that you might not get a job after your ADN and you are willing to bridge immediately into an RN-BSN program, that might be your best bet, as available slots for nursing programs are pretty limited right now. But again, if the DFW area is one where ADNs can get jobs fairly easily, definitely go with the guaranteed program opening. Just keep going and get your BSN so you can move into management and so you don't have to worry about whether ADNs will be less marketable in the future.

If you are still really uncertain, call the school and ask if they will let you defer entrance for a year. Then you can apply to BSN programs (you said your prereqs are almost done) and see where you get admitted. Not all schools will allow deferred entrance, so that is information you definitely need.

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