Kind of a complicated question...

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Okay so I am a college freshman, currently in elementary education. I absolutely hate it. I want to switch to nursing which has always been in the back of my mind, but my school unfortunately does not exactly have a nursing program. I absolutely love my school, and I would hate to transfer. My mom doesn't even want me to transfer. She told me to get a degree in something like biology and then do a accelerated-bsn program somewhere, which doesn't sound like such a horrible idea, minus the money wasted which is kinda the thing stopping me. I really, really don't want to leave my school and the nursing "satellite" program that is connected to my school would technically also make me not a student here and according to the admissions office, "transferring your courses is extremely difficult and needs to be started as early as fall of your freshman year. Your highest chances of being admitted (64 seats available) is if you declared your major as pre-nursing in your freshman application). This discourages me a lot and pushes me more to pursue an accelerated program after graduation, which many girls on my campus are doing for this same reason (ridiculous that we have to do that in my opinion).

My questions are:

1. Opinions on this?? Is it stupid to be so concerned about not wanting to leave my school? I worked my butt off to get to this school and leaving would more than bum me out, but at the same time, the career comes first.

2. If I did pursue a bachelor's degree in something besides nursing and then went on to do an accelerated program, which would (generally, I know course load varies at different schools) be the best major to choose? I heard biology actually isn't a good choice because the course load does not even close to overlap, but I'm not sure what else. Obviously I would take courses according to pre-reqs of the nursing schools I would later to apply to, but what majors are reccomendations to possibly declare?

Thanks so much, please be honest if this is stupid because I may/may not need some sense knocked into me!

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The comments your mother make need to be put aside. Unless she is going to be providing for you the rest of your life, this choice is yours.

Is it "stupid" to not want to leave your school? No. I loved my first undergrad institution. A lot. Is is a bit silly to stay just because you like it when you know they don't even offer your major? Yes. I know it seems almost like there is "no turning back" now, but you're just a freshman.

I'm not really sure why transferring freshman level, gen ed courses would be "extremely difficult" per this other nursing program. Are they a private school, for profit or something? For the most part, gen eds will transfer with the exception of maybe a few wacky electives.

With that being said, If you are 100% sure you want to be a nurse at this point, I would just transfer out ASAP, even if it means hanging in for an extra semester somewhere. Your "wasting money" point, while responsible, is irrelevant. You would also technically be "wasting" money if you stayed at your school and applied for another accelerated program. One could also say you would be "wasting" the years waiting to be accepted into the program in lost income, depending on any pre reqs you would have to take. I'm not saying that to sound scary (most of us take pre reqs, work full time, and are completely fine), but no matter how you slice this, You need to switch programs.

I would switch now rather than later if you know you want the BSN. Biology is a great degree to keep your options open. My H didn't know what he wanted to do, so he was a bio major. He worked for a year after school to gain hours as a CNA and then decided between Med and PA school. His bio degree would have served him enough to get into many of either program. HOWEVER, you know you want to be a nurse. Pursue that course. If you ENJOY biology, you can always take more classes or summer classes.

I don't believe a biology major would typically cover nursing pre reqs, unless you took those courses on the side. My H didn't have to take A&P or microbiology (his PA program had their own A&P sequence), but it did cover the chemistry requirements.

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Specializes in NICU, RNC.

An accelerated BSN is probably going to cost you at least $40k. Add that to the money spent on a 4-year-degree that you literally have no desire to use. Those 4 years at a university are probably costing at least $40k as well. And those are pretty modest numbers that I'm throwing out there. Is your mother aware of the costs and on board paying 100% for all of it? Then sure, do what she says! Whoever pays the bills get to make the rules. However, If you are going to have to take out student loans for even part of it (which I'm guessing will be the case unless your mother is very wealthy), then save yourself the cost of the Bachelors degree, and just transfer out and get your nursing degree.

In addition to that, I encourage you to find out about the current RN job market in your area. If an ADN degree will get you a job, then I strongly suggest you go to a community college and earn your ADN. An ADN RN has the exact same job and responsibilities as a BSN RN. Some hospitals will pay an extra $1 an hour or so if you have your BSN, but many don't. Once you are working, you can then do an online RN-BSN program and get tuition reimbursement from your employer to pay for it. Most RN-BSN programs take about 12-18 months to complete.

That said, some areas are oversaturated with new grads, so hospitals require a BSN because they can. If you are in one of these areas, then go ahead and go straight to the BSN program. This is why it is important to feel out the nursing climate in your city.

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Specializes in Neuro.

In the end, when you graduate, as long as the school is accredited & in good standing with your states BON, it won't matter where you went to school. Some schools are more prestigious than others, some have better reputations than others, but, in the end we all have to sit & pass the same NCLEX. My advice, think long & hard about what you really want & if that is to be a nurse, be a nurse, don't take the longer expensive route if you know nursing is what you want. A school, is a school, while one might be more fancy than others, it's just a school. I was a nursing major who deterred & got a Bachelors in something else, I don't regret it necessarily b/c I learned a lot & enjoyed the profession it took me in. In the end though, I could not stop thinking about going back to nursing. More than a decade & first career later I'm going back & paying more for my education now, with a family & additional responsibilities to boot. If you really know you want to be a nurse, go after it, even if it means leaving your school.

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I would also urge you to switch now rather than later because accelerated BSN programs have a reputation of being hard eggs to boil. A traditional BSN program, at a normal pace, would be better suited to your out of the racing blocks success. JMO

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

How would you support yourself after you graduated with a BSN in biology? I know you are young but life can get in the way, so I would highly advise you to transfer to another institution that has a nursing program. Why waste all that time & money on a degree you'll never use. Then have to spend more time & money on your second degree. There is also no guarantee that you get into a nursing program on the first shot. So why delay the process even longer?

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