I am really struggling with a decision regarding nursing school and I am hoping to get some advice from seasoned nurses.
So here's my dilemma:
I can attend a local community college which offers an accelerated 14 month program which will allow me to obtain my ADN in July 2016 with absolutely no debt. From there, my plan would be to continue with school to obtain a BSN online through a state school, also with no debt.
The other option is that since I already hold a bachelors degree in another field, I can attend a second bachelors program in a more prestigious school to the tune of 40k-60k in student loan debt. I would obtain my BSN by September 2016 or December 2016, depending upon which school accepts me.
I have already been accepted into the ADN program which starts in May. I won't know about the other two schools until March or April, however I am confident that I will be accepted to at least one of them. All of my post bachelor pre-reqs resulted in a 4.0 GPA plus I have 12+ years of real world experience, with 7 of it being in management.
Part of me is really inclined to go the debt free route because I do not want a big student loan but I am really afraid that I won't be able to find a job with an ADN only, especially since I have zero patient contact experience. But then the other part of me wants to just get the BSN ASAP which would be the second bachelors program.
I really feel like this is the biggest decision of my life and I would greatly appreciate anyone who can offer me some guidance.
I have the option for debt free education because I have been saving money for years. The community college is a very inexpensive route and the state colleges in Maryland are relatively cheap for state residents.
Regarding the Masters program, I have already resigned from my previous career to complete my pre-reqs and I have already applied to several ABSN nursing programs. The application deadlines have already expired so at this point MSN is not an option.
I am not sure how receptive the DC/MD/VA area is to nurses holding an ADN, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, when I look at RN job openings in this area, 98% of them either require or prefer a BSN. This is definitely one of the biggest reasons that I am concerned about going the ADN route, not to mention the fact that once I get through nursing school, I am sure that I won't exactly feel excited about having to go for another year or more for the BSN.
Honestly, the only attractive thing about the ADN route is no debt.
As far as scholarships, that would be great, but they are not guaranteed. If I knew that I could get scholarships to cover even half the tuition, I would go for the BSN for sure!
Many MSN programs have two to three start dates each year. Or, get the ADN first and then immediately enroll in an online RN-BSN program and do one or two courses at a time, this will appease the BSN preferred HR. The time will still end up being the same and the BSN portion after the ADN is cake.
I would recommend going for the ADN because honestly it is hard getting a job simply because you are a new grad. I know new grads with BSN having a tough time finding work.
I also have a BS so I didn't want to double up on Bachelors degrees so I went the no debt ADN route but I started working on securing my job day 1 in nursing school.
I picked the hospital I wanted to work at (local county hospital) and volunteered 4 hours a week. After the first semester in school I got my CNA. By being a volunteer I was able to get the names of department managers and I hand delivered my very professional CNA resume to all of the departments that I wanted to work on. Within 3 months I was hired on as a Student Nurse (which doesn't require a CNA but it's the same job). I did my job with enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.
Once I passed my NCLEX in July 2014 I was hired August 2014. Now, my focus is on being a great nurse and finding my niche and then go for my Masters in a more specialized area.
Look at it as an investment. You will eventually spend the money, just spend it wisely.
I would recommend going for the ADN because honestly it is hard getting a job simply because you are a new grad. I know new grads with BSN having a tough time finding work.
I also have a BS so I didn't want to double up on Bachelors degrees so I went the no debt ADN route but I started working on securing my job day 1 in nursing school.
I picked the hospital I wanted to work at (local county hospital) and volunteered 4 hours a week. After the first semester in school I got my CNA. By being a volunteer I was able to get the names of department managers and I hand delivered my very professional CNA resume to all of the departments that I wanted to work on. Within 3 months I was hired on as a Student Nurse (which doesn't require a CNA but it's the same job). I did my job with enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.
Once I passed my NCLEX in July 2014 I was hired August 2014. Now, my focus is on being a great nurse and finding my niche and then go for my Masters in a more specialized area.
Look at it as an investment. You will eventually spend the money, just spend it wisely.
Volunteering is a really great idea! What exactly did you do as a volunteer? I actually have filled out a volunteer application at my local hospital on two separate occasions and have never heard back. Perhaps I should go in person. Thanks for the idea and I am really curious to hear what role you took on as a volunteer.
As a volunteer I worked in PACU and ICU. In PACU and ICU, the "assigned duties" were things like clean the beds after a patient was discharged, replenished out of stocked items, transport patients to their rooms or to their ride/car waiting outside...you know...the volunteer stuff. But I also offered warm blankets to patients after thy got out of surgery, just try to always be helpful...don't just sit around.
You may have to make a visit to them. If you want it you gotta go get! Let them know you are interested. For me it was a great way to start. I learned a lot and it helped me understand a lot of concepts in nursing school and I think it should be mandatory to do volunteer hours before going to nursing school.
Anyway...good luck!!!! It's tough out there start your job search now and you won't have to worry about that after you graduate.
I struggled with this as well. I decided to go the ADN route with the intention of going straight into a RN-BSN bridge after graduation. In my area I should be able to get a job with my ADN even if it's not my ideal choice and the BSN bridge should take about a year. Since I had previous debt from my BA and MPH accruing more debt was not an option.
I just wanted to thank everyone for your advice. I am still pondering this decision but am very heavily leaning toward debt free. I have spoken to several nurses in my area and it seems that if I can get into a hospital as a CNA, working a few weekends a month, that I will have a much better chance at finding a job with an ADN. That would also be ideal because there is a good possibility that I could get the hospital to help pay for my BSN.
I have always been responsible when it comes to finances, no point in taking on a hefty loan unnecessarily. If I want a prestigious school attached to my degree, I think that I'd be better off doing that for grad school anyway.
I think my next step is to get my butt into a hospital and volunteer ASAP so that I can have a batter chance at getting a CNA job once I complete my first semester of nursing school!
CHBlake
28 Posts
I have the option for debt free education because I have been saving money for years. The community college is a very inexpensive route and the state colleges in Maryland are relatively cheap for state residents.
Regarding the Masters program, I have already resigned from my previous career to complete my pre-reqs and I have already applied to several ABSN nursing programs. The application deadlines have already expired so at this point MSN is not an option.
I am not sure how receptive the DC/MD/VA area is to nurses holding an ADN, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, when I look at RN job openings in this area, 98% of them either require or prefer a BSN. This is definitely one of the biggest reasons that I am concerned about going the ADN route, not to mention the fact that once I get through nursing school, I am sure that I won't exactly feel excited about having to go for another year or more for the BSN.
Honestly, the only attractive thing about the ADN route is no debt.