My dream is turning out to be a nightmare!

IrishMama · Jul 2, 2009

I don't know if this will help much, but try not to get too down on the whole situation before exploring all your options. Do you have a previous Bachelor's degree? I'm guessing no, but if you do there are a few options including Regis, Metro and CU. If you don't have one and money is the issue, I might say go for your ADN (or AAS, I believe they are similar and will both work when continuing for your BSN) and then do the BSN while you are working and most hospitals offer some tuition assistance. I think most schools are going to advise against working while you are in nursing school.

Regis has a BSN program for people who work in health care field. You take your classes at night and do the clinicals on the weekend. I'm not sure, but you might need a previous bachelor's for this or have at least taken a bunch of general ed courses. I'm unfamiliar with University of Colorado Hospital, but I know they have some kind of program where after you work there for a year or so, you can go to nursing school there and they pay your salary while your in school. I don't know the details, but it sounds ridiculously good.

Do you not want to finance the entire cost of going to school, like living expenses? I contacted my bank, Wells Fargo, and they said that they will give me a check for basically whatever I need (tuition, books, supplies, child care). Of course its all financed, which isn't ideal, but I would not be able to go back to school if my husband and I couldn't get a little bit of assistance for child care. Now that DSN is fully accredited, you might look into a non-federal lender like your bank and see what they can do for you. Unless you want to get your MSN shortly after you finish your BSN you may want to consider getting an AAS or ADN and doing the BSN while you're working. It would just be faster and then you'd be financing for less time.

I went back and forth for so long on what my route was going to be. I'm married, have a mortgage, work in a hospital and have two very young children. I laid it all out on the table and decided what would take the shortest (or most reasonable) amount of time without the biggest price tag. Now I have a plan A and a plan B and feel so much better about it. I don't want to finance big bucks and be stuck with no job, so I had to make a decision based mostly on $$$. I have a previous BS, so I decided that my first choice would be Regis' CHOICE program where I go to class at night. THat way I can work and that will cover child care expenses. I can't afford to go to DSN or Metro and take out more money to cover daycare, so if I don't get into Regis I'll just get my AAS at ACC and then maybe do a BSN while I'm working. ACC will be around $15,000, so if I have to borrow more for child care, it will still be about the same amount as Regis' tuition.

I realize this is a huge run-on post, but I know there is a lot of info and options out there and you can make it work. I thought my head was going to explode trying to make decisions and now I'm totally at peace with it all. It will work out!

dddduncan · Jul 2, 2009

Thanks for the advice!

I do not have a previous bachelors.

I have an Associates Degree (arts & sciences) from a community college (Front Range) that I received about 8 years ago.

I remember looking into Regis, and realizing (as was a similar case with CU) that they have time restrictions on how old some of your pre-req classes can be. Thus- I would have to go back and retake about 70% of the classes I've already taken when I got my AA. (Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Biology, English, etc)

Hardly worth the money.

I guess the least expensive route is to do an AAS from a community college-- the cost, I think, is around $13K.

I'm just so fearful about graduating and not being able to find a job. I have NO hospital experience. I have been in the corporate world all of my life. I have no husband or anything to help support me, so I'm completely on my own here.

What I do know- is that I have never wanted anything more than I want this- and that I KNOW I am one of the brightest, most determined people out there.

If there is anyone else out there who is or was in my spot- can you tell me how you did it?

Coloradogrl · Jul 3, 2009

What about moving out of Denver to go to Nursing school? They waitlist are way shorter and the cost of living is a lot cheaper

prison_nurse · Jul 3, 2009

My dream/goal is to be a nurse.
It would be a great accomplishment for me if I could get a Bachelors in Nursing.
However--- My plan of attending Denver School of Nursing is somewhat shot--- just due to financing.
You're not really supposed to work while in Nursing school and I just don't have the means to be without a job for that amount of time.
Do you have any ideas for alternatives? (I live in the Denver)
I'm looking into ADN programs- then trying to find work in a hospital and going back for a BSN (there is a program at Metro which lets you work in the nursing field while obtaining your BSN).
I've looked into Community colleges- and am wondering if an AAS (Associates of Applied Science) is the equivalent to an ADN? It seems that they're not--- and that you can't necessarily transfer into a BSN program if you have an AAS. Any clarification on this?
It just seems that each way I turn there are huge obstacles knocking me down from my dream.
I don't know who to talk to or where to turn.
Any advice or guidance would be so appreciated.
Thanks!

From my understanding, an AAS (Associates of applied science in nursing) is the same as an ADN (associates degree in nursing). Many times, I will write ADN on a resume rather than AAS. By very virtue of the degree subject (nursing) it is implied that the degree is a science degree.

micco · Jul 3, 2009

it is not ideal to work while in nursing school, but you can do it. I worked all through school and I am married and have 3 kids. it is hard, but you can do it. there are lots of scholarships out there and many go unused because no one applies for them. research scholarships and grants. may be you can work part time. other options include national guard or reserves.

cabanaboy · Jul 4, 2009

My wife and I moved to Grand Junction in 2006 when she was accepted into their ADN program at Mesa State. It was her only option other then waiting for the waitlist at one of the Denver programs or going to DSON. It ended up working out very good for several reasons. I think a program like theirs could really work for someone in your situation, too.

It is a competitive program to get into (no waitlist), but the population of the area is a lot less making your chances better. Your first school year (Fall and Spring semester, not even a whole calendar year) is spent getting your LPN license. My wife was able to work as a home health CNA while she did that. And then after getting her LPN, she worked some home health care, and then for one of the hospitals on a Med /Surg floor. The LPN to RN part of the program didn't start until the next spring, so in the summer and fall she took some GS and prereq courses torward a BSN that she wants to earn in the future. The LPN to RN part of the program ran spring, summer, and fall semester and then she was done.

So, it took her 2 1/2 years on the calendar (not school years) to get her ADN, she worked almost the whole time, and when she graduated she had 1 1/2 year experience working in a hospital setting doing almost everything the RN's did on her floor. She has most of her prereq's and GS courses done torward a BSN. Mesa has a RN to BSN online program she will start in the fall. (There are many options for getting your BSN once you are a RN and most are geared to a working RN).

As far as finances go, besides being able to work she received money from WIA, Americorp, some grants, and student loans. It didn't cost us as much as we were planning for it to.

It couldn't have worked out any better. It will take her longer to get her BSN then if she had gone to DSON, but she started working as a RN in about the same amount of time, and thousands of dollars (if not tens of thousands) less in debt.

One other thing about DSON, although I understand it is a great program, as of right now most grad schools don't recognize their accreditation. SOmething to rememeber if you are thinking about furthering your education in the future.

I hope this info is helpful. Don't be discouraged. If it is really your dream you will find a way to make it happen as long as you don't give up!

vanderth · Nov 22, 2009

It is not bad that you cannot attend DSON. They are not being hired by most hospitals in denver anymore. I have confirmed that through talking with the metropolitan hospital HR departments (Denver Health, CU, Children's etc). Consider it a blessing and a savings of a lot of money.

vanderth · Nov 22, 2009

Not being hired because they are not appropriately accredited ie. ccne or nlnac ect. Plus, if you wanted to extend your education there aren't many institutions that will accept a BSN from DSON because of accredidation. I thought about attending but did major research on it. I am not disputing that it is a great learning facility, it is their accred that is lacking. I am not sure why they aren't seeking different accred, although I assume it is financially based.

elkpark · Nov 22, 2009

"ADN" for "Associate's degree in nursing" is used generically to refer collectively to all associate's degrees in nursing -- but the nursing degree you actually get from a community college is an AAS (Associate of Applied Science) in nursing or ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing). There may be some other possibilities out there, as well.

As long as the community college degree you get qualifies you to sit the NCLEX and get licensed, you will be okay. You will not find a community college that actually gives out a degree formally named an "ADN" ("real" degree names never have the word "degree" in them :)).

There are many, many programs out there, many of them on-line, that will allow you to complete a BSN degree later on, comparatively easily and inexpensively. People do it all the time! :)

If there are accreditation issues with DSON, that is a v. good reason to choose another path. You can run into obstacles and difficulties if you want to pursue further education and advance your career in the future if you attended an unaccredited program. I would never recommend that.

Best wishes for your journey!

mtnmedic · Nov 26, 2009

It is not bad that you cannot attend DSON. They are not being hired by most hospitals in denver anymore. I have confirmed that through talking with the metropolitan hospital HR departments (Denver Health, CU, Children's etc). Consider it a blessing and a savings of a lot of money.

Just to let you know DSN does have accreditation for their ADN and BSN programs though they do not have NLN "certification". And I personally know a DSN graduate (within the past year) who got hired and works at Children's.

I'm not sure what you mean by "anymore". As for not being hired by most hospitals, DSN grad are having the same new grad problems that everyone else is. If that were really the case, I doubt every starting quarter at DSN would be completely full.

leahjack1016 · Nov 26, 2009

My dream/goal is to be a nurse.
It would be a great accomplishment for me if I could get a Bachelors in Nursing.
However--- My plan of attending Denver School of Nursing is somewhat shot--- just due to financing.
You're not really supposed to work while in Nursing school and I just don't have the means to be without a job for that amount of time.
Do you have any ideas for alternatives? (I live in the Denver)
I'm looking into ADN programs- then trying to find work in a hospital and going back for a BSN (there is a program at Metro which lets you work in the nursing field while obtaining your BSN).
I've looked into Community colleges- and am wondering if an AAS (Associates of Applied Science) is the equivalent to an ADN? It seems that they're not--- and that you can't necessarily transfer into a BSN program if you have an AAS. Any clarification on this?
It just seems that each way I turn there are huge obstacles knocking me down from my dream.
I don't know who to talk to or where to turn.
Any advice or guidance would be so appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi there! You are not alone in this challenge. I am 32 years old with two kids and this has been something I have wanted to do for a very long time. So, here is a thought. I met with an advisor at Concorde College in Aurora. They have an ADN program where I am told you can work. It's a bridge program where you complete your LPN, I believe within a year, then the second year you are able to work as an LPN while you complete your RN. This program is still costly also, but I was told that in a lot of cases, you are able to get a lot of your school paid for once you are working as an LPN. I spoke with a woman named Michelle. I believe they have a class starting in Jan. then maybe another in March. I wish you luck in your quest. I was accepted to the School of Nursing at Platt College for the Jan. 4 start date. I am not going to work for 3 years, but I anticipate that I will be POOR for a long time. I think it will be worth it if I am able to work it out.