2nd Degree Nursing Student

iPink, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2012

Hi. I'm not in the NYC area, but in the tri-state area. I've never applied to a traditional 4 year nursing program/ADN program, but have heard they are very competitive. I'm currently in an ABSN program and they are more expensive than the ADN programs. However, that didn't matter to me because I wanted the BSN.

Make a list of the potential schools of choice and weighed the pros and cons and the financial burden to help with your decision.

I know there are a couple of NY traditional nursing students and NY ABSN students on here that may chime in to give you a better idea.

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · Jan 4, 2012

wondering if it is easier to enter nursing school as a second degree student?

with or without your bachelors, you must get your prerequisites for the program. nice thing with a bachelors is you do not need to do the gen ed classes for the adn or bsn. you will still have to do the core nursing classes.

if you have a bachelors non-nursing, you could enter the non nursing bachelors to masters in nursing. of course, you must have all your prerequisites done and then you would do an accelerated bsn and then take the nclex. once you pass, you continue on with your masters in nursing without having to reapply to school.

there is no getting around the prerequisites: english, psych, sociology, math, chem, statistics, a&p, microbiology, psych across the life span, and pathophysiology. those must be completed before you start the core nursing classes.

so, would you get through faster? it depends on what school you go to or if you decide on an lpn/lvn first and then do the bridge to adn or to bsn.

cost varies according to whether the school is private or public and whether you are an instate or out of state students--or doing distant learning. some nursing schools are "rip offs" charging $140,000 for tuition at a private school for a bachelors in nursing, but there are students who apply to the program.

another thing: go to your state's bon and see what accredited school(s) they recommend and which schools fit your parameters. as far as competitiveness of getting into the school, you would have to check into that for yourself.

BluegrassRN · Jan 5, 2012

I would also point out that, if you get your bachelor's in another area, you are not eligible for most grants or scholarships for further undergraduate study. I have a BA, and I had to pay cash for all my nursing classes; no grants, scholarships, or low interest federal loans.

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · Jan 5, 2012

i would also point out that, if you get your bachelor's in another area, you are not eligible for most grants or scholarships for further undergraduate study. i have a ba, and i had to pay cash for all my nursing classes; no grants, scholarships, or low interest federal loans.

absolutely true---but if you are taking distant learning nursing classes, the only financial aid you might receive will be the opportunity to take out student loans.

iPink, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2012

I have my B.A. and received scholarships. There is money out there for 'non-traditional' or second degree students. It's a matter of googling. Also my ABSN program offered many scholarships. So, check your programs site too.

BluegrassRN · Jan 16, 2012

absolutely true---but if you are taking distant learning nursing classes, the only financial aid you might receive will be the opportunity to take out student loans.

at the university i attended, if you were going for yourrn to bsn, it didn't matter if you were online or in the classroom for eligibility for financial aid. i had many on line classmates who received grants and scholarships.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2012

I have my B.A. and received scholarships. There is money out there for 'non-traditional' or second degree students. It's a matter of googling. Also my ABSN program offered many scholarships. So, check your programs site too.

My university offered us the ability to take out federal loans and that was it. I spent a ton of time looking for scholarships for non-traditional students and the couple I found that I was eligible for I couldn't apply to because of when their application cycle met up with where I was in school (one required references from my nursing school....which I hadn't started yet, and then the next application cycle would come after I'd graduated).

Not to say don't look and turn over every rock, just that in my experience, there was a ton more available to first time degree students.

And to the OP- the market for new grads in NYC is terrible, so I would recommend going about it the cheapest way you can and with a willingness to relocate for your first job.