Need help to convince parents!

juliaann · Apr 27, 2011

Accelerated BSNs are programs designed for people with bachelors degrees in non-nursing majors. They probably meant get your ADN and then do an ADN-BSN bridge program.

If you can get scholarships (you said you've done well in high school) I would go for the BSN, especially since you seem to think you'll want the BSN eventually.

Plus college is fun. There's something about going to a 4-year university and having the "college student experience" - you don't want to bypass that if it's something you might enjoy. As much as that doesn't seem like a good reason to make one decision over the other - it really is worth considering. Everyone's different, though...

Work will still be there in 4 years (and the market may even be better for new grads then...we can hope!) - you've got your entire career to get your experience.

For most people, it will never be as easy to go to a 4-year program as it will as someone fresh out of high school. You have limited responsibilities, and usually parental (financial and otherwise) support more now than you probably ever will. (an anectdote: as a college student fresh out of high school who worked part-time in fast food earning minimium wage, my parents were willing to pick up a lot of my college expenses. Now as a married woman who has been living and working on my own for 5 years after graduating college and now trying to go back for my BSN if I asked my parents for financial assistance they would laugh me out of the house! And I'll tell you, scholarships are a lot harder to come by as a non-traditional student second-time student than they are as an 18-year old first time college student!)

Anyway, good luck - this is a hard decision!

Just FYI an ADN program at a community college is usually at least a year of pre-requisites (sometimes 2 years) and then 2 years of nursing program. An ADN-BSN bridge program is usually an additional year. ADNs at community colleges are cheaper (for the most part - there are always exceptions). Maybe set up some college visits and appointments with advisors at the schools you're considering and see how they stack up!

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Apr 27, 2011

Nate,

For me, a BSN was the smarter choice. I already had an undergraduate degree, so I was able to complete an accelerated BSN in fourteen months. If I would have taken the courses at a community college, it would have been two years. Community colleges do have more lenient admission criteria for the majority of programs with the exception of healthcare majors. There are many nursing students completing their pre-requisites with a 4.0 and applying to the nursing program. I would encourage you to read the posts on the website. It is not any easier to get into a community college’s nursing program than it is at a university.

Besides gaining experience while working on your BSN, many facilities offer tuition reimbursement. In other words, hospitals and other facilities pay for you to go back to school to earn your BSN and graduate degree if you choose to pursue one. If you play your cards right, the costs of you entire education will be cheap.

Good luck in whatever you chose to do!

kayern · Apr 27, 2011

Don't know where you live but here in the NY Metro area ADN are having a very difficult time getting nursing jobs in acute hospital settings. My institution will not interview/hire ADNs even if they are already working in the institution as support staff. We also have a minimum GPA of 3.5 or better!

Go for the 4 year BSN. In today's world most nurses have advanced degrees and you'll spend you time getting the NP or MSN.

LegzRN · Apr 27, 2011

I did the ADN then RN-BSN and it took me 3.5 years as a full time student. Plus, I worked full time ED during my RN-BSN. I think you should really pay attention to the job market. I landed a job in a not so hot area near Pittsburgh where the poverty level was around 20%, but it gave me the one year full time work experience needed to enter most jobs nowaways. That helped me land some nice jobs in the Philly metro area where jobs are pretty scarce. Good luck, friend.

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 27, 2011

Find out about specific programs you may interested in. What are the pre-reqs? When does one apply for the program (some BSN programs don't accept students until junior year)? Are there any waitlists?

An ADN may be shorter on paper (eg 2 years) but between pre-requisites, classes filling up, and wait lists for nursing school, earning an ADN can easily take four or more years for some students. Many ADN programs have only a limited number of seats (eg 50-100) and hundreds of qualified applicants; so the competition can be fierce. Some programs may have a waitlist or a lottery. However, things may be different at the schools near you. So go find out!

BSN programs often may not have quite as much competition for many reasons such as cost and convenience. ADN programs usually cost less, are more widely available across communities, and are more accessible to 'non-traditional' students ('traditional' being 18-22yr old full-time students).

Best wishes in your pursuits!

Chin up · Apr 27, 2011

Listen to your parents, for once, they are right. Peace!

honeykrown, MSN, NP · Apr 27, 2011

If you have the opportunity for the BSN, i would say go for it. Nursing as we know it is really changing and I have heard that most hospitals in MD and NY are not hiring ADN's. And i believe most hospitals in states would follow suite. Most ADN programs are not two years as people are made to believe. The nursing program itself is two years and you would do pre reqs for a year or a year and half.

Ellekat2 · Apr 27, 2011

I would suggest looking for a two-plus-two program that gives you chance to sit for your RN license, but continues your education to a BSN in the same environment. The world of nursing is changing and the BSN will open doors that an ADN won't. Consider some business classes, too-understanding the business world will not hurt and might help later in your career.

rnay312 · Apr 27, 2011

I did an ADN program for a few reasons: they accepted me first, it was inexpensive and it had a higher percentage of people passing the NCLEX on the first attempt. There were long wait lists at both the university and community college in my town. I ended up spending less than $10,000 for my entire college education, including books and supplies. I have no student loans, paid for my education myself and I lived on my own for the last two years of school.

Now the hospital I work at does an RN-BSN program for which they pay 75% of the tuition. Unfortunately I had planned to do it right out of school, but the stress of being a new grad was enough on my plate. I plan on starting early next year. But in all honesty, I don't know if I'll ever get around to it. I have no interest in management and there is no compensation where I work to have your BSN over an ADN. Although, I think I would like to be a clinical instructor for a nursing program one day.

I was lucky; my parents were just happy I was going to college at all. I was completely uninterested in living the typical "college life", and to this day I don't regret my decision at all. It's all up to you. Either way, you will be an RN. It's such a great career; even though it can be extremely successful at times, I go home feeling that I did something meaningful. If you have the determination to get your BSN and you know you'll actually do it, I have to say go the ADN route and find a hospital that will assist with furthering your education, but I'm biased. :)

CBsMommy · Apr 27, 2011

The only reason I am going for my ADN first is because it's cheaper. The BSN program would have been faster (in my area there was no waitlist for the BSN) and gives people more options after graduation.

If I was your age, I would go straight for the BSN. I am in agreement with the first poster...missing the college experience is one of the few things that I will always regret.

Good luck to you on your journey to nursing!!!

vampiregirl, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2011

The best option for me was ADN, and I plan to return to school to obtain my BSN. However, I didn't get my RN until I was 35 because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up and I worked 2 jobs to put myself through school.

You have a very different set of circumstances:) I would encourage you to look into all your options before you make a decision since you have some time. Do some research about the schools you are interested in - how are their track records for NCLEX success, are they accredited, what types of clinicals are involved, etc. If possible, talk to some graduates who are employed to see how well the program prepared them for a nursing position.

Good luck! Nursing is an amazing career choice - once you get a degree and some experience there are many different avenues to explore.