New and don't know where to start

[corinth13]

I'm going to be a sophomore in college in the fall at Portland State University in Portland, OR. I want to be a pediatric nurse; I love working with kids. I'm working at OHSU this summer as an intern and I am really excited for that but I do not think that I'm in the right direction at PSU as PSU does not offer a nursing program; of course I could transfer but it would be three years after leaving PSU before I get my BSN. There is a program at the CC that coincides with OHSU for a total of 4 years and is a lot cheaper. I do not have the money to get into a private school; I have the grades but our EFC is too high and my family and I only have so much in loans for nursing school. Can somebody tell me the pros/ cons of doing a CC to get your BSN? I do know the program is competive but I plan on becoming a CNA and working at that, I'm getting excellent grades in my pre reqs, and I volunteer a lot and will even more this summer. Does anybody have any advice? I'm really at a loss right now. Thanks!

[MurseMikeD]

It'll take just as much time to get your ADN as a BSN. You should apply to several programs, and give the private schools a chance. They often have better endowments and can offer much more in institutional scholarships and grants than a public university.

I went to a private institution for my BSN, and got a lot of help from the school despite my high EFC.