Nursing AA vs. BSN Inquiry.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2015

No need to mention family issues. Every nurse on earth has challenges and many nursing students went through hell getting our BSN. Basically you made your life more difficult when it didn't need to be. It isn't "unfortunate" That you received a "W". It is the outcome for the work you did. No better and no worse.

So..no matter how you got to where you are it is where you are. Getting a BSN may allow for more opportunities and job opportunities. It is up to you to talk with hospitals where you work to see if they hire ADN new grad nurses. So..would it be "better" to get an ADN? Well if the hospital you want to work at doesn't hire ADN nurses then I guess it would be "no".

Impossible on here to tell you what is better as we have no idea what you want to do. Do you want to go to grad school? BSN. Do you want to be at the bedside for 30+ years? ADN may be all you need.

More important....let go of excuses. It won't fly in a hospital. You are expected to be at work when you are scheduled to work. One shift..ok. Are you going to just bail out on work for 3 months because of a problem at home? I have seen RNs fired for 3 call outs. Seriously. You are expected to be at work AND perform as a professional no MATTER WHAT is going on in your personal life. Same with University.

BeachsideRN, ASN · Jul 6, 2015

Dear Allnurses forum,
Currently I am on track for a BSN in Nursing, though due to a recent upheaval of having an imminent death in the family, I had to drop my chemistry ( combo Gen-Chem, O-Chem, Bio-Check ) class this summer. Unfortunately, I've received a subsequent W in the class ( my only W in my academic history ) and it puts me back about five months as far as eligibility for many of the CalState Nursing School Programs. Though I've been told I can explain away and potentially expunge the W due to a legitimate excuse, I was looking at applying for an AA program, because that Chemistry class isn't considered a class to allow me to be eligible for many programs.
The question: Would be a better idea to apply for an AA program in Nursing, and work for sometime with the hopes of pursing a BSN in the future, or should I take the time to pursue the requirements ( specifically that chemistry class ) and apply for a BSN? I know of one program at the moment ( Palomar College ) that now has a bridge program(?) with Point Loma Nazerene to permit individuals that have graduated with an AA to pursue the additional classes needed for a BSN; I figured at this point in time given the time constraints, that this would be a better path. With that said, I see no harm in soliciting other opinions on the matter.
Thank you for your time,
Sincerely,
E.

This all depends on you. Do you need to go to nursing school right now? Can you get a job with an ADN? Is there a reasonably priced bridge program? Only you can decide this one.

Dgabrielt · Jul 6, 2015

This is ultimately your decision so take some time, have a cup of coffee and have a long think. You can get your asn and start working much earlier but if you want your bsn and one class is holding you back......retake the class and get your bsn.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jul 6, 2015

One of my best friends had her father die suddenly a couple of years ago while she was taking her prereqs. She managed to plan the funeral and show up for the final 2 days after he died. This was while she was trying to plan the funeral and take care of her mom. Don't come in and make excuses. We all have challenges to face in life. I don't understand why you withdrew in the first place.

You our are in CA. It is a heavily impacted state with nursing students and new grads. Be prepared to be put on a wait list. If you decide to go the associate's route the degree will be an ASN, not an AA. Look at the job market in your area and what places are hiring. That is how you need to decide what degree to get.

elauffs · Jul 6, 2015

Albeit a rather harsh criticism, you're right: Some people are able to plan things such as a funeral while concurrently going through school, but given the circumstances and the rate at which the class was proceeding: I wasn't one of those individuals. To answer the other comments, it is a given that it's ultimately my decision on how to proceed, which is why I was soliciting opinions on how to go about executing these decisions with the hope of seeing things under a different light. As I have mentioned, these are my pre-req classes, so I will have to do the initial core classes on top of this; I don't know why the hiring prospect is on ADNs, especially in a hub like San Diego County that has a whole host of individuals that have their BSN. I imagine I could land a job in some form or another immediately after, taking everything such as pay/work environment into consideration, especially since I'll be filling a non-BSN nurse role.

In regards to the bridge program, it seems to be competitively priced especially considering how impacted nursing programs are in the area. I don't have much a problem venturing outside of San Diego in order to pursue a degree. Thank you for your comments thus far, it's nice to be able to get multiple points of view, even if they're mostly validating my thoughts prior.

ahosoda · Jul 6, 2015

Do you plan on working in a hospital? If so, then it would actually be faster to continue on the BSN route. That will put you behind 6 months. RN to BSN programs usually take a year or more, so going the AA route will put you behind a year or more.

Hospitals (at least in my area) tend to only hire BSN nurses because they need a certain percentage of BSN nurses to achieve Magnet status. It is possible to get hired without a BSN but may take a long time and will be very difficult! If you don't plan on working in a hospital, such as LTC or hospice, then this is not as big of a problem and you should go the AA route.