Nursing path Advice (high school senior)

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 15, 2015

Moved to the Nursing Career forum

emmy27 · Nov 15, 2015

These answers are mostly subjective and also very dependent on where you live and what schools you're considering, as well as your aptitude and work ethic.

ADN *is* a degree- an associates degree- and you sit for the NCLEX after receiving it. You can then apply for RN-BSN programs. The advantage to this approach is that tuition for an ADN program + RN-BSN program combined are often less expensive than most four-year programs, and (imo) the BSN completion courses (which are usually non-clinical- ADN comprises the same clinical experiences as BSN, with few exceptions such as community health) are comparatively easy compared to doing the same coursework as an unlicensed student, because you will have at least some working experience by the time you enter that part of your studies. Some employers will reimburse you for RN-BSN, as well. This is often a path with less financial stress/debt.

Academically, ADN + RN to BSN is not any "easier," you still have to learn the same material, but I do think taking those additional classes as a licensed nurse with some experience probably "feels" easier.

The major disadvantages of ADN + RN- BSN are that it will take longer than direct BSN, and depending on your area, you may have difficulty finding employers to hire ADN new grads, because many hospitals are going all-BSN for new hires. This is highly region-specific, though, so it's something to investigate yourself- read the actual job listings for area hospitals to see if their new grad positions (usually listed under "Nurse Residency" or "New Grad") are BSN-required or merely preferred. Talk to new grads and ask counselors at the schools you're interested in what their job placement rate is like for graduates. In some cities, ADN new grads can't find acute care jobs at all, while in others, it's no problem.

Some people work during the clinical portion of nursing school, although working full time is probably not feasible. I worked part time (mostly weekend 2nd and 3rd shift) but it was stressful and I was lucky to be working in a hospital where I was at least getting relevant experience and my employers and coworkers understood. The other students I knew who worked were nearly all either in healthcare or waiting tables- jobs with very flexible hours. I definitely was not able to work enough to cover my bills, though, and I think that's the case for the majority of students. It's just too demanding a program.

Clinicals are stressful to most students because they are very high-stakes both academically (failing a clinical rotation usually means being removed from a program) and in actuality (while you're supervised, you're still dealing with actual patients you could actually hurt- and I have seen cases of students making serious, harmful errors). Thousands of people get through them every year, though. Like most things worth doing, they're challenging, but given the stakes of the job they're training you for, it's good that they're challenging, and doing well in them is very rewarding.