Nursing School/Degree options

[daystarmike]

Ok,

I am 43 and have gone back to school to pursue a nursing degree. I have been working on my pre-reqs, and by the end of the fall semester I will have the following.

A&P 1

A&P 2

Eng comp 1

Psychology

Lifespan Psychology

College Algebra

Sociology

Elective (from 1984)

Physical Ed (from 1984)

In the spring I was planning on taking

Eng Comp 2

Chemistry

Microbiology

When I first looked at ADN programs, I was shocked they were only two years. Then I quickly found out I would have to put in a full year (including summer) just to get the pre -reqs out of the way. This means it is really a 3 year degree. There are many different programs. I have seen some schools that you earn a total of 75-80 credit hours upon completion, and others that will give you 108. I would like to get into the workforce as soon as possible, but if going 1 more semester (even if summer semesters were required) at a specific University would earn me a BSN, I would rather do that. I have also seen schools (Northern Idaho College) that start in the Spring, for which I will have enough pre-reqs already to qualify, and they run in quarters instead of semesters, which would have me graduated in the fall of 2011 instead of Spring 2012. The local jr. college(Grayson county college/Denison TX) has a good/inexpensive two year ADN program that I believe I will have enough points to earn admission for the fall of 2010.

Here is my questions: Should I apply to a jr. college and get an ADN, or should I go ahead and take the credits I will have already earned and pursue a BSN? Are there any fast track programs that do not require a bachelor's degree first? Are there any other schools that start programs in the spring I might qualify for? NIC accepts courses you are taking in the fall for their Spring program application, GCC does not. Since most programs require an application filed in September(at the latest) for the Spring, I am trying to find as much information I can, as quickly as I can. There is so much information on the internet that I am hoping some members can filter it down a little.

Thanks for your help

Mike

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

It really depends on a number of factors - are you single and/or able to easily move to be near school, how are your finances, do you intend to stay on the floor or either move up the management ladder or go on to an advanced practice program? Community Colleges tend to be cheaper and closer to most people, but they can sometimes have odd admissions policies (not all do, but I've read some weird stories on this site). BSN schools are great if you live close enough to attend and can afford to go there. A BSN is generally required for advancement within the nursing profession.

As for accelerated programs, all the ones I've heard of require some sort of bachelors - partially so that you won't have to mess with non-major classes, but also because most schools are reasonably certain that someone who received their bachelors with a decent GPA can be counted on to survive the full program.