Nursing School Recommendations

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I am currently living in Los Angeles and I am looking to attend nursing school but I need advice! There are so many different types of programs I don't know where I should start. Should I get an ADN or a BSN? I was recommended to get my ADN and then get a job because a lot of hospitals will pay for you to finish and get your BSN. Would you guys agree? Or do you have a different recommendation?

Also, Is there any colleges you are aware of that offer an ADN or BSN online? In my current situation, driving back and forth to campus isn't really an option so Online is kind of something I really need. Even if its taking most of my courses online for the first year or two and then I finish my degree on campus to do my labs and all.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
Online University | Online Degree Programs | WGU offers prelicensure BSN in your area. All coursework is delivered online, and labs and clinicals are in person. You can call and talk to an enrollment counselor- just be sure when you look around the website and talk to an EC that you are careful to look at the PRELICENSURE program only. (They have a number of other nursing programs for people who are already RNs and it can be confusing)
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Los Angeles has so many ADN programs available. I highly recommend the school I go to, Los Angeles County's College of Nursing. Their tuition is $9,600 for the full two years, and if you get hired by the county you only pay 30% and the rest is forgiven. The classes are all in person, but maybe you live close to the school? I would suggest going to the BRN's website and looking at the programs listed and choose one that suits you.

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A lot of people think the ADN then RN bridge is the way to go. This is certainly a good route for many. However, my advice is to go straight for the BSN if you can.

1. Do not be scared of the price. Many BSN programs have scholarships. There are also full ride scholarships available from HRSA, Nurse Corps, and the State of California. If you work in certain areas, you are eligible for loan forgiveness through your employer, the state, HRSA or Nurse Corps. The VA and the military also have loan repayment programs.

2. Based on #1, apply to the private schools like Mount St. Mary, because they often have their own scholarship programs.

3. It is harder to find a job with an ADN.

4. Many nursing schools offer online courses for straight lecture. However, classes like health assessment and exams must be done in person. You also must go to clinicals.

Good luck

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I debated about this also because a lot of people were telling to go for ADN to save money, and then apply for the RN-BSN abridged program. I really thought hard about it, but I felt that instead of studying for 2 to 3 yrs, I would rather study for 15months to 2 yrs instead. People say you can work after ADN, then take online courses for BSN, but studying, taking care of responsibilities, and working at the same time can be mentally excruciating. Also, you will start out making more money than ADN! IDK if I am rationalizing it, but for me, I am so tired of stretching myself so thin that I want to just get it over with. :)

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If you want to stay in Southern Cal, then I would go the BSN route. Southern Cal is saturated with new nurses, and many of those have their BSN's. It is very difficult to get a nursing job in the area with an ADN because of the saturation. Just something to consider.

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