Paramedic with unrelated BA degree... ASN Bridge or Accel BSN? Which to choose?

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I am in the Central Fl area. I have a Bachelors in Poli Sci with a really poor GPA from a few years ago when I was young and lazy. After college I went onto get my Fire and Paramedic and now work for a Fire Dept. There is a 1 year transition to ASN here for Medics thats 31 credit hours I believe. Would it be better to do this or just go onto a Bachelors in unrelated field - BSN Transition program?

Even if I do the ASN I think with my BA I was told that I dont have much to complete to get a BSN since I have all the other bs pre-reqs knocked out already. Advice? Thanks

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Specializes in Oncology.

Go for the BSN every time, regardless of circumstances. You can do a search of allnurses and see all the threads about the ADN vs. BSN debate, but the bottom line is that the job market out there for new grads is very tough. An ADN is a disadvantage in most, if not all, places. Why not give yourself every advantage?

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I agree with the PP. Go for the BSN. It will open more doors for you than the ADN.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

While I agree that your end goal should be a BSN, I think you should weigh the pros and cons of each route.

Going straight BSN with all your prereqs done might take 2-3 years. If the paramedic-RN bridge only takes a year, a lot of RN-BSN programs only take a year also.

Also look at the cost. 31 hours for your RN (assuming its at a CC) plus $7000 for the RN-BSN (I get that number from my local universities that offer year-long online bridges) will probably cost less than going straight for your BSN. You already have a bachelor's, so your financial aid will be limited.

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Specializes in ER/ICU.

I agree with the poster who said to look at everything involved before making a decision. I'm also a paramedic and will be starting a one year bridge program in October. Then I will be working on the remaining classes for the RN-BSN program. Do what's best for you. If you're like me and looking forward to 12 hour shifts and no more 24s, the bridge program may be quicker. Either way, you have a leg up on most nursing students. Good luck!

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I agree with the poster who said to look at everything involved before making a decision. I'm also a paramedic and will be starting a one year bridge program in October. Then I will be working on the remaining classes for the RN-BSN program. Do what's best for you. If you're like me and looking forward to 12 hour shifts and no more 24s, the bridge program may be quicker. Either way, you have a leg up on most nursing students. Good luck!

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Thats exactly what I'm looking forward to. I HATE not sleeping at night.

I never got financial aid before and dont really need it so thats not an issue. The plan was to do my ADN in the 12 months while working as a medic. I am a male and was told its pretty easy to get a job right out of school, I also have 4 years medic experience and a good relationship with people in local ERs. After ADN I would do the 12 month online BSN transition at UCF while working and gaining exp. I want to eventually be a Mental Health NP.

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Specializes in ER/ICU.

Thats exactly what I'm looking forward to. I HATE not sleeping at night.

I never got financial aid before and dont really need it so thats not an issue. The plan was to do my ADN in the 12 months while working as a medic. I am a male and was told its pretty easy to get a job right out of school, I also have 4 years medic experience and a good relationship with people in local ERs. After ADN I would do the 12 month online BSN transition at UCF while working and gaining exp. I want to eventually be a Mental Health NP.

What did you end up doing? Most of the medic/RNs I know had no trouble finding a job after getting their RN. You're right that maintaining a good relationship with the place you want to work is a key thing.

I do want to go the NP route eventually but I'm not entirely sure what area would be the best fit.

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