Pre-nursing student advice

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Hello Everyone!!!

First off, I am completely brand new to this site and nursing. A little info about me, I live in Southern California, I'm 32 w/ 2 kids and want to completely change my career to nursing. I already have a BA in Liberal Studies so I only need to complete a few pre-reqs before I can apply to a nursing program. I'm at the bottom of the list to register, but I need Anatomy, Physiology and Micro Biology.

Here is my question to all you amazing nurses and students out there....

I've heard it's tough to eventually land a nursing job out there and that if I want to make myself more valuable, that I should go to school and get my Bachelor's instead of an Associates. For me to go for my Bachelor's, I would have to drive at least an hour and a half each way to go to Cal State Northridge (assuming I get in) to attend full time (this means quitting my current job completely). I could sign up and be put on a waitlist at the Community College and get my Associates, which is only about a 20 min drive from my house and I can probably work part time bartending or serving (something to continue to help w/ bills at home). It's a 2 year program for my Bachelor's since I already have a degree that would knock off a lot of the general ed classes and I hear it's a 2 yr program for an Associates. But would I be wasting my time with an Associates? Some nursing friends said it's so tough and not worth going for an Associates anymore.

I'm just trying to figure out what is the best direction for me to go. Since I am completely brand new to everything, I don't know what a Bachelor's will get me vs an Associates. I imagine all brand new nurses start out at the bottom of the totem poll. LOL.

Thank you all for any help and advice you may provide :)

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Not sure if this will be helpful since I'm not in California (unfortunately) but I have a previous bachelor's degree as well but the accelerated bsn programs in my area freaked me out! There are a few hospitals in my area that hire adn with a contingent bsn in 5 years. My plan? Get the hell out of my job in the finance world with my adn and get my bsn online later!

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Specializes in ICU.

California is extremely impacted right now. Some people have come on here and said it takes years just to get into nursing school. Good Luck and I hope you can get in.

You need to look at the job market in your area and what they are hiring. Get on the hospital websites and see what they want. But if there is a huge amount of new grads in your area, the hospitals can be picky and will most likely pick the BSN over the ASN.

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Get your ADN, get hired, and then do your BSN. That's what I'm doing.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Just make sure the hospital where you hope to work hires new grad ADNs. Get more information from local sources.

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Is that the closest nursing school to you? SoCal has several CSU's and private nursing schools. Have you looked into each one? There are still some hospitals that will hire you with an ADN, but you would likely have to return to school to get your BSN. This would obviously take more time. Also, all of the community college ADN programs that are not lottery have extremely long wait lists. It takes 2 1/2 to 3 years to get into the ADN program at my local college. I will be attending a CSU and commuting about an hour each way. I am also a mother to three young children. My husband and I worked out a budget that allows me to focus on school and not have to work. It is a sacrifice but it will only be for two years. I don't know if that is an option for you, but the idea of spending several years on a waitlist to get an ADN, then spending more time to do a bridge program just does not appeal to me.

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Thank you all so much for your thoughts. I have decided to stay away from getting an ADN and just go straight into an ABSN. It will take me about the same amount of time and I will come out ahead by having my bachelor's. All my nursing friends have told me to not waste my time with my associates because it is so competitive out there. I'm trying to finish up my last 3 pre req classes, Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology. Trying to get into these classes at a community college is tough though. But I will get it done within the next year hopefully and then I can go on from there. In the meantime, I'm trying to find jobs at the 2 local hospitals here so that when the time comes for enrolling for the nursing program, I will have some experience and hopefully they can help w/ the cost for school.

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