Am I stupid for not doing the ABSN?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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About a year ago after I graduated with a previous bachelors degree, I decided to go back to school for nursing. To most people, it would seem obvious that I would have wanted an ABSN program.

Instead, I applied for a traditional 3-year BSN program and got accepted. I was beyond happy with getting in, but I kept hearing this voice of doubt and insecurity in the back of head. I'll be 24 when I start NS and 27 when I finish. I could have been done at 25.

I currently don't work and I have no kids. It seems like a foolish idea that I decided to pick the longer route. A second career older person in my chemistry class last semester confronted me. She asked me why I just didn't do the ABSN like she was doing. She had kids and a job. I felt like I couldn't remotely justify an answer. If she could do it, why couldn't I?

Am I stupid for not wanting to rush something like this?

My personal opinion. Take the longer route. It's probably a heck of a lot cheaper AND probalby has a higher passing rate.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I thought that the traditional BSN was better for me for a couple of reasons. First off, I'm already in quite of bit debt as is. I would need to get a private loan for the ABSN. Of course one could argue that I'm missing out on potential salary that the ABSN would provide me. I don't think I could get a cosigner for the private loan anyway, so I stopped entertaining that detail long ago.

Secondly, the ABSN programs are really competitive. My overall GPA isn't awful (3.4) and my pre-req is great (3.8), but average doesn't cut it for these programs.

Lastly, I just don't want to do it. I don't care if that sounds like I'm taking the easy way out. Nursing school any which way is terribly difficult, why make myself 1000x more stressed out and more likely to burn out? I don't want to go into an ABSN program and have a nervous breakdown halfway through and lose my dream of nursing. I'll take two more years, get to breathe, and get more time to be comfortable in this stressful transition.

I felt like I just had to get that off my chest. I hate when other people decide that they know what's best for you. To everyone else that feels like they're taking forever to get there, we'll all get there! Don't give up! I never felt that I would make it this far. Last year at this time nursing seemed just like a fantasy. Now I'm going to be starting soon. I'm proud of myself for getting in and I'm going to stop being bitter about not doing the ABSN.

The only thing I want to do is what I want to do!

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Our hiring managers are avoiding ABSN grads due to problems they have encountered - lack of exposure/acculturation to healthcare, poor clinical preparation, not 'fitting in' with other new grad hires, etc. Maybe this will make you feel better about your choice.

I chose not to enroll in an ABSN program because the traditional BSN program (which was 5 semesters once my prerequisites were finished due to my BA) allowed me to work while I went to school. I had a house and car payment and was able to support myself while in school, taking out loans only for tuition/books/etc. I still have a lot of loans to pay back, but nowhere near the amount I would have had with the ABSN program, which had higher tuition and required that students not work. Coincidentally, the program I applied to had higher GPA requirements than the only ABSN program in our area. Faster does not always equal better or more prepared.

When people are saying that ABSNs are more expensive, this may be so, but you have to calculate in the opportunity cost of doing the RN in 3 years instead of 1 year. That's 2 years of lost RN salary to account for by going slower. In the end, do what's right for you. I am young, single, and eager to change careers, so an accelerated program made sense. If I was older, married, had a job, kids, etc., then I'd consider a slower route. If you truly are having second thoughts about the slower path, then apply to ABSN programs. No harm done. Best of luck!

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Taking 3 years to do what you have the option of doing in one year....hmmmmm.....I have to WHOLE-HEARTEDLY agree with the title of your post. BUT, I try not to use the 's' word. It's just that there are so many nurses out there lining up today for the job that you hope will still be there in 3 years! Your comfort level will not be minimized in nursing no matter how long you spend in school. The only thing that will help that is developing actual nursing skills; most of which you won't get in the classroom.

That being said, I'm not the one paying your bills, I already have a job as an RN, I should be done with my BSN degree within a year, and lastly, my comfort zone IS in the clinical setting, and having left my 20s, 30s, amd mid-40s many moons ago, I don't have as much time on my side as you do. But just to reiterate, LOADS of students role out of nursing school EVERYDAY, some with lesser degrees and some with higher degrees, who are going after the same job as you're hoping to get. So, good luck to you whenever you 'fall in line'!

Specializes in Emergency Department.

Given a choice between doing an ABSN, a BSN, and an ADN program, I'd have chosen a BSN program. While the ABSN program is fast & expensive, it very well could be too fast to really gain an understanding of the material. BSN and ADN programs would have been about the same length because I already have a Degree. So... it came down to whether or not the BSN program was open. The one around here wasn't admitting 2nd Bachelor's students, so that wasn't an option. I went with what was best for me, and that was an ADN program and I'll transition to BSN when I get a chance, as it's only an additional semester or so beyond the RN for me.

You need to look at your options and do what's best for you in your situation.

Specializes in ICU.

I'm an ABSN student about to graduate and I don't regret my choice on going ABSN; however, I can see how the students in the traditional programs have more time for internships. I had my eye on an internship with the VA, but the VA requires you to work full time in the summer and then part-time in fall and spring. Since I'm in the accelerated program, I go to school full time in the summer so the VA wasn't an option for me but it will be for you. During your first year, I recommend working as a CNA anywhere and then switching over to nursing internships (start browsing internships in your area now and keep them in the back of your mind) after you complete med-surg. Good luck!

Specializes in NICU.
Our hiring managers are avoiding ABSN grads due to problems they have encountered - lack of exposure/acculturation to healthcare, poor clinical preparation, not 'fitting in' with other new grad hires, etc. Maybe this will make you feel better about your choice.

Maybe that is true in your situation and the ABSN programs may be sub par, but it not the case in my situation. ABSN students are far more dedicated than the traditional students. We are paying for our own schooling so we want to get our moneys worth.

Exposure/acculturation to healthcare: As a group, the amount of patient care experience coming into the program far exceeds the traditional students.

Poor clinical preparation: We have the same amount of clinical hours per class as the traditional classes except ours are twice a week instead of once a week. We participated in an immunization clinic for low income families put on by the school this summer. Since we are the only nursing students taking classes during the summer they asked us to participate. That experience wasn't suppose to occur until Spring semester. At which time we will participate again. In fact in the fall semester two of the classes are with the traditional students. So we have more clinical hours than the traditional students. We also have an opportunity to travel on a medical mission to Haiti with a local doctor during spring break.

"not fitting in" with the other new grads. What is that suppose to mean? That we come better prepared to start a nursing job. That the hospitals want us over the traditional new grads. The nurse recruiter for a local hospital is already begging our instructors to convince us to stay locally when we complete our degrees. Nursing managers are impressed by the first 2 cohorts when the ABSN students came to the hospital for their clinicals and is expecting the same from us.

We have an intense summer classes and then 2 regular semesters (fall and spring) then another intense summer session. We finish 9 months earlier than the traditional students we will be with during Fall and Spring and they started 5 months before us. It is not as bad as people imagine. One class is the whole summer, 2 classes started 5/15 and ended last week, last class started Monday and ends 7/15. You are constantly doing homework or studying for quizzes or tests. You just don't have a social life until the summer is over but it is highly manageable.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiology..

What's an absn?

I'm in a similar situation, except that I did apply to an ABSN and I didn't get in, but I got into the regular BSN at the same school. I graduated from my undergrad, took one year off, and then started my three-year program. I will be 26 when I'm done, and I could have finished a year earlier. It is what it is. I can't believe that someone "confronted" you about this! What a nosy person. What business of hers is it what program you chose? Sheesh.

I think your generalizations are equally as bad as the ones that you are complaining about from someone else. Not all ABSN students pay their way, and some regular BSN students do. They aren't necessarily more or less dedicated than regular BSN students, either. I also would take issue that you are saying that ABSN students are better prepared than other students.

My point is that everything is a spectrum. Some students are more motivated than others, some are paying their own way, some are on scholarship, some have lots of health care background and some have none. This is true of students in every single type of nursing program.

Apologies for any typos, this keyboard is ancient and sometimes doesn't keep up with my fingers.

Maybe that is true in your situation and the ABSN programs may be sub par, but it not the case in my situation. ABSN students are far more dedicated than the traditional students. We are paying for our own schooling so we want to get our moneys worth.

Exposure/acculturation to healthcare: As a group, the amount of patient care experience coming into the program far exceeds the traditional students.

Poor clinical preparation: We have the same amount of clinical hours per class as the traditional classes except ours are twice a week instead of once a week. We participated in an immunization clinic for low income families put on by the school this summer. Since we are the only nursing students taking classes during the summer they asked us to participate. That experience wasn't suppose to occur until Spring semester. At which time we will participate again. In fact in the fall semester two of the classes are with the traditional students. So we have more clinical hours than the traditional students. We also have an opportunity to travel on a medical mission to Haiti with a local doctor during spring break.

"not fitting in" with the other new grads. What is that suppose to mean? That we come better prepared to start a nursing job. That the hospitals want us over the traditional new grads. The nurse recruiter for a local hospital is already begging our instructors to convince us to stay locally when we complete our degrees. Nursing managers are impressed by the first 2 cohorts when the ABSN students came to the hospital for their clinicals and is expecting the same from us.

We have an intense summer classes and then 2 regular semesters (fall and spring) then another intense summer session. We finish 9 months earlier than the traditional students we will be with during Fall and Spring and they started 5 months before us. It is not as bad as people imagine. One class is the whole summer, 2 classes started 5/15 and ended last week, last class started Monday and ends 7/15. You are constantly doing homework or studying for quizzes or tests. You just don't have a social life until the summer is over but it is highly manageable.

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