Private Nursing School Necessary?

MICU RN · Oct 17, 2003

If you have no other ambition besides working at the bedside, it will not really benifit you to go a private university and get a BSN. However, I started out with a ADN from a state university which was cheap, but because I knew I wanted to eventually become a crna, I had to go back and get a BSN which took longer than I thought it would. So. I tell people unless you are sure your going to stay at the bedside, go get a BSN so that you have more options to start with, whether it is to get into managemnet or graduate school. Word to the wise, with the work conditions being what they are at the bedside you may really want to consider getting more education. An in addition, many people say they will go back and get their BSN, but most don't because of the sacrifice of all your free time from work, and therefore get stuck at the bedside. I know many of my friends whom this has happened to and they feel stuck at the bedside.

Altra, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2003

Hi Samantha,

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "private hospital nursing school." Do you mean a hospital-affiliated diploma school?

If so, many nurses I've talked to say that diploma graduates are often better clinically prepared initially than BSN grads, but that advantage evens out in the longer term. I agree that if you have ambitions beyond beside nursing, a BSN will have to be in your future at some point.

Hats off to you for figuring out what you want to be at the age of 34 - exactly the age that I finally put all the pieces together and knew that I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up ... !! :D

As far as paying for school, here's a thought you may want to consider - my husband & I came to the conclusion that a home equity loan was better in the long run than taking out traditional student loans. Yes, some employers will help you pay them off, in exchange for an employment agreement, but I didn't want to feel like I had to go looking for that upon graduation.

I'm enrolled in a diploma program, and plan to finish my BSN as soon as possible. One other thought - many RN-BSN programs to choose from in my area, so check out what's available where you are, but one local university in particular has a program that would allow me to earn my MSN in about the same length of time as it would take me to finish the BSN at other places. And having an MSN would open up a lot of opportunities.

Take care, and welcome to the world of "older, wiser students!"

~Leigh

ItsyBitsySpider, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2003

Hi Samantha!

I am currently attending a private Nursing school and I love it. The classes are very small and we have alot of 1 on 1 interaction with our instructors. After comparing other BSN programs with some friends I have I do think there is a difference. The tuition is high but there are loans and tonsssssssss of nursing scholarships. Ask the school that you are looking into for information and then do a search on the internet and you would be so surprised at what you will find. Also, I'm not sure if it's this way in Ohio but here there are many hospitals that have loan payback programs for new grads without signing a contract, so that helps as well. Good luck!

francine79 · Oct 17, 2003

I am going to a private school right now. However, if it weren't for a 2 year waiting list at the local community colleges, I'd be there. This is my opinion on your nursing education......

You get out of it what you want to regardless of where you go to school. So in my opinion, I would stay where you are at, unless you really feel that a private school is the best option for you. Remember, you are going to pay a heck of a lot more than if you go to a community college, and you will still have the same degree.

I'm starting to regret my decision to go to a private school just because the amount of money I'm paying to go there as well as some other things, but I guess I'd rather pay the money now than wait 2 more years to get into a program. That puts me in the workforce 2 years sooner so it will pay itself back regardless.

Also, at my school our lecture groups are 75+, where as if I were at the community college, it wouldn't be more than 30. So I would have gotten more individual attention, or atleast the instructors would atleast know who I am.

So, I advise you to just stay where you are at.

leogoat · Oct 17, 2003

I am a pre-nursing student and will be applying to nursing programs this spring. I've looked into the options a lot and hear different opinions, as we see above. For me, the bottom-line is: more education is always better, especially when focused, as it is in nursing. As women, more (higher) education is essential, and why not?

I'm 48, and worked in print design for 16 years. I always felt there was something "better" for me to be doing, and it would have to be working with people. With the opportunities in nursing now, it's a great time to be getting into the field.

If you research current nursing jobs that are open, you'll see the BEST jobs require a BS and more! Nurse practitioners have much more autonomy and usually higher pay.

BEst to you-

EyesForward · Oct 17, 2003

Samantha,

I'm thinking from your original post you must be referring to 3-yr. hospital diploma programs, which are being phased out in many places around the country. My mom also graduated from one of these, and at the time we thought she had the perfect education, because it was like 'on the job training'. The problem is the education does not neatly upgrade to a BSN. I'm 42, and am going to start a 2 year program. Upon graduation I will be an RN, and can either hit the job market, or enroll in an RN to BSN bridge program, which is offered at many universities. Again, if I'm sick of school I can go to work, and if I want to aspire to more education I can get a masters or even a PhD. I think it's wise, at our age, to plan carefully, and take steps with several options at the end of each phase, so we don't waste time. Two year CC programs are very common, and easily upgradable. OTOH, if you want to go to work, you're done.

not2old · Oct 17, 2003

Thank you everyone,

I was indeed looking for a comparison between a 2 yr program from a CC & 2 yr program from a private school. I do plan on continuing on with a BSN at one of several large universities here. Our CC has an agreement with these universities that apparently will make the transition easy.

Wendy, I agree with you. At our age we don't have a lot of time to waste. I wish I had done this 17 years ago when I graduated from high school. But after HS I had no idea what I wanted to do. Instead I got married, had children and have spent all this time devoted to my family. Now it's time for me.

Thanks again to everyone,

Samantha

LeesieBug · Oct 17, 2003

Funny, I just went through the private vs public decision myself, only with Universities. I wasn't feeling entirely secure with my decision of attending a state university, and after the semester started began to think about transferring to a top-notch private U in our area. Well, when I got the info from them, it turns out 5 out of 7 of their nursing instructors graduated from...guess where?.....yep, the same school I am at now!

That decided it for me. I thought, why pay more (a HUGE amount more)if I am getting essentially the same education?

It's a hard decision, but I tend to agree with what was said above. You get out of it what you put into it, no matter what school.

AmyLiz · Oct 17, 2003

Find out which program will be easier to transfer to a RN-BSN program, that's what I'd do. I'm currently in an ADN program that will transfer credits easily to a RN-BSN program after I graduate.

ItsyBitsySpider, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2003

Just to clarify...the private school I attend is not a diploma program, it's a BSN program.

ALthough I do believe there is a difference, I also agree with the fact that you do get out of it what you put into it.

snowbiggie · Oct 18, 2003

Review your current status and your future goals and take them into consideration. Some sample questions below....

Which school can you afford? Are you willing to take out loans? Do you possibly want to get your masters or go to an administative area? Are there any RN to BSN programs in your area? Which school will you have a higher chance of getting into? Is there a difference in clinical sites between the programs?

Your BSN does provide you with more opportunities to "advance" to things like graduate school and administrative opportunities. If those are option(s) you want available to you, I would suggest it. Plus, I agree with MICU-RN in saying that if you can get your BSN, you won't have to go back to school and take time for your RN-BSN(can wind up being longer than expected).....So if you wanted to go on to be a CRNA or NP....you would have around 4 more years of school, instead of 28 months of a masters program(1 1/2 years of earnings lost!)

On a side note, I attend a private college and pay .....gulp.....you ready for this......$670 dollars a credit! So comparitively, the private school in your area is what I would consider as pretty cheap for a private school. Loan reimbursement is pretty good for nurses(at least in my area0, so if that is an option for you, I would recommend it. Hope this helps!