futurern13

I am currently in the program. My experience so far has been good. The program is very fast-paced and tough, which can be expected since it is so accelerated. You really have to put in the effort and the program will pretty much be your whole life for a year. We have had a lot of changes because of the pandemic but we have been lucky to still have most of our clinicals in person. Unfortunately I don't know of any groups that you could join. Sometimes people make accepted students pages on facebook, so you could look there. If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me! I know when I was looking at this program, I couldn't find much!

Yes I did!

Thanks so much!

Thank you both for your responses. I currently live in PA (but on the border so I have always worked in Maryland). I am planning to attend school in Florida though. Do you know if they are compact states or if there is a specific website where I could find that out? Thank you for further explaining that though. I am honestly not sure where I will end up wanting to practice as most of my family is PA/MD area but I have always wanted to move south. I just wanted to make sure that the degree would be transferrable to different states. I will work on doing more research also.

I am planning to attend an ABSN program in a state other than the one I currently live in. I do not know if I plan to stay in that state after graduating but I want to make sure my degree will be able to be used in other states also if I don't want to stay there. I have talked to admissions and they do not think this would be a problem. I am just concerned because a lot of the nursing schools in my state have specific prerequisites for their programs that are different than this school. The school is accredited by the CCNE and it seems that if you pass your NCLEX you can practice anywhere as a nurse. I was just wondering if anyone else has run into trouble with their degree not being valid in their home state because they went to school somewhere else?

PA is a good career. I was enrolled in a PA program but did not graduate unfortunately. I went to a newer school that had tons of issues but I did well in my classes. If you do decide to pursue that route, just make sure you attend a school with a good reputation. I unfortunately did not do that. I am now pursuing ABSN and want to be an NP. Nursing seems to be the safer route since you can do it in pieces and can have something to fall back on if anything goes wrong (ADN, BSN, MSN, NP, etc...). I thought about going back to another PA school but it is so competitive, nothing would transfer, it was really expensive, and I would rather pursue nursing to be an NP because they can practice independently whereas PAs are almost always dependent practitioners. Plus the ABSN programs are shorter and I could graduate way before I would be done with PA school. But the best thing I think about being a PA is that you do not have to choose a specialty and can do whatever you decide you like. Also, if you are concerned about not working, PA school may not be the path for you. Most programs are at least 24 months and most forbid you to work during that time (and you wouldn't be able to work anyway because you would be so busy).

I have done a lot of research on these paths as well. I think ADN is a great option if you want the cheapest way to become a nurse. And I have many friends that have gotten their BSN and MSN later through employers. Nurses are crucial so I really don't think you can go wrong with any path. The best option for each person is unique to their situation so you have to do what's best for you. I want to be an NP one day and I already have my bachelor's in something else so I am going to attend a direct entry master's. The DEMSN I was accepted to is about the same price and length of time as an ABSN so it makes more sense for me to get the higher degree. When I graduate from the program, I will still be an entry level nurse, but after working for a few months, I can apply to certificate programs to get my NP. I don't know of any place that would automatically put an MSN nurse immediately out of school above other nurses with more experience. I think the master's program is just meant to be beneficial so people can avoid taking duplicate classes for bachelor's and master's programs that don't transfer if they know they want a career in advanced nursing one day. Although money is of concern to me, finishing school quickly is most important to me so I can get out in the workforce.

I have applied to and been accepted to a couple of ABSN programs within the past month. Although things are filling up, some schools still have openings and people change their minds. Most of the schools I've been applying to are in PA. It depends how many prerequisites you would need though and whether you could get them done before the fall. Look for schools that have multiple start dates a year because they usually operate on rolling admissions.

Some master's programs are direct entry for people who have a bachelor's in any field, not necessarily just nursing. I have been accepted to both ABSN and direct entry MSN programs. I have a bachelor's in biology from a previous institution. I am planning to go to the direct entry MSN. Do you know if your degree from Nigeria will transfer to the US? If your degree transfers, you should be able to apply to any ADN or BSN program you want to.

I have been trying to decide between these programs also. I am leaning towards direct master's programs because they seem to be about the same cost and length of time. I would rather personally have an advanced degree so I can grow. If you want to stick with nursing, I think a BSN is a good option. If you want to eventually become an NP or nurse anesthetist or nurse leader, an MSN seems like a better option.

If you are planning on getting a master's anyway, you could look into direct entry master's nursing programs. There aren't a ton of them, but if that is your ultimate goal anyway it may be into looking in to.

I am not from out of the country but I have noticed the same thing regarding ABSN. Have you looked into direct entry master's programs? Many are around the same price as ABSN and this is an option if you would like to further your education without getting a second bachelor's. If you want to save money though, usually it seems that ADNs are the cheapest way to go.

I think it is doable. I have taken multiple science classes at once. Sometimes the information overlaps and it may be beneficial for you in that way. I also think it will be good preparation for school because you will be used to a heavy schedule.

@joe090909 I will try to message you. I'm not sure if I have enough posts to do that yet but I will see.

I have actually done more research since I made this post and I have been accepted to a direct MSN program so I am thinking I will go that route. I have heard that many post master's certificates do not take a super long time to complete so I do not think I would mind doing that. It seems like it will be a lot of money no matter what I do. The MSN program I got into is 20 months and most of the ABSN programs are around 16 months so to me, it seems worth it to go the extra 4 months for a master's instead of a bachelor's, especially since the cost isn't much more. My PA school experience unfortunately was not the best. The program I attended was very new and unorganized. There were a lot of poor clinical experiences and over 1/4 of the class was either dismissed or withdrew for various reasons. The faculty was not supportive. There were also issues with accreditation so overall there were many things not ideal about it. PA school is so competitive to get into and I have thought about applying to different PA schools but unfortunately nothing transfers. I would rather spend my time going for nursing because NPs have more autonomy and room for growth than PAs anyway.