Grizabelle

I graduated at 45 3 years ago. Keep in mind that being an "older" person as a new nurse can be a good thing too. We approach people differently than the younger ones do and that can be helpful with some patients and many supervisors realize that so they look for a good age balance in their staffing too. I graduated nursing school at 44 (after 13 years of being a stay at home mom with no work experience), took 6 months to land my dream job at my preferred hospital. 3 years later I couldn't be happier.

Neofax is iphone only iirc. NeoFax - Truven Health Analytics

We call them peanuts =)

I am 46 and I finish in August. My study buddy (also finishing in August) is 63. It's definitely not too late.

Jean Marie, I think part of the kicker to the idea of a 2 year degree is to remember that most of the time, there is at least a year's worth of prerecs for the 2 year program that includes things like A&P, pharmacology, microbiology, etc. FWIW I had to have 60 hours of prerecs before admittance to my BSN program but the program itself is 4 semesters.

Yeah, I don't want to get into assumptions that one is better than the other but look at the assumptions that the training is different and figure out why it was considered different other than a few classes that dont have a clinical focus. Yeah, I got a patho class upfront but then care classes that both ADNs and BSNs take seem to be more of the same patho so Im not really buying that as a good rationale for the assumption. We had a discussion in class about how the ADN degree came to be and were told that originally it was just because there was a serious shortage of nurses so they created the ADN programs to fit the need at the moment. I was just curious if the ADN had morphed into something else more like an apprenticeship type of training (based on all the assertations that ADNs are so much more clinically skillful) or if there was even actually a difference in the training you get outside of the specific extra classes you get with a BSN (aka Do ADN nurses get more time in clinicals? Not from what I have been able to tell). Im also leaning towards thinking it's about the school. The 2 schools I decided between were a local ADN with a 75% pass rate on the NCLEX or a slightly farther BSN with a 99% pass rate. I don't mean to imply that all BSN schools have a higher pass rate either, Im certain there are BSN schools with dismal NCLEX pass rates... I mean that you have to look at the school not the degree. Im also just want to know what skills I need to work on to "make up" for the perception that as a BSN nurse I am less qualified than the ADN nurse. I am very conscious of the competition to get a job when school is done.

Thank you both for your feedback. Very constructive. Your observations are interesting. It reminds me of the differences between my first (school clinical instructor) and second semester (preceptor). Waiting for the school instructor to show up when they have students on 3 different floors is a nightmare. Having a preceptor was much more liberating because I could do what needed to be done constantly instead of waiting on my instructor to show up. It almost sounds like that might be the essence of the difference? Do ADNs have more preceptors? In our program everyone has a clinical instructor the first semester then for the second semester and on they supposedly give out preceptors based on how well you did in your prior semester classes (unless you requested a specific hospital / shift that was clinical instructor only).

No... I do not want to get into which one is better. I am in a BSN program, it was the best choice for me for a number of reasons and I am happy with that choice. I am simply curious why some people say BSN nurses are "lost" on the floor when they get hired so they would rather have ADNs. I have a friend that is in an ADN program and we appear to have the same quantity of hours in clinicals, we do clinicals at mostly the same hospitals, the care plans we do sound pretty similar other than I have to do some additional work for mine. She does her classes in a compact format so instead of taking Psych and Care II each for a whole semester her program split the semester up and she did Psych half time and Care II half the time.... so in the fall semester we did the same classes except that I also had research and Gero. We have both been busy with school so havent had time to compare anything else other than I have the few random classes like Path, Research and leadership that she doesnt get... but taking those shouldn't make me less effective on the floor. It sounds like its a reference to clinical experience but if the amount of clinical time is the same with the same random luck opportunity to actually do things like trach, ostomy or wound care. Random odds of starting IVs that either one of us may or may not get... What is the difference and why is the assumption an ADN will have more practical experience? Is this just an assumption that BSN nurses will be less task oriented?

Keep in mind too, you dont have to come up with the money to buy them necessarily. There are rental services available that carry a lot of the books and are much much cheaper than buying. I have a lot of classmates doing that.

I definitely would not do all the sciences up front. I would look ahead and mix and match to even out how heavy your coursework as was suggested but I would try to keep A&P and Micro for the end. Those classes you will want fresh when you 1) take nursing school admittance exams, 2) start your nursing coursework.

Very Very good advice. My program started this last May and I can tell you, it's been tough. I'm in a Bacc2 program and even with a prior Bachelors and a masters behind me, Ive never studied so much in my life as I have been doing for the last 2 months. Things I wish I had reviewed before starting my BSN program: hormones (where they are from, what they do, what causes them to be secreted), neurotransmitters and the whole Parasympathetic vs sympathetic nervous system thing the Renin - angiotensin- aldosterone system the inflammatory cycle actors and responses but mostly, relax and recharge because you wont have time after the train starts rolling.

Well, I can understand part of the physician's concern given it stipulates they get paid less if a pt is non-compliant. It puts a lot of pressure on us to get the patient into compliance. For example : Im overweight thus not in compliance with my doctor's and nurses recommendation to lose weight and my diabetes / HTN/ etc is getting worse.... it's not my Dr's fault I cant find time to exercise and I cant afford to eat what Im supposed to eat, why are they getting paid less because I dont make time to take care of myself? It's not like there is a nurse or doctor coming to my door everyday to take me to the gym. That's a simplification but it's the basic reason a lot of physician's don't support the act. I personally find it shameful that we are the only industrialized so-called "democracy" that doesnt have nationalized health care. Im hoping the kinks will get worked out as we go.

all I can tell you is, it's not too late. I graduated in 1989 with a BFA in theater management. Spent 3 years getting a masters so I actually had the connections to get a job. now, Im 45, just finished my pre-recs at the local CC and got accepted into an accelerated Bacc2 program for a BSN. As a side note, that first degree might actually help you get into a BSN program, around here at least (houston, texas), getting into a Bacc2 program is a lot easier (aka there are fewer applicants to compete against with roughly the same class size) than getting into first time BSN program. The Bacc2 programs also tend to be a bit more flexible with your gpa IF you have a really good average in your pre-rec classes. ps. I forgot the downside. Once you have a bachelors degree, forget financial aid and most scholarships. Loans will be your only option if you cant self pay.

I had a BFA instead of a BS and got accepted so I can confirm that doesnt make a difference.