eeyore129

True, it is cheaper to do the ADN program, and honestly, the two-year programs get a few more clinical hours. That being said, most hospitals now are requiring a BSN, which does make for a more well-rounded nurse overall. Our hospitals won't hire too many ADN's any longer, or they will give them a set timeframe to get their BSN finished before the job is secure.

I am currently a nursing student, I will graduate next May. I, too, have a bachelors already and am planning on becoming a CDE. I have a child with type 1 diabetes and I am hypoglycemic. I am in a traditional four-year program for my BSN. I did my pre-reqs part-time at a community college also. It took me a couple of years. I could have gone the route of the accelerated program, but I will tell you, they pretty much own you for that entire 16 months. The only break (sort of) is one week off, but even then, there is paperwork to do. In the BSN program, I think it is still quite demanding of my time and quite intense. I chose to return to school once my children were in a position to be without me for several hours at a time and manage ok. If you have a child during or before school, you will need to navigate early or late drops offs to some sort of childcare due to clinicals. There will be times where you will really need many hours of privacy to get schoolwork done. Your husband will need to be willing to give up some of his time to accommodate yours. If that works, great, but think about how your schedule will be. You cannot miss clinicals or you won't have the hours to take the NCLEX. Schools have to certify that requirements have been met. Generally, I wouldn't recommend missing a class, either, as missing one class is like missing an entire week of school. There will be challenges any way you look at it, but you might make a list to see which challenges are something you can overcome, and which ones maybe not so much. Good luck in your decision!