sosweetrn

The beauty of our profession is the vast opportunities! Everyone has a different niche and that's a great thing! In healthcare everyone from the physician to the CNA has the same goal of taking care of patients. Different responsibilities/titles but all necessary.

When I decided not to finish pharmacy school prereqs as a junior in college and apply to nursing school instead, many folks assumed I would simply do nursing first and then go back for the pharm.d. Um no I have had no desire to ever become a pharmacist since 2009. Changing my major changed my life forever and I'm so happy about it. Change is often growth not failure or giving up.

I have my BSN. I think it varies across state boards and accreditation requirements but where I live all one needs is college level A&P courses (just 8 hours) and a good ACT score before entry into an ADN program. I personally feel like these schools focus more on building nursing skills while BSN programs focus more on the WHY we use these skills and evidence-based practices. The level of critical thinking is different. Both extremely difficult and both produce great nurses. The people in my class all passed NCLEX the first time, but a test has nothing to do with what kind of nurse a person will be. Honestly I would have gotten my ADN first if I would have decided on nursing as a career straight out of high school, but a higher degree is a personal choice. My facility pays just a dollar more per hour for a BSN..that's not much comparing the cost of education. Anyone can go back to school through online programs (my school offers a RN TO MSN PROGRAM no Bachelor's required) and can work while learning. Earning my BSN was expensive. I lived on student loans and a pt on campus job that was more stress than what it was worth. It would have been nice to have a good paying PRN job that actually enhanced my nursing education. There's nothing wrong with either program as entry level. One is not better than the other. They're different paths to the same end. The sky is the limit in this field for anyone starting out. I personally don't feel either superior or inferior to an ADN nurse.