I need help deciding :/

nursingstudent_88 · May 11, 2011

Hi there!

I think its good that you are working as a CNA right now! You have some experience and some schools like that! :)As for ADN,I know some people are already RN's and they went to a community college.The advantages are:less loans to pay,less time (2 yrs or less,i think) and after you finish, you can take the NCLEX and be an RN!

I am currently taking my BSN and omg..it took me forever to get to where I am right now.I still have a few semesters left!

Reminder though,once you get in to nursing school,you won't have time to party. Since I started nursing school,the only time I get to hangout with my fam/friends is during summer or winter break!It takes up a lot of your time and you really have to be dedicated..

Goodluck!

spudster · May 11, 2011

Zippeh,

I found myself in a similar situation. I was pursuing an A.D.N. and was working in a clinical setting in a local hospital. Here is what I discovered through the counsel of RNs where I worked as a CNA (Critical care). Many other nurses who had received their A.D.N. were going back to school to gain a B.S.N. There is no doubt that they were excellent and competent nurses without having their B.S.N. There advice to me, at my age, was to go ahead and gain the Bachelor's Degree. As long as you don't have the responsibilities of a spouse and kids and time is not a factor (since you are 19), my advice would be to go for the Bachelor's degree. Here is the other side of this though. I wouldn't consider going into a 100k debt to gain it. Are there any other ways to get your education without a big move and lots of debt? I know my state university was a little more expensive than my community college(where I gained my prereqs) but it wasn't the kind of difference you are stating in your circumstances. I am with nursingstudent 88 on this part....partying isn't going to be as easily done with all the clinical and course work of nursing school.

I speak from experience as someone who went back and gained a Master's Degree with a family....get as much education as you can when you are young and more free to do so.

spudster · May 11, 2011

Zippeh,

Also, I forgot to mention. A.D.N. programs take 2 years by themselves,plus the prereqs. So, a lot of A.D.N. graduates have around 3 years invested in their Associate Degree while BSN grads have around 4. So, the difference is a little less than most advisors would have you believe. My wife echoes this as someone who is an Instructor of Nursing at an ADN program. She always advises young students to pursue as much education early on as possible.

soxgirl2008 · May 11, 2011

Are there any cheaper BSN schools you could look into? I personally think 100K in loans is WAYYY too much for a BSN. I would look at your job market, some areas of the country are going more towards only hiring BSNs in hospitals. In some areas of the country hospitals don't care as long as you are an RN. Either way I would encourage you to definitely get your BSN eventually, whether it be now or after you finish your ADN, but I would think twice before going over 100K into debt.

Also, as other people have said, don't go to a BSN program just to get the college experience and "party". I know a lot of BSN students and hardly any of them have any time to party. Nursing school is very challenging and takes up a lot of your time, and you need to make sure you do good in the pre-reqs so that you are admitted to the nursing program. Nursing isn't one of those majors where you can go out and party 4 nights a week and still graduate.

zippeh · May 12, 2011

The reason why I say 100k in debt is because, right now I'm getting my pre-reg's out of the way. I'm really not worried about getting accepted into the Nursing programs because Elmhurst and NIU both sent me letters in the mail saying I was accepted in the program and kept sending me more money off tuition, but I received a full-ride through my local community college, who's Nursing program is done through NIU, and NIU has a fantastic program. Now, say I get to go to Elmhurst or NIU for 13k a year, the ADN takes 2 years, and then the BSN takes another 2 years ontop of that, at least to the best of my knowledge. So maybe I was exaggerating a bit, because thats only about 52k in debt, but you have to factor in living expenses and such for those 4 years, if I stay here with my family, I owe 80 dollars a month for my cell phone and car insurance combined. That's it. The only thing is, I can only get my ADN, yet I don't see a problem getting my BSN later in life, looking that there are so many online accelerated programs that you can go from RN to BSN in 13 months. I could just do part-time, and go back to school, even if I have a family at the time. I've looked around, and St. Alexius, which is a big hospital around here, doesn't say anything about requiring a BSN, just that your registered as a RN.

I really don't want to go away unless I go to UIC. UIC is my school of choice, but I know its expensive. I'm assuming if I get a scholarship I'd probably end up paying around 20k including living expenses. So around 80k by the time I graduate, and then you have to factor in interest. Maybe I'm just over calculating things, but I know I'd either be 0 dollars in debt if I go to my community college, or just a little in debt. Being able to pay it within the first couple months of employment. I'd be able to keep my job as a CNA, and possibly work in 2 years at a hospital. It's just a hard decision for me, because right out of college I want to do 4 things. Buy a 370z, buy a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, move out, and possibly get married. If I'm in debt I can scratch off the first 3. HAHA :]

**As a side-note, I am currently finishing up my Freshman year at my college.

spudster · May 12, 2011

After hearing more of your situation then I could certainly see the benefit of staying near home. I have many friends who have done their ADN and are excellent nurses and had no pay difference straight out of school from me. You are right in the fact there are many accelerated programs nowadays that are user friendly, even after having a family. My wife and I both were in grad school at the same time with a one kid and another on the way. So, furthering your education is possible with a family. My counsel would be to get the BSN if you could do it withing reason financially. However, it sounds like that will not be possible in your location if there are no cheaper BSN schools around. I am in Texas and there are many programs around me that are much more reasonable. So, if I were faced with the options you have listed, I would stay at home and get my ADN. Less debt=good....lots of debt=bad. :)

zippeh · May 12, 2011

Yeah, but another huge factor is, if I stay here, I will be alone. For sure. The social life at my campus now sucks. But the biggest, hugest factor is that I want to be a nurse right now. I really don't want to go through school anymore than I have to. I came out of highschool thinking I was going to go get my BSN, do my 2 years in a ER room or something and then go get my CRNA, but after my 2nd semester of college, and working along side of nurses, I want to get out in the field already. I'm dying to make a difference, more than I am now. Thats another reason why I just want to do 2 years. PLUS once I get a job in a hospital, the hospital's will pay for the BSN programs :] so I get paid while I work AND I get a free education. WHA LAH :] tehhehe. But right now, if I get a job in the hospital as a CNA, maybe I could get into their tuition program before I enter a Nursing Program. Only the future will tell :]

soxgirl2008 · May 12, 2011

Most ADN programs have pre-reqs you have to do and some of them have a waiting list, so are you sure you'd be graduating that much sooner with the ADN?

llg, PhD, RN · May 12, 2011

Under no circumstances should go 100K+ in debt for a nursing degree. There are better options -- even if those other options take you longer or are less pleasant.

zippeh · May 12, 2011

Yes.. all my pre-req I am taking are aimed for the Nursing Programs that I am looking into.. Like I said above, I've been accepted already last year both in Elmhurst and NIU. I never applied to UIC cause I knew I wasn't going away. Elmhurst sent me constant letters saying they were giving me more money off. I can get into the Nursing programs that I want to get in with ease. Besides UIC, which I would have been able to get into their GPPA program, but you have to be an incoming freshman and not a transfer student, so now thats the only school where I might have a bit of trouble. Yet I have a great ACT score, gpa, and they told me for transfer students they like to see experience, in which I have as a C.N.A. so I really don't see a problem getting into any of those 3. I'm assuming after 4 years for the BSN, with cost of living, tuition, and housing expenses I would most likely be looking at 80k in debt. Like I said, I could be over exaggerating, but I think with the cost of schools now, that that is a very reasonable number

zippeh · May 13, 2011

I just realized.. All my friends that went away to school will be graduating in 2014 with their BSN's, while here I am getting my ADN in 2014, then I have to go back to school for one more year after that, a RN to BSN program, and I'll get my BSN degree a year after they receive theirs... This makes me so angry. I wish I knew this before I decided to go with community college