Is getting a ADN worth it in NYC at this time?

Esha555 · Apr 10, 2012

I forgot to mention that I will also be volunteering at a local hospital.

DoGoodThenGo · Apr 10, 2012

I am a 32 -soon to be 33 year old woman who is looking to pursue a career in Nursing. I live in Brooklyn and am looking at completing the pre -requisites at a community college starting this fall. This is where it becomes a bit confusing. It seems that getting a BSN is the way to go in NYC because the job market is so competitive so I'm looking into the Accelerated BSN programs (SUNY Downstate and Hunter). However, my gpa from my prior BA degree (I double majored and minored) is around 3.4 and I've always been an A-/B student in sciences in high school. It seems that I have to have 4.0 Gpa and As in all pre requisites to get into these accelerated nursing programs? Is this the case? Do I stand a chance of getting into SUNY Downstate at all?
Ideally I would love to do an Associates degree and find a job and then complete part time courseS to get my BSN, but all the job offers on indeed call for a BSN or Masters. Would I just be wasting 2 years? The thing is I don't really have a lot of time and resources at the moment and I was hoping to have a baby by next summer. Please help:(

You might wish to ask the mods to move this post or start another thread in the NY region section. This will expose your query to more local nurses for input.

For every "BSN only" nurses are being hired in NYC you'll hear from a ADN grad who says she/he and most of their class was hired. So there's quite a range there.

What seems to count most these days in NYC is experience, which is hard for new grads to obtain.

Hunter now uses Nursing CAS for admissions, which means your *entire* post high school college work is computed for GPA. According to their website the average GPA for second degree BSN students is 3.5, admissions are 50% NLN score and 50% clumative GPA. IIRC the other programs (generic BSN nursing for example) run along the same lines.

Though expensive you should also consider the BSN program at Wanger College on Staten Island.

It is really hard making sound predictions about the NYC nursing employment scene. Almost every week another hospital or facility is closing and or laying off nurses. Peninsula hospital in Queens isn't looking good, and St. Ann's nursing home/LTC/Rehab just laid-off 55 RNs.

All this while everyone and their mother here in NYC wants to become a nurse. There really hasn't been any closing of nursing programs except Long Island College Hospital's, and no one knows what is going on with that.

If you have the money and time to go for a BSN, I'd say that would be the way to go. If for nothing else you'll have done with it and it *may* give you a leg up in the future job market. I wouldn't take on vast amounts of debt regardless or whatever nursing program you choose to attend.

Esha555 · Apr 10, 2012

Thanks for the feedback DoGoodThenGo. I'll try to copy it into the NY section.

BlackMurse1 · Apr 10, 2012

I am native of Brooklyn NY. I Recently earned my ADN and had plans to move back to NYC. A friend of mine since Jr. High School is a Human Resource Manager at NY Prebs, my dream job. He couldn't even get me in. The issue is not grades or clinical experience, its on the job experience. I am attaching a link that explains the policy change that requires all new hires to have a BSN. From what my friend is telling me, during job fairs they only want experienced nurses due to the fact that New Grads on average leave a job, (even a great one) within 8 months. That costs the hospital money, at the hospital I am currently hired at, they have you sign an agreement to work for atleast 1 year; some floors two years, if you leave before that, without a valid reason; they reserve the right not to give you a reference.

My advice to you if you get an ADN like I did is to find hospitals that will hire you with an ADN outside of Nyc, get some experience and a certification then comeback and apply.

Here is the link, good luck

North Shore-LIJ Requires New Nurses to Have BSN