need advice on my two education options please

[cold in wisconsin]

Hey there,

I was hoping that I could get some advice from some of you seasoned folks/current students/recent graduates in the forum on the two available options I have in my city.

I'm a 29 year old male (single with no kids) with a bachelor's in religious studies, and have worked in the human services field for several years. I've decided to go into the nursing field and go after my RN.

I moved in with my folks in wisconsin to pay off some serious debt, and go back to school.

Yes, it seems like needless (and embarassing) info. but it can help to know when choosing a program.

so here are my two options:

1) Lake Superior College-small comm. college with a 2 year program begins in the Spring semester each year, and ends in me receiving an AAS in nursing, and qualifies me to take the NCLEX at the end of it. Very few prerequisite courses, cheap tuition...the biggest problem is that they have a 1-3 semester wait list for acceptance, and it's first come first serve, acceptance is not based on GPA, previous transcripts, etc...if you have your prereq's done, you get on the list.

So I will finish my prereq's by the end of the fall 2010 semester, get on the wait list-which i doubt will have an opening for the spring 2011 semester, and most likely i'll end up waiting until spring 2012 to start the 2 year program-finishing up in 2014 I think.

2) College of St. Scholastica-supposedly a very well regarded 4 year college with an excellent nursing program. The program is a post-bac certificate for those who already have a bachelor's in another field. They require a few more prereq courses, which isn't too big of an issue for me. it is a 15 month full time continuous program that begins in late may each year. I would be eligible for acceptance and would begin the program in May 2011.

It DOES NOT give me a BS in nursing, but from what they say the state of Minnesota sees it as equivalent to a BSN and it would allow me to go on for further studying towards a MSN, nurse practitioner, etc....

the big problem...tuition is about 10-11k each semester for a 4 semester program, and working during the program doesn't seem like an option at all.

So basically i'd be done with the very expensive post-bac certificate program at the same time i'd be just starting the comm college program.

I'm almost 30, and I want to begin working towards a career in nursing...if you were in my situation, which program would you choose?

I know it's a good amount to read, but I appreciate any honest advice whether it be in the forum, or private message. Thank you so much.

Eric

[formerarch]

i seem to be doing this a lot lately. Another can't hurt . . . . . .

Not advice necessarily, but a similar situation. Am also looking at nursing as a 2nd career (former architect), and have gone through the same BSN/ADN debate. The accelerated BSN requires a lot more money, prerequisite classes and at least a 3.0 gpa to enter. But it finishes in a year, after everything else is satisfied.

The ADN is less money and a little more accepting of prior transcripts, but takes longer (some prerequisite classes until winter, a 9-month wait, then a 2-year program here).

Met with a counselor at the community college today and she said the difference between a BSN and ADN is that a BSN allows a recipient to also teach and do research. Some hospitals request just BSN degrees, and others don't seem to matter. If you check with the employment sites of your local hospitals and some of the previous threads here, it seems to confirm this. Most employers seem to look at an RN as an RN, regardless of pedigree.

One good option is to get the ADN, then work and study towards a BSN if you feel the need to go further. Many schools have programs for this, and some hospitals will pay for your tuition to continue.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I had a bachelor's degree in English before I decided to be a nurse. I didn't want to go back for a second degree so I chose a hospital based program since it offered the most clinical hours. This was in the 80's. Diploma grads passed the state boards (Massachusetts) more than either the BSN or the Associate Degree nurses. Unfortunately, these programs are disappearing and hospital trained nurses are looked down on as not being 'professional'. Call it what you will but I've never had trouble finding a job and now make more than $100,000 a year.

[Moogie]

2) College of St. Scholastica-supposedly a very well regarded 4 year college with an excellent nursing program. The program is a post-bac certificate for those who already have a bachelor's in another field. They require a few more prereq courses, which isn't too big of an issue for me. it is a 15 month full time continuous program that begins in late may each year. I would be eligible for acceptance and would begin the program in May 2011.

It DOES NOT give me a BS in nursing, but from what they say the state of Minnesota sees it as equivalent to a BSN and it would allow me to go on for further studying towards a MSN, nurse practitioner, etc....

It might not hurt to check with a few graduate programs to see what they would say about this. It might not be an issue to get into a grad school with a post-bac certificate but I would want to make sure before signing up for the school. The thing is, while a post-bac certificate may be okay in Minnesota, would it be accepted in another area?

The important thing, of course, is to be able to sit for NCLEX; you always could get your initial nursing license in Minnesota and transfer to another state.

Met with a counselor at the community college today and she said the difference between a BSN and ADN is that a BSN allows a recipient to also teach and do research. Some hospitals request just BSN degrees, and others don't seem to matter. If you check with the employment sites of your local hospitals and some of the previous threads here, it seems to confirm this. Most employers seem to look at an RN as an RN, regardless of pedigree.

I respectfully disagree with your counselor. Although it is possible to teach at a clinical level with a BSN, most schools require at least a MSN in order to teach in the classroom. Additionally, conducting research is done at a doctoral level. A BSN can certainly participate in a research study or work in a research setting, but the skills level is not there to actually set up and carry out nursing research. A BSN is better preparation for graduate school but with the proliferation of RN to MSN bridges and direct entry MSN programs, anything is possible.

There are a couple of threads that discuss how employers are preferring BSN grads over ADNs at the current time but I have to wonder if that trend is going to continue over the next several years. It's tough for most new grads, regardless of educational preparation, to find work right now but nursing employment is cyclical and it will surely change again, as it has in the past.

Good luck to both of you as you decide what is the best educational path for you!

[caliotter3]

Most people apply to all local programs and attend the one that accepts them. In the case of multiple program acceptances, then you would have to use your self established criteria to determine which program best meets your needs. Good luck with the admissions process.