RN or BSN for veteran with family?

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Hi everyone. I'm a veteran, with less than a year till I'm out of the military. I am 24 years old, married, with a 4 year old, and twin newborn babies. I currently am highly qualified in the IT field and have a variety of great job offers already waiting for me once I get out. The problem is that as of late I've decided that while the pay is good in my field, I don't feel very satisfied with what I do, and I'm pretty sure in 20 years when I look back I will not feel I did much to help anybody. My wife is an ADN student at the time, and I am trying to do the same. My only question, however, is I'd like to ultimately become a NP someday.

I have the GI Bill, which will cover pretty much all tuition, so that's not a huge thing I'm worried about (thank god!). At first I was leaning towards the associates program, because I could get out while working in my current field (supporting my family), and a year or so later, be a licensed R.N- get to work, and immediately begin working towards the BSN, then eventually a masters program. I know this seems roundabout, since I ultimately plan on the BSN anyways, but the benefit I saw was that I would be able to enter the workforce and gain experience as an RN sooner.

Obviously, the BSN would probably take less time, but also means less experience for me. What do you all think? I appreciate any input you can provide..more than you know! Thanks.

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Specializes in CVSICU, Cardiac Cath Lab.

Do you already have a bachelor's degree in something else? If so, look at accelerated BSN programs. they average about 15 months and you've saved yourself that first step.

If not, can your family financially afford four years of you being in school? If so, do the BSN. If you're unsure, do the RN and bridge later.

Good luck and thank you for your service!

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Thanks for the response!

I do not have a bachelor's in anything at the moment. I did go part-time towards a bachelor's in IT security, but I don't expect any of the credits to transfer, although I'm not really that far in, so it's not a huge loss.

We can financially afford me being in school, since with my military benefits, school will be paid, and I'll be paid an additional $1,700'ish per month for up to 36 months of school. The downside is I'll also be working full-time as a contractor, so it will be difficult.

Just looking at the last line makes an argument for the RN/ADN program much more appealing.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Have you considered getting a BSN, then commissioning back into the service as an RN? Just throwing that out there. :)

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I considered getting a BSN and going into the Air Force (have 6 years in the army now), but to be quite honest, the military has taken a toll on our family, and I'm done moving around and deploying. We're trying to settle down and stay in the area, so it just works out that we stay here. I haven't ruled out getting a BSN and going air force reserve as a nurse, though..but that's a ways away.

Overall, I'm pretty much done with active duty. It's been a ride, some good times, some bad, but I'm ready to be able to kick back a little bit and relax. Not to mention, loss of hearing, beaten up knees, and high blood pressure at 24 is probably a sign I should stop beating my body up!

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Hi Mrock,

If you are really interested in going into Nursing I would suggest you start working towards your science classes while you are in. I wish I would have taken advantage of the TA while I was in!

I decided to go the ADN route because I will have my degree after two years and then I can slowly work towards my BSN and hopefully have my employer pay for it! Also I like that once you have your RN you can finish most if not all of your BSN online, which is convenient. Hope this helps!

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Hi Mrock,

If you are really interested in going into Nursing I would suggest you start working towards your science classes while you are in.

I am already in the process of registering to take my pre-reqs during my last 10 months in the Army. The downside, is my TA won't cover the school I'm going to! Well, most likely, they would reimburse me after paying out of pocket, but that's not really an option at the moment as we're already paying out of pocket for my wife to get her RN via the 2 year program.

It's seeming more and more like 2 years is the way to go. I'm glad you mentioned the part about the employer paying. My wife said this was a huge benefit that a lot of RN's where she works take advantage of, so that's something to consider I suppose.

I appreciate all the input so far :D

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I think that either route is fine. So, there is no need to agonize and worry about making some "huge mistake" that will ruin your life. It's not a matter of "right" or "wrong" in the strict sense. As you well know, each path has its advantages and disadvantages -- but each path will get you where you want to be eventually. You just need to decide which path suits your personal and family needs best and then be prepared to live with whatever disadvantages come with the path you choose.

It may help you decide to really look at your local job market, particularly if you plan on staying in that area once you graduate. In some areas, new grad ADN's are having a lot of trouble finding jobs compared with new grad BSN's. In other areas of the country, that's not as big a problem. Do you have some ideas as to where you might like work as an RN? If so, find out whether or not they have a preference for BSN's or not. If your local hospitals are preferring to hiring BSN's, that may out-weigh some of the other considerations. But you won't know until you assess your likely job market.

Good luck to you and your family -- and "thank you" for your service to our country.

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"thank you" for your service to our country.

Thank you! And all the other nurses, CNA's, techs, docs, etc...you all deal with extremely difficult situations on a daily basis..for years. I only did 15 months.

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Personally, I think going the ADN route to get your RN first, then doing your BSN later while you are already an RN is a better way to go. You get done faster, and in my area, ADN new grads are getting hired and the pay for BSN is less than a dollar more an hour. I'm planning on doing my BSN online once I get a job...like someone already said, then my employer will pay for my classes, and I can do it at a slower pace if I want to since I'll already be working, there won't be as big of a rush to get done so fast.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.

I don't blame you for wanting out of IT, though it took me a bit longer to make that decision... Either way, I think you will do fine. If finances are key, then the path that gets you working fastest should prevail. At your age, the BSN is a necessity since you will be a long time in the job. I think I would also look at the schools themselves to help make up my mind. Not all programs are the same, and once you are in one, you are pretty much committed. Good Luck.

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