RN-BSN vs. Straight BSN

[earthtokristy]

I am currently a high school junior and I've been thinking about college a lot lately as I only have a year and a half left of high school. I've wanted to be a nurse for a long time now and I really want to start touring universities and colleges starting this spring break. The only problem is I don't know which path I want to take to get my BSN.

1. Receive an ADN in 3 years (counting prereqs), then go straight to an RN-BSN program for another year. The community college that I would go to has an almost perfect NCLEX passing rate (every year it has been 100% or only one person failed) and is very affordable. With this, I would be able to put my foot in the door faster and I would save thousands of dollars. But I feel like I would be cheating myself out of a "real" college experience and I would have to live with my parents for another four years.

2. Go to a community college for prereqs for 2 years (nearly all colleges that have BSN programs in Houston don't offer prereqs), then transfer to a BSN program (another 2 years). This is similar to the first path but I feel like this would be better looked upon as I would be getting all of my nursing training from a university, not a community college. I would also spend less time at a community college. The other cons are the same as the first path.

3. Go away to a university for four years and do both prereqs and nursing classes at the same university. Right now I am looking at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas State University, and Texas Women's University (with this uni I would spend two years at the Denton campus, then go back home for two years at the Houston campus). I think I would get more of a college experience with this and I would live away from home for at least two years. I would be paying almost quadruple for tuition and housing, but I think I would be able to get more scholarships at a university than at a community college. All of my cousins have gone away to a university for college so I feel pressured into doing the same.

Do any graduated BSN nurses have any input on which option sounds the best or which one you would choose if you had the opportunity to go back and do it again?

Thanks! :)

[Dranger]

If you have the money do it all in one fell swoop. Option 3. I felt like I got a better non-nursing education at a private liberal arts 4-year school. It made me more well-rounded beyond nursing. (I have taken CC course post-bacc too by the way)

[Lexicon]

I'm have not gotten by BSN yet, but I graduated from college last month and have complete all of my pre-reqs and will be doing an accelerated BSN. Had I known that I'd want to be a nurse when I was in high school, I would have applied to college to do a traditional BSN program. So in my opinion, I think the 3rd option is the best option, since most hospitals want RNs with BSNs now.

[texasgirl22]

I was in your position a year and a half ago. I went with option 2. Taking pre reqs at a CC saved me tons of money and at my university it doesn't make a difference. I should be starting nursing school in the fall. I wouldn't even bother with RN-BSN unless you have kids or need to start making money quicker. You will still need to take all your gen eds and now, you would have three years of nursing classes and clinicals as opposed to two. On top that, you will be worried about work and learning how to be a nurse in a real life setting while your also in an RN-BSN program. There's no telling what life will throw at you and maybe you won't be able to complete the BSN portion. Your young. Just get the BSN now. It's that simple. One year is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Plus there will be more people your age at a university nursing program vs. cc.

[RunBabyRN]

I'd go with #2 (which I'm about to finish in May). It'll save you a lot of money over #3, and if you know you want your BSN, you're better off getting it right away. It will save you money and time in the long run. 2 more years with your parents won't be so bad (I know it isn't ideal, but you'll be glad you saved the money). You also don't want to have to apply to two separate programs, and risk not getting into one at some point.

Don't stress about the whole "college experience" thing. It's honestly overrated. DON'T let yourself be pressured to spend thousands of dollars unnecessarily.

Be sure that in your prerequisite courses (when you get to the community college), you get the best grades possible. This also applies to your general ed stuff, but your prereqs are almost doubly counted, since they're usually counted as part of your cumulative, AND your prereq GPA is counted as well, in most cases.