RN Program or BSN Program

[beckamarie]

Accepted into an expensive 15 month Accelerated BSN program & also accepted at a much cheaper 2 year school for an RN program.

What should I do! I am so confused. The Accelerated BSN is going to be a very expensive and demanding 15 months, but worth it in the end. The RN community college associates degree is 2 nights and every other weekend and is way less money, but more time for a smaller degree. I have 2 kids and money is tight. The CC makes more sense, but something keeps drawing me towards the BSN degree at the private school. Will this choice greatly affect my future? Please any opinions will help!

[Sand_Dollar, BSN]

In CO, there is very little money difference between a graduate RN with an associates or another with a BSN. You could always get the ASN that is cheaper, and maybe look for an online or weekend bridge program for your BSN.

I decided to go the BSN route because there is a 3 year waitlist for CC programs here. I could actually be graduated and working before I even got into one! Personally, I would take the ASN route, it makes better financial sense. If there is a wait though... I'd do the BSN through a public school, not private (again, cost!).

Good luck!!

[caliotter3]

Normally I would advise you to go with the BSN and get it out of the way now. But since money is a factor for you, I would opt for the two year degree because it will get you into the work force more easily. I say this because quite a few people have posted that they could not deal with the academic pace of an accelerated program and had to drop back to a traditional four year program. You can't afford to fail. Try to talk to students in both programs. Get the lowdown. If you don't hear negative, negative, negative about the 15 month program, maybe it will be worth the gamble. Good luck.

[asfreeasabird]

I would recommend the ADN route. Where I work it is about 0.50 difference per hour between the two year nurses and the four year nurses. The two year nurses are able to hold charge nurse positions and orient new employees. I own my RN outright and it is a huge weight off my shoulders not to make a payment to a bank. After you have a few years of experience people don't look where you graduated from they look at where you have worked and what experience you have. Save for your kids to go to college, go the ADN route. When you complete your ADN you may find your employer will pay for your BSN if you give them a certain number of years of service. I am going through an online RN to BSN program which my employer will reimberse for.

[guiltysins]

Before I advise you of the ADN route, your profile says you live in Pennsylvania. You should see what most of the requirements for nurses are there. Up in the northeast things can sometimes work differently. Most of the hospitals in New York that I really have my eye on for potential jobs (also the ones we have clinicals at) want a BSN or for you to be enrolled in a BSN program and halfway through it when you are hired so I say before you make the decision, make sure you can get a job with an ADN.

If which kind of degree doesn't matter in your area, go for the ADN. It's cheaper and there are options if you want to further yourself which include accelerated RN-BSN and RN-MSN direct entry programs.