RN program in chicago

[runninggirl77]

Hi all,

I am a med tech who left the lab to work for a pharma CRO. I'm beginning to think that the corporate life is not for me and I am interested in pursuing a career in nursing. Since I already have my BS I'm assuming that I would just need to complete a RN program. However, I'm not positive on this. I am also interested in knowing where the best RN programs are in Chicago.

I'm really not sure where to start the process and how to begin. Or if going through just the RN program is what I need to do. Any advice is very welcomed and appreciated.

Thank you!

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

For the most part in Illinois, there's no such thing as "just an RN program" as the last hospital diploma program in the state is all the way out in Canton by Peoria.

As someone with a bachelors, you have three routes you can take - but all of them will likely require you to take some additional coursework which you should be able to find at any community college.

One option is to stow your pride and go through an ADN (associates degree in nursing) program. The City Colleges of Chicago offer programs, though they vary between the different campuses - Malcom X's program was shut down and completely revamped recently and still isn't that great from the third-hand rumors I've heard, while my understanding is that Truman's is at least decent, as are the programs at most of the community colleges in the suburbs.

Another option is to enroll in a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program. Since you already have a bachelors, this means you can apply to an Accelerated BSN program. Loyola has one of these - there may be more in the city, but as far as I know the rest of these are in the burbs (such as Lewis University's, which isn't really accelerated at all...) or elsewhere in the state.

A third option open to you is the masters/grad entry or the direct-entry masters program. If you absolutely know that you a) want to be some type of Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and b) know which type you want to be, you can apply to UIC's program. If you just want to get your RN, Rush's program might be the way to go. If you want to get your RN and get a start on the APN core courses but keep your options open, DePaul's Masters Entry to Nursing Practice program is great for that. (Full disclosure: I'm in DePaul's program.) A bonus for any graduate-entry program is that, as a graduate student, you'll qualify for Federal GradPLUS loans as part of your student aid package.

If you want to find nursing schools in the state, the state board of nursing website is a great resource - not just to find schools, but also compare things like their attrition and NCLEX-pass rates.