RN vs. BSN Bridge Program?

[Amnesty]

Hi all! I signed up for the community hoping to get some good advice on an issue I've been thinking over for a while.

I'm 23 years old, and I have a BBA in Accounting. As of yet, I've not been able to find a good entry-level position that utilizes my degree. I live in a small town, so this doesn't surprise me, but I do want to be doing something with my life, so I've decided to go back to school for nursing.

I live in between Tifton and Valdosta, and ideally I am aiming to work at Tift Regional Medical Center when I'm done with my schooling. I have family in Tifton and would like to move into town eventually. My question is whether I should attend the 2 year Nursing Program at Abraham Baldwin Ag College (ABAC) or do the BSN Bridge Program offered by Valdosta State University (VSU) for students who already have a Bachelor's degree of some sort.

I've been told by a couple of different nurses and some of the educators at ABAC that TRMC really prefers ABAC graduates and is willing to work with new grads to give them the experience they'll need to get started as nurses. Apparently a lot of new grads have difficulty finding a place that will hire them without any experience. However, I'm still iffy, because in the same 2 years I would spend doing my RN at ABAC, and I could do my BSN at VSU. Many have told me I need to stick to doing the RN first and then work on my BSN afterwards when I have an employer who will pay for that.

Have any of you actually done the BSN Bridge Program offered via VSU? Does anyone know whether it's true that TRMC prefers ABAC graduates? Any advice would be welcome! Thanks all!

[Marshall1]

Highly doubt the hospital has a preference - the management may because they attended the school or whatever. As far as 2 yr vs 4 - you will see MANY posts on here about that..some hospitals only hire BSN nows because of Magnet Status, most management positions require at least a BSN..in my opinion it's better to have it than not, but you already have a BS so the two combined may be all you need. What it boils down to is how long you want to go to school to reach your goal of being a nurse. Also, most nursing schools have a wait list so you may want to check on that before applying. Call the two schools you are interested in or visit their web sites..see what each has to offer, think of the pros and cons of both then make the decision based on what you have found in your research - not on rumors. You could also look to apply at the hospital you are interested in now in a non-nurse position as that would have your foot in the door and they may offer tuition assistance.