Should I change my undergrad major or do an accelerated BSN program?

[ahoadley]

Hello there,

I am a current Industrial Engineering student at Purdue University and I am very interested in pursuing a career in nursing. Right now I am specializing in healthcare engineering, but I have realized that I would much rather be delivering patient care than working 'behind the scenes' and I feel that nursing would be a much more fulfilling and interesting career and engineering (in my opinion). I am currently a sophomore nearing the end of my 3rd semester in the program and I was wondering what your opinions were about switching to nursing as my undergrad degree, or if I should continue engineering and do an accelerated program.

It seems that most nursing programs start in the Fall and a lot of my credits will not transfer. Also, I have to apply to the nursing schools at my university and it is limited space so there is a chance I do not get in. As far as transferring universities go, I fear that other colleges will not recognize that the classes I take as an engineer are very cut-throut and not many people get A's, and my GPA is 3.19 (they tell you in engineering that for the most part if you have a 3.0 you are pretty solid) and will accept other people who have taken more related classes and done well in them. *Note: I'm not trying to cause a frenzy by suggesting that nursing is easier at all, just trying to show how my GPA may seem low to those who are not aware that engineering GPAs are generally lower than most other majors.

So, is it better to switch to nursing now and take about 4 more years to finish or do I do an accelerated program after college and take the prerequisites at some point while getting my engineering degree?

Many thanks!

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

If you were in your last semester of your engineering degree, I would say finish it up then start taking your pre-reqs for the ABSN. If nursing is what you want to do then start taking your pre-reqs while finishing your degree (engineering isn't that tough of a major, LOL). Hopefully you can finish your first degree and pre-reqs at the same time and be ready for the ABSN program.

[sunshyne17]

Nursing is a tough major - there is a reason you have to test separately to get into the program.

If nursing is what you want to do, I say go for it. Not sure how much of a social life you have now, but if you do the accelerated program it will go in the negative! I did an accelerated program - missed birthday parties, weddings, holidays and lots of sleep. It takes dedication but it is doable. The engineering background will help with the math and technical aspects of being a nurse. HTH

[besaangel, ASN, BSN, MSN, CNA, RN, APRN, NP]

I think the ABSN or ADN might be a viable option for you if you do not feel that your credits will transfer. Engineering is difficult (as you know) but Nursing is a different kind of challenging; in its own special way. I'd encourage you to speak to a Nursing counsellor to verify the transferrability of your credits and use it to make the best decision based on your circumstance. All the best

[dt70]

Continuing 2 years to get a degree in a field you think you no longer want then enter an ABSN program doesn't sound like fun.

Your probably taking 21 credits now. How about taking a CNA class in the summer. When you do the clinical, think about if that's what you want. If so, get a summer job doing that if you can.

This would be the least risk exploration.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

Being that you have completed only two years of your undergraduate degree, I would make the change in major and work towards the BSN. I am not sure if you are receiving any grants such as Pell or the Indiana State grant, but if so, that stops once you have a conferred bachelor’s degree. As one of the other posters mentioned, if you had a semester or two left, I would have suggested completing the engineering degree and pursue the ABSN degree. Also, does Purdue look at cumulative GPA or the GPA of the pre-reqs? Contact the school of nursing there to ask the questions you asked on the board. They will have, obviously, the correct answers.

Good luck.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Agree with Parker - if you're sure that you want to switch to nursing, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to slog along in your current major. For one thing, obtaining a bachelor's degree will put you out of the running for many sources of financial aid when you move on to your nursing program. It would also be a waste of energy, time & $ if you are just 'marking time' - chances are, your motivation won't be stellar and it will be even harder to make high grades if you are not really engaged in that field of study.

[NurseRoz]

As one of the people who went back to school to become a nurse, I think you should change your major if you're SURE you want to be a nurse. The reason is financial aid. You can get far better financial aid if you're still doing your initial undergrad degree. If you're trying to obtain your second bachelor's degree, you'll be able to get a very limited amount of federal loans, and you'll have to finish the rest with private loans, which can be stingy and difficult to pay back. You also won't be eligible for any grants, and there are very few scholarships for ABSN students.

If you're sure you want to be a nurse, don't graduate. Change majors and finish that way, even if it takes you six years to get that initial degree.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

Also what is your GPA? Majority of ABSN programs require 3.0 or higher on first degree. So think about that as well. I did ABSN and it worked well for me.

[Lexicon]

I think it all depends on whether time is a major factor for you and if you will be able to take the ABSN pre-reqs while taking your current major's classes. From my understanding traditional BSN programs are more competitive academically and will require you to essentially have a 4.0 and very competitive SAT/ACT scores, whereas ABSN programs require between a 3.0-3.5. So that's one thing to consider.

In regards to time, most ABSN programs are about 1.5 years, while a traditional BSN will take you 3 years. So if you haven't taken pre-reqs at all, you're probably looking at applying for 2015 start programs at the very earliest for traditional BSN and 2016 for ABSN. Then you factor in the length of the program and you will complete the ABSN about a year earlier than you would the traditional. It's not that much of a difference for you (as it would be for me) so honestly, look into both programs and decide what is best for you. I think your current major would make you more diverse than most candidates so keep working hard in your program until you get accepted into whichever program you choose!

[onemoreday, BSN, RN]

I did my undergrad in Biology, was a bit directionless for a while, tried an MPH, hated the program and the school, and here I am taking my pre-reqs to even get competitive for an ABSN. A lot of my courses either won't transfer or aren't competitive enough (eg I got a C+ or a B-, but I need a B, or I got all the way up to Organic Chem but I got a C and they want Basic Chem 108 but a better grade than a C). If I were you I would definitely see if Nursing is what you want to do by either looking into CNA or even just volunteering at a hospital or hospice and talking to the the nurses there. I am limited in what I can get for financial aid since this is my second degree, and I regret not taking certain classes while in my first undergrad (I loved my school).

However, every time I've spoken with a competent adviser, they're not really surprised to hear I'm doing a second degree nor do they think the biology degree was a waste of time. It doesn't score me any points on paper for the school I'm trying to get into, but I've been advised to make sure I can highlight how much I've learned in various subjects, how well rounded my education has been, and how I can apply that to my career when I have to do entrance interviews.