Should I finish my bachelor's before I start nursing school?

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I'm a 5th year senior Human Bio major with pre-med intentions and I decided this year that medical school isn't the path for me. I originally started out school as pre-nursing and after 5 years I've decided that a 16 month accelerated BSN program would be best for me. I just want to be done with school and start working.

But here's my situation, I have about 30 credits left to take, about 20 of which are difficult science classes (biochem II, pharmacology, gross anatomy, eukaryotic cell biology, etc.) and about 10 electives which will be nursing school pre-reqs. The problem is I'm completely burned out on school and I absolutely hate my life right now. I have no interest in a lot of the classes I'm taking right now (biochem I, organic chem II, immunology, microbiology, etc most of which are 400-level) so it's getting to be a struggle to even get a passing grade.

To make matters worse I've been putting things into perspective lately and the more I think about it, the less I think I'll need this bachelor's degree in Human Bio. The 16 month program I want to do gets me my BSN... so will having a second bachelor's benefit me in any way? If I do end up finishing this degree I'm just going to half-ass it because I don't have the energy anymore to force myself to study all these boring subjects. I already tanked my GPA this semester. :(

What should I do?

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Why not take off a semester and work or work part-time and school part-time? I recommend talking to the Dean of the nursing school for advice. Your state might even allow you to sit for the LVN boards now so you can get a taste of nursing before completing your degree program. Good luck!

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the 16 week program i want to do gets me my bsn...

16 weeks??? do you mean 16 months?

so will having a second bachelor's benefit me in any way?

only if you have all of the pre-reqs completed in you bs. if you are depending on fed. grants, you won't qualify if you have a degree.

if i do end up finishing this degree i'm just going to half-ass it because i don't have the energy anymore to force myself to study all these boring subjects. i already tanked my gpa this semester. :(

if you are damaging your gpa, this degree will definately not help you. nursing school admissions is extremely competitive. accelerated bachelor's programs are even more competitive.

nursing school is very challenging. if you are burnt out, you'll really have to pull it together before beginning.

what should i do?

good luck with your decision.

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

Can you switch majors and complete your bachelor's in nursing instead of finishing the human bio degree? How much longer will it take you if you did it that way?

A second bachelor's degree is sort of pointless. Plus I think they rules for financial aid change once you have finished a bachelor's degree?

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good luck with your decision.
whoops! i was thinking one thing and typing another, i meant months and i edited it accordingly.

i think 90% of being burned out has to do with working so hard towards something that seems to have little effect on my future. the poster above's suggestions of taking a semester off might be a good idea for me. in that time i could work and also apply to a community college to bang out the rest of my pre-reqs with a good gpa, and do so for basically pennies on the dollar compared to what i'm paying at michigan state right now. i likely won't be ready for nursing school this upcoming fall anyway depending on how fast i can get into community college and get these pre-reqs done.

i guess i could always go back to msu after i get my bsn to finish up the degree. thoughts?

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Is the 16-month program an accelerated BSN program? If so, are you required to have a Bachelor's Degree in another discipline in order to qualify?

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As an old lady, let me say that having extra education will NEVER hold you back.

Take a term off and finish up what you're doing. SHould you decide to go into advanced nursing practice that second degree will help. Same should you decide to become a physician assistant.

The more degrees the more options. But take a term off, work at McDOnald's, and read all of the crap novels you haven't been able to enjoy.

You are VERY young. Take advantage of it and go for all the knowledge you can get.

:)

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Is the 16-month program an accelerated BSN program? If so, are you required to have a Bachelor's Degree in another discipline in order to qualify?
Crap! I just realized that you're right! I guess I missed the fine print on that one...

As an old lady, let me say that having extra education will NEVER hold you back.

Take a term off and finish up what you're doing. SHould you decide to go into advanced nursing practice that second degree will help. Same should you decide to become a physician assistant.

The more degrees the more options. But take a term off, work at McDOnald's, and read all of the crap novels you haven't been able to enjoy.

You are VERY young. Take advantage of it and go for all the knowledge you can get.

:)

Wow thanks for the insight. I probably won't be working at McDonalds (lol!) but I will probably pick up more hours at my hospital job to work full time. I guess I'll just have to go full force with my nursing pre-reqs (I'm taking a few next semester and more in the summer) and do the best I can with the rest of my Human Bio classes. Or maybe I'll even drop my Human Bio classes and take them next fall or something because my brain could really use a break. I've basically been going non-stop for 5 years with full time schedules and summer classes (I lost a lot of credits transferring so it's always a struggle to stay on top of things.)

We'll see... it's been interesting getting advice from you guys, it's been really helpful thanks. :)

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Just being nosy: What pre-reqs do you have to complete? It seems to me that you would have already taken most of them in your biology program.

Basic biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, general and organic chemistry, college algebra, statistics, speech, English composition and basic computer literacy are all common pre-reqs that you may have already completed. That would leave basic psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, nutrition and probably a few other courses I'm not thinking of at the moment. You could probably complete those courses in less than a year without too much difficulty.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I would make an appointment with the director of the nursing program and get advice on which path would be the best for that school. Good luck.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Don't forget financial aid!

Once you get a Bachelor's Degree (in anything), it may disqualify you for certain types of undergraduate financial aid -- aid that you might need to finish that nursing degree.

Be sure to check into that before you finish that non-nursing degree. While learning is almost always a good thing -- official degrees can become a problem and disqualify you for certain benefits. The taxpayers don't take kindly to supporting people who get degree after degree after degree indefinitely. They cut off the government-backed funding at some point.

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Just being nosy: What pre-reqs do you have to complete? It seems to me that you would have already taken most of them in your biology program.

Basic biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, general and organic chemistry, college algebra, statistics, speech, English composition and basic computer literacy are all common pre-reqs that you may have already completed. That would leave basic psychology, developmental psychology, sociology, nutrition and probably a few other courses I'm not thinking of at the moment. You could probably complete those courses in less than a year without too much difficulty.

The main ones I'm missing are developmental psychology and nutrition, I'm taking both of those next semester. I have a feeling that I was going to sign up for a couple others in the summer but my desk is a mess and I can't find my little paper I jotted everything down on. And there's a few other things I have to clarify with the nursing school before I'm good to apply. For example one of the pre-req courses is a class called "Organic and Biochemistry" which I haven't taken, but I took a full year of organic chem and a full year of biochem when this year is over. :chuckle
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