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?

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.

This is good info as well. Maybe I'll take this summer off... That will leave me with about a semester's worth of classes that I could take (and pay for) once I get my BSN. I'll try to get it all sorted out soon, I'm going to call the nursing school tomorrow and see what can be done with my situation.
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Ugh, but then I can't get accepted into the program w/o a Bachelors degree. There's just no way to win, is there? :cry:

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Specializes in Vascular, Neurosurgery, Urology.

Oh my gosh! I was in the same predicament last year!! The mistake that I made was graduating with a science degree before starting nursing school because I did not get any grants to pay for nursing, I only could take out Stafford loans. I had no idea that this would happen. So now I am in debt up to my waist!!

If you are planning on getting your BSN, then you don't need to get a BS in Biology. The reason I finished my degree is because I got accepted to nursing school that was at a community college, so I do not have the option of getting my BSN unless I transferred to another school after I graduate from nursing. Well graduating from a University was really important to me so I finished up my Bachelors (I was a biology major too and I know how hard the classes are and I was miserable too). Nursing school is like studying biology but way more fast-paced. So maybe you should just take a break before you start nursing.

I hope this helps.

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So you're doing an associate's degree in nursing? That's another option I guess. I'm so confused now...

I could put my bachelors on hold and get my ADN (14 months at lansing CC) and finish up the bachelors at a later date (even I even need it) and/or do a bridge program ADN -> RN. How much work is involved in that?

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.
So you're doing an associate's degree in nursing? That's another option I guess. I'm so confused now...

I could put my bachelors on hold and get my ADN (14 months at lansing CC) and finish up the bachelors at a later date (even I even need it) and/or do a bridge program ADN -> RN. How much work is involved in that?

The school where I am at now has that program. You have to take something like 23 semester hours of "bridge" courses before you start on the MSN program.

I would switch to a BSN program so your financial aid stays at teh "1st bachelor's degree" level. I have a degree in another area and am doind a direct entry master's and figuring out how to pay for it has been tricky to say the least...

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The school where I am at now has that program. You have to take something like 23 semester hours of "bridge" courses before you start on the MSN program.

I would switch to a BSN program so your financial aid stays at teh "1st bachelor's degree" level. I have a degree in another area and am doind a direct entry master's and figuring out how to pay for it has been tricky to say the least...

Either way I will lose federal financial aid because right now I'm in my 10th semester and federal fin aid will only cover 12 semesters. Plus if I switch to a standard BSN I will be in school for another 3-4 years which I definately don't want, and can't handle.

The thing that makes the most sense to me right now (logically) is to finish up this spring semester with my Human Bio major (since the nursing pre-reqs count as electives towards my degree anyway) which will leave me about 15 credits shy of that degree, and I should be ready to apply for the ADN program that will start fall 2009. I'll use up my last 2 semesters of federal fin aid and I should be an RN then. At that point I could go back and finish my Human Bio degree if I want, and probably do a ADN -> BSN bridge as well in the future if I need it.

How does that sound?

What a headache :banghead:

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There are several variables here so I can see how confusing it would be to try to plan.

Consider your financial situation. Are you currently using grants and loans? How much debt are you willing to undertake? How much do the nursing programs you are looking at cost? How do you think you would fund your living expenses and education?

Consider your educational/career goals. How important is it to you to have bachelor's degree? How sure are you about wanting to be a nurse?

Consider your motivation. How much of your burn-out is not being sure what all this hard work is for (if not to get into med school)? How much is that you aren't interested in what you're studying? How much is that you're struggling to pass your classes?

Personally, as a 5th year senior, I'd lean towards finishing up a bachelor's. If you're really hating life with the courses needed to graduate, maybe you could change your major to something else that would get finished quickly. With that bachelor's degree you could try to get a job related to health care (eg admin asst or lab personnel for a health facility) and get more info about nursing while you work. Or take a few short classes to qualify for a job as a nursing assistant or unit secretary and get a job on a nursing unit and get paid while finding out more about the realities of nursing. Then apply for nursing school at your leisure.

The main drawback with that is your status for financial aid. But as a fifth year senior, I'd personally be wanting a degree to show for that time and money spent.

Especially if I wasn't completely sure that nursing was what I wanted to do. Nursing school is a big commitment. It consumes your life for several years, including the first year or two working. You won't start coasting for awhile. It's like med school that way. It's not something to just do on a whim because it sounds kinda interesting.

Of course, it's your life. You know yourself and your situation best. Just food for thought is all. Best wishes to you!

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First, take a deep breath.

Now.

Do you want to be a bedside nurse? If your original dream was to be a physician, I dout that you will, at the straight RN level, have enough autonomy to satisfy you.

If you *think* that you *might* want to be a nurse then finish the original degree and give yourself a little time to decide. Do NOT make a decision based on burn-out and what you think might be an easier path.

If you *know* that you want to be a nurse, do the pre-reqs and go into the accelerated program.

And I know that it's hard for you to believe but you do not have to make a decision until at least after this semester is over. Relax a little and really weigh your desires and options.

Barring being hit by a bus you have 60 years ahead of you. Take an easy strain and deliberate, not perseverate.

;)

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Especially if I wasn't completely sure that nursing was what I wanted to do. Nursing school is a big commitment. It consumes your life for several years, including the first year or two working. You won't start coasting for awhile. It's like med school that way. It's not something to just do on a whim because it sounds kinda interesting.

Of course, it's your life. You know yourself and your situation best. Just food for thought is all. Best wishes to you!

Thanks for the reply, I'll get to the meat of it when I have more time to think about everything you said, but I just want to let it be known nursing school wasn't decided on a whim for me. It was my original career choice when I started out 5 years ago but I explored other areas and ended up choosing the pre-med route. I've been working at UofM hospital for 4 years now as a patient sitter working with a variety of pts, mainly suicidal, schizophrenic, or head trauma. So I've seen that side of patient care and I've seen some of the worst patients in the hospital. I've been spit at, cussed at, punched, threatened etc and I still think this is the career for me. I'm starting up as a PCT next month (friend got me the job) and I'll get to see that side of patient care and I'm guessing that will only further strengthen my desire to be a nurse.
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Being a PCT should be a very good experience for you! Congrats! As Suesquatch said, you've got some time to figure this out.

I don't suggest planning to take 2-3 years off to get your RN and *then* go back and finish up the human bio degree. Those science classes are tough enough when the info is fresh. Just try getting back into them after a couple of years of not touching the stuff! Talk about needing lots of motivation!!

For myself, I was a bio major and then decided on nursing school in my third year. I looked at what classes I already had and what interested me and ended up changing my major to sociology. It turns out that several of those courses (like medical sociology) could later be counted towards my BSN electives!

I kinda wish I'd finished up the bio degree. I really enjoyed the depth of those classes. But I hated the pre-med jockeying for grades!! I'm not sure what I'd do if I could do it again, but despite the "what if's" I'm happy with where I am. Wherever you go, there you are! Enjoy the ride when you can!!!

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

The PCT job will be a good experience. I did that for 8 months up til I started back to school and I loved it. Sitting with psych patients would def. *not* be my thing LOL but being a PCA was great.

If you decided to do the ADN route, and that's probabyl your least expensive entry to practice, you could later find an employer who would pay for you to get your MSN (or whatever you decided to do) later on. Or if you really think you want to do a BSN think about going to a 2nd degree MSN program. There are many former biology majors in my current program and they are all doing well because of their background in science.

Good luck with whatever you decide! My neighbor (and several people here) have said that no matter what you do, in 5 years you will definitely be 5 years older so head in the direction you want to go in.

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xpinch....you sound like me!!! I am also a senior this year i was also premed and am planning on becoming a nurse!! I am also at MSU :)

Honestly u've come this far in your human bio degree....just finish up and then do the LCC accelerated program...maybe we will be classmates :)

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