Should I get my ADN and work for a few months then go back to school for my BSN?

sauconyrunner · May 12, 2012

If you do not want to be a CNA, you will not like nursing. RN's do an awful lot of what CNA's do daily.

I would be SURE you want to be a nurse before you go to any college for Nursing. The ADN program will be almost as long as a regular 4 yr degree when all your pre-reqs are completed.

That said, financially, your idea makes sense. Most hospitals will also help to reimburse further education, so that could be a win/win situation.

But I hear alarm bells ringing- if you don't want to be a CNA (I don't really want to either, but I worked as one all through college-gained a lot of experience and had job offers because of that, got offerred about 6 jobs.) being a nurse will probably not thrill you either.

albsRN · May 13, 2012

I'd say the major flaw is that you're banking on getting a job as a nurse right away with no experience working in a hospital (since you are not planning on being a CNA). Without your BSN it will be challenging to find that first RN job unless you already have CNA experience. Also, as the other commenter pointed out, a 2 year nursing program is actually longer once you factor in the pre-requisites. Your best plan would be to get your nurse assistant certification over the summer after graduation. If you still want to be a nurse, do the ADN and work as a CNA through school- then you will be very likely to get a job offer after graduation and finish out the BSN with the help of tuition reimbursement/assistance.

HeartRN13 · May 13, 2012

I graduated from an ADN program in December, and it's now May and I still have no job. If you decide nursing is for you, please take my advice and do not waste your time going into an ADN program, go for your BSN. The ANA and all other affiliated organizations have decided that the BSN is going to be the minimum requirement for entry level nursing and now those of us that have our ADN are left in the dust. I am already back in school working on my BSN and I wish that I had gone through a BSN program to begin with. Hope this helps you!

PinkNBlue, BSN, RN · May 13, 2012

My advice to all pre- nursing students is to become a CNA and get a job in a hospital. This way you get experience working in a patient care setting to see if you truly like the job. You can do your prerequisites while working and then apply to a nursing program. It can be a very long process; taking the NLN, finishing your pre-reqs ( a lot of programs want most classes like Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology to be completed before they even consider accepting you into their program).

I must say I went to an ADN program, was a tech (CNA) in a hospital and graduated in December and do have a job. Of course it's always recommended to further your education but we all sit for the exact same NCLEX so if financially it works best for you to get your associates, by all means do it. My hospital has no intention on not accepting ADN nurses. In fact, there's no pay difference between the two. :)

Final two cents... make sure nursing is something you're passionate about. It is a LOT of work and not a career to just go into because you think it 'may' be something you enjoy. Like someone else said, if being a CNA doesn't appeal to you, seriously reconsider nursing because we do everything a CNA does and then some. Good luck :)

Eric Cartman · May 14, 2012

If you are in high school still, I would suggest going for the BSN degree. I would consider becoming a CNA though. The best way to learn in my opinion is to start from the bottom and work your way up. That's what I have been doing the past few years. Started as a CNA, then went to school for my ADN, and now I am working on my BSN, while currently working in an outpatient practice.

MyMystudentRN · May 15, 2012

Believe me you WANT to get experience as a CNA before putting all that time and effort into a BSN program. Most BSN program is super hard and expensive to get in and im sure it'll be very hard for you to get in based on your background or wants. The ADN im applying to wants you to have a CNA before applying to the program and bothe BSN and ADN programs are based on point systems and you get more points for having your CNA/LVN/EMT your AA or higher degree, volunteer experience, and hours worked as a medical professional... so do your homework and research the schools you would like to attend and maybe volunteer in a hospital instead of getting your CNA and see for yourself how nurses (RNs/LVNs) and techs (CNA/PCT/sitters) work and ask yourself if you can see yourself doing the same.

Katieerin · Feb 17, 2013

I am going to be honest with you, I haven't yet read all the other posts btw. I always wanted to be a nurse and help people but I had a misconception that nurses don't wipe butt and the like. Even though I was surrounded by nurses growing up. I thought only CNA's wipe butt and do the dirty work. Well I am learning that nurses do a little bit of all of it. I do not want to be a CNA either nor an LPN. I want to be an RN. I will not purposely go and get a CNA licensure just for the benefit of having it, however I am going to either volunteer or join the summer internship program to get a leg up which is basically being a CNA/preceptorship. ( this is aimed at the OP) If you want to be a nurse get over the dirty work aspect because as a nurse you will deal with poop, mucus, blood, pee, vomit and every other type of bodily fluid. That is my plan as well by the way. I am a pre-nursing student taking me pre-reqs now I will be accepted to the nursing program for ADN. I will get a job at the local hospital with whom I plan on doing the summer internship my senior year. then after a year or so of hopefully working in med-surg ( not my ideal unit but you gain A LOT of experience in all areas) I will continue on to get my BSN. I do not want to stop there however. I want to continue on to get my MSN and hopefully one day my DNP.

Katieerin · Feb 17, 2013

P.S. If CNA isn't up your ally consider volunteer work in the hospital setting ESPECIALLY being in Jr. High. When I was a teenager I volunteered at the red cross ( amazing experience) I also volunteered at the local hospital ( also amazing experience) and any time blood fairs came around I volunteered to assist the donors and the nurses. I would get supplies they needed, I would hand out juice and crackers, anything they needed me to do. Don't just think of volunteering in the summer either. If your grades are good consider it year around. You will be surprised how enjoyable it is and how much you will learn.