I am a new RN, graduated from one of the toughest nursing programs in the country.
I was lucky enough to land a job in this economy, even better in the department that I love the most!
Life is great, seriously..What could go wrong?!
Its another day in nursing orientation, a handful of us new nurses listening to lectures, performing skills, participating in work shops. FUN!
One day, for the head to toe assessment, a nursing instructor from a private school sits in with her clinical group to listen to the head to toe lecture.
She starts off by saying..
Congratulations you all have jobs!!!
Its because you all have your bachelors... be sure to tell that to all your friends who have their associates.
I was the only one in the group with an associates in nursing.
So I said, I have an associates, and last I checked I have a job.
I SOOOOOOOOO wanted to go on.
I wanted to ask her, with a genuinely dumb look on my face..
The nurses with their bachelors, do they take a different board exam from those associate nurses?
Wait for a response, then come back with EXACTLYYYYY!
I felt about 2 inches tall, but whatever. The school I went to had 1500 applicants, and I was the lucky person to be included in the 150 to get accepted ...of those 150, i was the lucky 70 to graduate on time (we had 90 something at pinning but we had about a dozen of LPNs and the rest were students who had to repeat a course)
Needless to say, I felt small. Was unable to concentrate, but I reminded myself of the little things..and began to feel better.
No student loans to pay back!! So my first paycheck, Im going to blow it and go shopping!!!
I am only making a whopping...drum roll please...50 cents less per hour than those with a higher degree.
I saved a ton of money by taking the NCLEX once and passing it on the first try, with 75 questions baby!
I am going back for my bachelors, my masters even (i would love to have that clinical instructor work for me one day) this time the place I work for is going to reimburse me for my tuition.
This post is not an invitation to flame and debate some more on why one is "better" than the other
This was an opportunity to share my experience, hopefully lift the spirits of someone who had a similar story.
I'm not sure - that's why I'm asking. What pre-reqs did you or do you have to take for an AS degree? Or, to make it simpler, how many credit hours? I believe I took around 60 credit hours in core classes (history 1, history 2, prob and stat, anat 1, anat 2, micro, psych, sociology, humanities, etc, etc). Do you not have to take all those?
oh - and even with me having all those classes and having a BS in another field there's NO WAY to get around spending two years to complete the actual nursing courses. So, assuming you can do all the pre-reqs in one year (which i still don't see how you can) then you'd spend 2 years taking nursing courses. So, the benefit of getting an AS is to save a year- or one semester for most people?
Wow than you have to be rich then,cause the last time I check getting your BSN is much more expensive.
I don't know about that. I've certainly seen some very expensive diploma and ADN programs - some at schools with awful reputations no less. I've also seen some very expensive BSN programs, but I've also seen very reasonable BSN programs at state schools. All in all, you have to shop around.
The year of prereqs I did were what I needed for either my AS or my BS. The BS program I was hoping to gain entrance to (and did) was a three year program....so, same pre-reqs as the ADN programs here.
So, your AS program required 60 credit hours as prerequisites?
I didn't do an AS program. I have a BS in education, but I'm going back to school to be a RN. Obviously, I was looking for the fastest track possible since I've already spent 4 years in school and have loans to repay. The fastest way for me (only because I have a BS already) is an accelerated 18 month program. Otherwise, it's a 2 year program - that's with having all the pre-reqs. That's why I can't see what the benefit would be other than knocking off one semester to get an AS if you start the nursing program from the beginning.
I didn't do an AS program. I have a BS in education, but I'm going back to school to be a RN. Obviously, I was looking for the fastest track possible since I've already spent 4 years in school and have loans to repay. The fastest way for me (only because I have a BS already) is an accelerated 18 month program. Otherwise, it's a 2 year program - that's with having all the pre-reqs. That's why I can't see what the benefit would be other than knocking off one semester to get an AS if you start the nursing program from the beginning.
Sorry, I don't think I understand what you're trying to get across.
There are plenty of folks in my program (a very competative 3 year BS program) who have bachelor degrees in other areas, a couple have masters degrees in other disciplines. So, finding the "fastest track possible" isn't obvious because of your prior degree. Many folks consider the length of the program, but are more foccussed on the education they'll receive from program to program when choosing where to apply.
Yes, an ADN program is shorter than a traditional BS program, yes an accelerated BS program is shorter than a traditional BS program.
Sorry, I don't think I understand what you're trying to get across.
There are plenty of folks in my program (a very competative 3 year BS program) who have bachelor degrees in other areas, a couple have masters degrees in other disciplines. So, finding the "fastest track possible" isn't obvious because of your prior degree. Many folks consider the length of the program, but are more foccussed on the education they'll receive from program to program when choosing where to apply.
Yes, an ADN program is shorter than a traditional BS program, yes an accelerated BS program is shorter than a traditional BS program.
Not sure of your point past this....
my point is that if you DO have a degree already, it is NOT faster to get an AS than it is to get a BS due to the fact that the nursing courses build upon each other. i've looked into it and here is a copy from the email the director of the AS program sent to me:
"Many of the students that apply to and begin our program have all of their core non-nursing classes completed. If a student is accepted, then it will take them four semesters (2 years - fall, spring, fall, spring) to complete the degree."
so, if you HAVE a degree and it takes 2 years to get the AS, it would DEFINITELY take someone who does NOT have a degree 2 years as well.
so, the question is - if it takes 2 years (or a year and a half) to complete your core classes and another 2 years to complete your nursing class for an AS - what's the point in not going for the BSN besides saving ONE semester? is there one?
btw, i'm certain the reason the people with a BS or BA are doing the BSN program is because it takes the same amount of time as the AS. it would be silly not to.
Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.
Maybe I missed something, as I haven't read every single post in this thread, but where the **** did anyone state that you should get an ADN if you already have a BS in another area? I don't see anyone arguing that those with BS's should go the ADN route instead of going Accelerated BSN. That would just be stupid.
However, if you don't already have a BS and don't have a whole lot of Gen Ed out of the way, and you want to get into nursing fast, ADN is the way to go.
A higher level of education is always better. However, as long as the ADN option remains available, it is a perfectly acceptable method to get into the field quickly.
Why is there even an argument over this? It depends on your personal goals and what the market in your area will hold. One should not look down on others because they took a legitimate route into the profession that was appropriate for their needs.
Maybe I missed something, as I haven't read every single post in this thread, but where the **** did anyone state that you should get an ADN if you already have a BS in another area? I don't see anyone arguing that those with BS's should go the ADN route instead of going accelerated BSN. That would just be stupid.
However, if you don't already have a BS and don't have a whole lot of Gen Ed out of the way, and you want to get into nursing fast, ADN is the way to go.
A higher level of education is always better. However, as long as the ADN option remains available, it is a perfectly acceptable method to get into the field quickly.
Why is there even an argument over this? It depends on your personal goals and what the market in your area will hold. One should not look down on others because they took a legitimate route into the profession that was appropriate for their needs.
nobody is looking down on anyone, but as you said, you haven't read the thread to see my inital question which was...
IF you have NO degree and are starting from square ONE - what is the benefit of getting an AS over a BSN other than saving a semester? you can't be a RN in two years flat - more like 3.5 with an AS - so if you can do ONE more semester and have a BSN, it would make sense to me to do that. is there another reason?
my point is that if you DO have a degree already, it is NOT faster to get an AS than it is to get a BS due to the fact that the nursing courses build upon each other. i've looked into it and here is a copy from the email the director of the AS program sent to me:
"Many of the students that apply to and begin our program have all of their core non-nursing classes completed. If a student is accepted, then it will take them four semesters (2 years - fall, spring, fall, spring) to complete the degree."
so, if you HAVE a degree and it takes 2 years to get the AS, it would DEFINITELY take someone who does NOT have a degree 2 years as well.
so, the question is - if it takes 2 years (or a year and a half) to complete your core classes and another 2 years to complete your nursing class for an AS - what's the point in not going for the BSN besides saving ONE semester? is there one?
btw, i'm certain the reason the people with a BS or BA are doing the BSN program is because it takes the same amount of time as the AS. it would be silly not to.
I'm not sure who was trying to dispute that an accelerated BS program is quicker than an ADN program. That's just a given fact.
I'm not sure who was trying to dispute that an accelerated BS program is quicker than an ADN program. That's just a given fact.
"So, finding the "fastest track possible" isn't obvious because of your prior degree. Many folks consider the length of the program, but are more foccussed on the education they'll receive from program to program when choosing where to apply."
the accelerated program is only one semester shorter, but obviously a BSN would be more education.
nobody is looking down on anyone, but as you said, you haven't read the thread to see my inital question which was...
IF you have NO degree and are starting from square ONE - what is the benefit of getting an AS over a BSN other than saving a semester? you can't be a RN in two years flat - more like 3.5 with an AS - so if you can do ONE more semester and have a BSN, it would make sense to me to do that. is there another reason?
It's more like 3 (one year for prereqs and two years of the program). There's at least one year difference of coursework between the two degrees. For many programs there are two year's difference in coursework.
It's more like 3 (one year for prereqs and two years of the program). There's at least one year difference of coursework between the two degrees. For many programs there are two year's difference in coursework.
this is what i don't believe. is there a person here that can say they are a RN and got their RN in two years flat? i don't think so.
"So, finding the "fastest track possible" isn't obvious because of your prior degree. Many folks consider the length of the program, but are more foccussed on the education they'll receive from program to program when choosing where to apply."
the accelerated program is only one semester shorter, but obviously a BSN would be more education.
You quoted my two comments. I never said that the Accelerated program wasn't faster.
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oh - and even with me having all those classes and having a BS in another field there's NO WAY to get around spending two years to complete the actual nursing courses. So, assuming you can do all the pre-reqs in one year (which i still don't see how you can) then you'd spend 2 years taking nursing courses. So, the benefit of getting an AS is to save a year- or one semester for most people?