Start ADN now or finish BA first?

[PowerliftingLady]

I am hoping to become a registered nurse on the fastest track possible. There is a local private school offers a eighteen month associates degree I could potentially start in January. The major drawbacks are the tuition and that it is not a bachelors program. They also offer a twelve month second degree BSN program. As do some of the less expensive public Univerisites.

Rather than starting from scratch in the ADN program this January, I think I can finish my BA in education through an online degree completion program. I should be able to do this on quite a budget as I think I can get a few scholarships and the tuition is low. I would only have to complete two science classes in person that are not part of the BA degree.

Then I could pursue second degree BSN programs. Even if I choose the private school, the tuition would be less, a lot less if I went through a public university.

The drawbacks are that the public university is very competitive and applications have to be done several months in advanced. So there might be a six month gap between when I finish my BA and when I can start a BSN. At the private school, I think I would be able to finish a BSN around the same time as I would if I started the ASN program now. Potentially it would take three months longe because of term starts and transcripts etc. My short term goal is to become a nurse as quickly as possible, my long term goal is to work at the VA or as a civilian on a military base.

[AliNajaCat]

I understand your hurry to get it done. However, if you can, please imagine yourself eight years from now. Looking back, how much difference does that six months make, when you're in a much better position professionally? Not too darn much, right? And that "private school" with high tuition? You can find many, many, many threads here cautioning potential students to beware of those. BEGGING them to beware of those.

Also consider that more and more employers are learning to be wary of those programs and prefer people who went to real schools like your public university. ALSO consider that you may very well want to pursue advanced education after a few years in your field...and the admissions folks for real programs (not "private online" mills) will definitely consider where and how you got your first professional nursing degree.

You write well and clearly have a head for making plans. Therefore I wouldn't worry too much about competitive admissions; get good grades and get the best education you can.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Can you clarify what you are referring to as "Private schools"? Do you mean commercial (for profit, investor owned)? FYI, the trem private is generally used to denote traditional, non-tax supported schools - pretty much anything except state universities and community colleges.

If this is the case (private = commercial) the admission process will certainly be easier because their reason for existence is to generate income for their investors & more students=more profit. However, all schools must also meet the same outcome criteria (NCLEX pass rate) so attending an 'easy' school may not be the wisest choice if they have opened the doors to lesser qualified students.

This situation may be changing very soon. ACICS - the "accreditation" agency used by a great deal of for-profit schools has been essentially shut down by the US Department of Education. You can Google to find out specifics, but this has come about as a result of their shady practices. Schools have 18 months to become accredited by another approved agency. Shady schools will not be able to do this, so their access to Federal funding (grants, student aid) will cease at that time. Since most of them derive 80% of their revenue from the Feds, they will be forced to close. In the meantime, it's buyer beware....

[PowerliftingLady]

Thank you for your replies. The more I think about it the more I feel going back to school to complete a BA and do some sciences again would best prepare me for a nursing program. Although I do want to complete my degree as soon as possible and start working, I feel I should take the warnings about private for profit schools to heart. The admissions reps keep calling and emailing sounding more and more like salesmen! I am a bit apprehensive about the competitive nature of the second degree BSN program and all the less competitive programs have years long wait lists. Perhaps spending a term at community college completing an emergency med tech or nurses aide course would help me get a job in a hospital to alleviate my need to work while I pursue school more slowly.

[misspy]

You plan sounds alot like what im doing. I decided id earn a bachelors then go into a accelerated nursing program. Finishing the bachelors first actually requires alot of attention on the bachelors and more away from pursing nursing school.

I wasnt able to even do prerequisites as planned on order to maintain a good g.p.a.

Its very confusing for me now that im almost finished and have no insite on what my next steps should be.

I believe if you are motivated and manageable with time, it may work.