Starting over in nursing

Check out an accelerated RN program. Most are 16-24 months in duration.

For example:

Accelerated Program - Curriculum

Students who already have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college are able to complete a second major in nursing in only 4 consecutive semesters including 12 weeks in the summer. The nursing major consists of 63 credits and is identical to the Basic Program, only compressed. This ambitious accelerated program is intended to attract people with strong academic backgrounds and rich life experience.

The nursing curriculum is designed to provide opportunities for the student to develop a sound theoretical and clinical foundation for the practice of professional nursing. The graduate is prepared for a variety of roles in the community, including the responsibility for health promotion; prevention of disease; and caring for the sick in the community, the hospital and the home. An understanding of people and how they adapt to the environment is essential to the provision of these health-care services.

Schedule of Courses Required for the Nursing Major

First Semester

• 110 Nursing Perspectives (1) (waived for ANP students)
  
• 220 Foundations in Nursing Science (4)
  
• 252 Altered Human Functioning (3)
  
• 253 Psychomotor Strategies in Nursing I (4)
  
• 260 Pharmacology for Nursing Practice (2)
  
• 353 Psychomotor Strategies in Nursing II (1)

Second Semester

• 340 Gerontological Nursing (2)
  
• 341 Gerontological Clinical (3)
  
• 350 Altered Physiologic Mode Nursing I (3)
  
• 351 Altered Physiologic Mode Clinical I (3)
  
• 440 Mental Health Nursing (2)
  
• 441 Mental Health Clinical (3)

Third Semester (Summer Session)

• 360 Childbearing Family Nursing (2)
  
• 361 Childbearing Family Clinical (3)
  
• 380 Child Health Nursing (2)
  
• 381 Child Health Clinical (3)
  
• 460 Community Health Nursing (2) (web-enhanced)
  
• 461 Community Health Clinical (4)

Fourth Semester

• 410 Nursing Perspectives of Leadership and Management (2) (web-enhanced course)
  
• 430 Nursing Research (2) (online course)
  
• 450 Altered Physiologic Mode Nursing II (3)
  
• 451 Altered Physiologic Mode Clinical II (4)
  
• 470 Nursing Synthesis Seminar (1)
  
• 471 Nursing Synthesis Clinical (4)

http://ahn.mnsu.edu/nursing/undergraduate/accelerated/curriculum.html

Whichever program(s) you apply to review the prerequisites (From my program).

Prerequisites

• * ENG 101 English Composition (4)
  
• * PSYC 101 Psychology (4)
  
• * SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
  
• * BIOL 220 Human Anatomy (4)
  
• ^ BIOL 230 Human Physiology (4)
  
• ^ BIOL 270 Microbiology (4)
  
• ^ CHEM 111 Chemistry of Life Processes (5) or (Biochemistry from another institution)
  
• KSP 235 Human Development (3)
  
• FCS 240 Nutrition I (3)
  
• PSYCH 455 Abnormal Psychology (4)

* These courses must be completed prior to submitting an application for admission to the School of Nursing.

^ Two of these three natural science courses must be completed prior to submitting an application for admission to the School of Nursing. The third course must be completed prior to enrolling in nursing courses.

http://ahn.mnsu.edu/nursing/undergraduate/accelerated/admission.html

Schools usually calculate prerequisite GPA as their admission average screen.

Plan to apply to multiple programs...

Don't discount ADN programs...

Do you have A/P, microbiology and chemistry?

I have a BA in Psych and I'm starting an accelerated BSN program at University of Florida next month. Accelerated programs take anywhere from a year to a year and a half and are for people who already have a bachelors, so I think that would be your best bet.

Hey there,

Just wanted to provide another option for you...

I also graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and am now in a traditional 4 yr BSN program. However, due to all of my other credits transferring, the program will take a total of 3 yrs (Prereqs took under 1 yr and a little over 2 yrs for core curriculum).

I thought hard about going through the accelerated program but knew I had to work full-time and that the pace of the program would be way too much for me to handle. All in all, going through the traditional BSN program doesn't take much longer than the accelerated route and I actually have more time (although not much b/c I also work FT) to actually learn the material versus racing through it.

In the end, it's all about what suits you best.

Good luck!

Since the above poster added a different prospective I will add one too...

I have a BA in Soc., but worked in Psych. I choose the ADN route. With everything said and done it will have taken me 3 years to be a RN.

However, in this time frame I will have worked and paid cash for school as well as have taken all of the BSN courses (pre-reqs and co-reqs) I can take to complete a RN-BSN program within a year of graduation. Again, working and paying cash.

I have been both poor and broke in the past neither feels very good. I made the decision to go this route, which is not for everyone, because I already have student loans from prior degrees. Therefore, if I add an Accelerated Program on top of my current loans, it will make me a very unhappy nurse because I will be BROKE.

Nurses where I live make on average $60,000/year in the hospital and less then that outside. Student loan debt more then my annual salary equals broke (i.e. living pay-check-to-pay-check if I am lucky)! GL!