Still Seeking Advice on route to take

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi, I am a junior level at university with 80 units of coursework and no (science/chem) nursing pre-reqs done yet. Should I finish a BS in public health (which is the field I want to pursue as a nurse) then do an entry level MSN program. Or start from scratch and do nursing pre-reqs now and apply to ADN's and BSN's. I know that I want to get a BSN, and many people have advised me to get the BSN my first time around.

I want to do my nursing pre-reqs at a community college as its cheaper, but most BSN programs' pre-reqs are pretty individualized. I want to eventually get my masters. What would this be the best way?

Im kind of stuck. Also, I need to raise my GPA but I suppose I can do that via my PH degree and pre-reqs if this is what I choose.

When I decided I wanted to be a nurse, I was halfway through a B.S. in Human Biology program. I wanted to get my GPA up and finish nursing prereqs, so I decided to finish the program. Now I'm enrolled in an accelerated BSN program for students with a non-nursing bachelor's (lasting 12 months). I didn't want to do the direct entry MSN program because I heard from a few nurses that they often don't get the same amount of respect and responsibility that nurses who had a BSN first get. The direct entry MSN programs don't give students the same amount of clinical experience that BSN-MSN students get. The biology degree really helped me when I had to take A&P, Micro, and other core nursing classes.

I may be wrong, but my perception is that you'd have a better chance of getting into a program that is tailored to those who already have a Bachelor's degree. You'd still need the science prereq's at some point.

Might be a good idea to sit down with a counselor who is familiar with the nursing programs you're interested in.

I heard the same thing. There aren't many applicants for second degree BSN programs, and more students are accepted with lower GPAs.

sounds good fellow students!! I have decided on this route. I will look into programs for BSN and MSN :)

Maximize your options. Look into all available programs in your area. Your screen name suggests the SF Bay area. All nursing programs in this area are extremely competitive so it would be in your best interest to look into all options rather than focus on one. Also agree that you should talk to an advisor in the nursing department. I would start with the local MSN programs such as UCSF or, I believe, Samuel Merritt. The advisor can point out the advantages and chances involved with each program. Good luck.

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