Straight to BSN or experience first?

[idnurse2b]

I am a 4th semester student graduating in December (theoretically, haha) with my Associate of Science in Nursing. I was just accepted into an RN to BSN online program at a state university to start January 16th. Does anyone have an opinion or have you had an experience with whether it is better to gain some experience before starting a BSN program or if it's best to just jump in?

My concerns about starting right away, are that I won't know as much as an RN who has been practicing for a while and that maybe the curriculum is designed for RNs who have experience.

My concerns about waiting are that I will loose momentum and motivation after working for a while and I won't desire to go back to school or I will have a hard time getting back into "student mode".

Any comments would be appreciated :)

[llg, PhD, RN]

What is typical of the school you'll be attending? If their typical student has lots of experience, then your will probably be better off if you get some experience before starting that program. Their classes, assignments, etc. might be designed for the students to incorporate their experiences into their coursework -- and you may have trouble with them if you don't have any experience to draw upon. Your work just won't be as sophisticated as that of your classmates and that will put you at a disadvantage.

However, if it is common for their classes to include students with no experience, then it's less likely that your lack of experience will be a problem. If LOTS of students in that program have no experience, then your work will be on the same level as everybody else's.

So which is it? What are the facts about the program? I think you need that information before you can make an informed decision.