Texas biology grad looking into Nursing!

[kevan716]

Hi there!

I just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's of Science in Neurobiology, but now I am wanting to attend nursing school to get my BSN. The goal is to complete a program as quickly as possible and for as little as possible since I racked up a lot of student debt from my 3.5 years at UT and would like to start paying them off as quickly as possible! I was wondering if y'all could recommend any programs and what types of accreditation I should look for when considering a program? I am currently taking the pre-requisites Microbiology and A&P 1 and 2 (all with labs) at the local community college since they were not a part of my first degree, but are almost always required for admission for nursing programs. Any input is greatly appreciated!!

[Anonymous1257]

Have you looked into UT's Aemsn program? 2 1/2 to 3 years total, but you get your RN in 1 year and can work for the remainder of the program.

[MKIVSupraRN]

I know a girl who got her BSN, disliked it and went back to school for neurobiology.... So weird. You're like her exact opposite twin lol.

Anywho... Back to your post...you more than likely have almost all the pre-req sciences to just do a BSN program. You want the fastest? Find an accelerated BSN program in your state, their like 16 months I think or 18.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Have you even attempted to find employment with your current degree? I'm just wondering why you want to jump right into nursing - is it to prolong student-hood a bit longer? It may be wiser to try to pare down some of that student loan debt before accumulating even more.

Nursing education is a process that must include the same core content no matter how 'fast' it is. A new grad with an MSN is no more qualified for entry level positions than their BSN new grad colleagues who are competing for the same jobs. In fact, many hiring managers (like those in my organization) actively avoid hiring entry-level MSNs because of prior problems with them. So you may want to do some investigation before committing to this type of program. An "accelerated" program of any sort will be more expensive than a generic one because they simply cost more to run. So - that shorter program may actually end up costing more than a generic one. A slower paced program would also enable you to work while you're in progress.... usually not possible in an accelerated one.

You didn't indicate your GPA - most accelerated programs utilize cumulative GPA as well as standardized test scores for admission criteria. The 'best' schools are also the most competitive. Of course, it may vary depending on the particular cohort, but it's not unusual for the lowest GPA of admitted students to be ~3.8. A good general rule of thumb - the ease of admission is inversely correlated to the quality of the program. You can check HERE for approved (accredited) RN programs and their NCLEX pass results.

Best of luck to you.