To everyone who is in an Associates program

MelH · Apr 8, 2003

I am in the associate degree program and plan on doing just that! Working part time (having more kids too, i have 1 now) then pursuing my bsn. It may take me a while but it will happen!

Good luck to all!

fnimat1 · Apr 8, 2003

Originally posted by New CCU RN
What are your long term goals? Do you want to go for an advanced practice role or management or do you anticipate working as an RN for a while.

If you want to work as an RN in virually any setting ... an AS qualifies you for this.

If you plan on going to school to be an NP, CRNA, or CNM or any type of management position you are gonna need the BS.

Don't know what your plans are, but keep in mind that the AS degree will qualify you to get any RN position. Some places things such as case management may ask for the BSN.

If you do decide that the BSN is what you want, you may want to at least start out working full time. It is hard to orient as a new graduate and not be full time. Many places will request that you work full time during the orientation process. Also, it takes less time for you to catch on if you are spending 36-40 hrs there vs 20.

There are many options to getting your BSN also. You can do it part time, full time, online. Good luck to ya.

I do want to become a Nurse Practitioner....maybe a Pediatric N.P. or something in Maternal/Fetal Health....I still haven't decided yet. I do know that I have to have my M.S.N. Sometimes though I wonder if I can really do this. Being married and a mother to 4 children...is this impossible???....lol. Of course I know it's not...but it's always in the back of miy mind.

Fatima

fnimat1 · Apr 8, 2003

Originally posted by jdomep
I am also a mother of 4 in a ADN program. I just want to make it through this semester - then decide :) LOL

Actually after I finish - I was planning on taking the NCLEX and working very part rime if possible (for experience ) I would like to eventually get my MSN - I already have a BS and found a similar program as mentioned above- but we'll see....

Email me any time.

Julie, check your e-mail.

Fatima

fnimat1 · Apr 8, 2003

Originally posted by Nessa1982
i'm currently a first semester ADN student who is 20 yo (21 on 4/12!!) so I shoud be done with my ADN by the time I'm 22 (and some change). I think I would like to take 1 semester off before I go for my BSN because I've been in school full time since HS. Or maybe Ill work full time and go to school part time (which will aslo seem backwards becuase usually I do school full time & work part time). It all kinda depends on my family and how long I can take thier craziness for (living with parents & 2 siblings in a house that is Waaay to small).

Nessa,

You are still very young. Take advice from a 30 yr. old wife and mother of 4..."Keep going and don't stop!!!!"...lol... If you don't have any children....no other responsiblilty but to go to school....you can go straight to the top!!! Good Luck and Thanks for responding to my post.

Fatima (sitting her trying to remember what I was doing when I was 20....oh I remember now....I was engaged and getting ready to get married....lol)

SirJohnny · Apr 8, 2003

fnimat1:

- I am 39 yrs old - full time computer programmer (MS-Comp Sci), and will be starting ASN program at St. Joseph's School of Nursing next June (2004).

- I will be flying every other weekend (for 2 yrs) from Indiana to New York (as this was the only program in USA I could find that had weekend clinicals).

- If I don't drop dead, I plan on getting ASN, then work for a year in nursing and start a BSN program (part time).

- Not sure if I can combine the two careers (computer science) and (nursing).

- Eventually, I hope to go for CRNA. That's my super long-term goal. A long way off - but figure nothing else to do.

-----

- If nothing else. I may give up the CS career and do the travel nurse thing. And then just do my BSN on-line.

John Coxey

([email protected])

BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN · Apr 8, 2003

Hey Fatima!

The school I'm attending (or will be starting this summer:) ) has the BSN program all on-line. In fact, I don't think you can get your BSN from them w/out going thru their ASN program first. You may want to look into something like that.

I'm planning on getting my ASN and working for 6 months to a year and then going back for my BSN (on-line). This works well for me for a couple of reasons. 1) I can start working and bring in money - I'm currently working part-time and believe me, the Army does not pay my hubby enough to support us all - and 2) even if the Army moves us, I can still get my BSN from the same school I will get my ASN from.

Let me know how it goes.

LuvaNurse04 · Apr 9, 2003

Hi Fatima!

I hope your new addition is doing just fine. Like nptoobee, I also have a B.S. In Community Health and now working on my Associates. I would like to continue school right away, but I want to take advantage of tuition reimbursement as well. I'm not sure if I will do a RN-MSN program, there are a few here in New York, or a RN-BSN, but I'm looking into it. Right now, I'm concentrating on passing my current class, so I can be eligible to take the NCLEX-PN. This way, I can at least work per diem as an LPN, make extra money, gain experience, and get through my last semester in the fall!

Disablednurse · Apr 9, 2003

Please get all that you can while you are still young enough to do it without too much stress. When I graduated from High school, I had a man, friend of my family, that offered me a 4 year scholarship to nursing school. In my young ignorance, I turned it down because I was just 17 and had never been away from home. I took the LPN course and started working at age 18. I never took the opportunity to take pre reqs for further education. After working for six years, I was able to get in the ADN program because I was befriended by one of the nursing instructors at our local satallite campus in the second class of the ADN program at this campus. I finished the ADN program, started working, and got married. Found out that to get the BSN degree, I would have to take algebra, calculus and chemistry. Decided then that I was all I wanted to be. I have been the DON, charge nurse, ADON, MDS nurse and spent too much time doing bedside nursing thinking that I was invincible and would last forever. I found out differentlly. Now I am disabled and no longer to work as a nurse or anything else. Hindsight is 20/20. Wish I had taken that scholarship, but I didn't. Now I encourage everyone to get what you can as young as you can. Never turn down anything offered to you to help and thank God for tuition reimbursements. Good Luck to all of you.

Nurse Izzy · Apr 9, 2003

I'm in an ADN program now. I hold a Bachelor's in German/International Trade and would have been able to apply most of my credits towards the BSN program nearby. I chose not to because of immediate cost - the ADN is $74/credit hour and the BSN is $176/credit hour. I do plan on going back, however, to finish my BSN and then on to my Masters - my ultimate goal is NP! Otherwise, I wouldn't go back. Around here, both ADNs and BSNs receive the same pay. The only differentiation is if you want to move on up to Nurse Management - something for which I have NO desire!

Belgndogs · Apr 11, 2003

I am currently taking pre-req's and hope to start in the fall of '03 in the ADN program. I looked into trying to get into the Univ. of WA since my grades are good enough, but was told by an advisor that I probably wouldn't get in since I already have a B.A and they 'don't like handing out second baccalaureates.' The good news though is that since I do already have that B.A. I can go straight into the MSN program.

SirJohnny · Apr 11, 2003

Belgndogs:

- "Can't get into program because they don't like handing out second Bacculaureates."

- What a bunch of crock.

- They are a business. Period!!! They want your $$$. The fact that you have a BS degree means you will probably stick around and complete another one. Meaning - you will stick out the program - and thus make the college more $$$ than someone who drops out.

- If this advisor really said this to you - then go see someone else at the University. Personally, I doubt your story.

John Coxey

([email protected])

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Apr 11, 2003

Originally posted by Belgndogs
I am currently taking pre-req's and hope to start in the fall of '03 in the ADN program. I looked into trying to get into the Univ. of WA since my grades are good enough, but was told by an advisor that I probably wouldn't get in since I already have a B.A and they 'don't like handing out second baccalaureates.' The good news though is that since I do already have that B.A. I can go straight into the MSN program.

I know a LOT of people who have Bachelors degrees who are getting a BSN. If they are telling you that he was just a bad advisor (they are in every school it seems). They dont "hand out" degrees, its more money for the school.

Marilyn