Well I have to make a choice?

MBrickle · Feb 7, 2006

depends on what you want to do. If you just want to be a nurse, and i dont mean "just" as in thats not good enough, but if nursing is enough to satisfy you then do the AA. Personally, I am in the same situation. What it comes down to for me is this...if I get my AA, it will take less time, but also is ridiculously cheap. I will be spending only a few thousand over my time getting the AA than if I got my Accelerated BSN (i have a BS already). All the accelerated programs in my state (MA) are very very expensive. When it comes to paying literally 25,000-32,000/yr for the cheapest program, or paying about 6,000-7,000 over the two years then I choose that. I plan to enter a CRNA program in the future and I have located programs in my area that do not require a BSN. Worse case scenario, I have to spend another year getting a BSN in the future. Big whoop. I still have debt from college the last thing i want is to take out more money. For me, money is the biggest factor, esp. when whether you have a AA or BSN does not affect your pay too much.

sdmommie · Feb 9, 2006

I say go for your BSN. One year extra year will go by really fast anyway. It'll be harder to balance family (husband and kids), work, and school later on. Of course, I'm assuming that you don't have a husband or kids.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Feb 9, 2006

I say BSN.

You can take student loans for it, and your job, combined w/ your husband's will make for a quick repayment of those loans.

Say you went the ASN/ADN route and wanted to go back later. Later, your kids will be in all kinds of extra-curriculars. Now is the time to go for the hat trick, before you become a 'soccer mom' in the true sense of the word. Because you will go from soccer mom to paying for their colleges instead of more of your own. You might find that it is close to 20 yrs before you have the time and resources to do what you can do, now.

Talk with your husband about it. I'm a very spiritual person. I believe that opportunities happen for a reason. Before I turned my back on THIS opportunity, I would pray and think long and hard about WHY this opportunity was opened up for you, and what you would be losing by turning it down.

Yes, the ADN/ASN program is also an opportunity. But when two doors open and one has the potential for more reward, even if it requires more work, me personally: I take the road less traveled - and it has made all the difference (look below, you have to know I'm a R. Frost fan).

BSN opens more doors to your future. I personally believe that the day is coming when BSN will be significantly paid more (and I'm an ADN that has a LONG history on this site of bashing the BSN vs. ADN debate).

It's not just about management. It's about NP, teaching if you desire, CRNA or other schooling down the road.

It's also about personal fulfillment. You can't tell me that a Bach degree on your wall won't mean more to you.

You can't just look at what it might cost. You have to also look at what you might gain.

~faith,

Timothy.