What was your ABSN program like? Was it hard?

Published

Wondering if the ABSN program is hard as they say. I know nothing is easy. What were your experiences and any downtime? 
 

thanks! 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

Mine was exhausting but certainly doable.  I had a 1.5 hour commute each way on normal days without additional traffic so that added some stress.  I started in January, so my first break over 4 days long wasn't until December and I graduated in May.  We literally would take finals on M,T, W have Th and Fri off and start the next semester. I was always listening to or reading something for school.  I don't have small children at home and my husband is self sufficient and took care of all the household chores.  We found time to spend together and I was able to schedule time for things (no such thing as pop up events).  I worked as a server 1 or 2 shifts per week.  As long as it was planned and I knew what was coming, I didn't having a problem fitting anything in.  I did have a clinical that was over 2 hours from my house and that sucked a lot but again - I just had to plan.  Keeping my technology charged so I could listen in the car and adjusting to using digital books so that I could listen and drive was imperative for me.  Eventually you get used to Siri's mispronunciation of words and figure out what she is trying to say.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
1 hour ago, bitter_betsy said:

Mine was exhausting but certainly doable.  I had a 1.5 hour commute each way on normal days without additional traffic so that added some stress.  I started in January, so my first break over 4 days long wasn't until December and I graduated in May.  We literally would take finals on M,T, W have Th and Fri off and start the next semester. I was always listening to or reading something for school.  I don't have small children at home and my husband is self sufficient and took care of all the household chores.  We found time to spend together and I was able to schedule time for things (no such thing as pop up events).  I worked as a server 1 or 2 shifts per week.  As long as it was planned and I knew what was coming, I didn't having a problem fitting anything in.  I did have a clinical that was over 2 hours from my house and that sucked a lot but again - I just had to plan.  Keeping my technology charged so I could listen in the car and adjusting to using digital books so that I could listen and drive was imperative for me.  Eventually you get used to Siri's mispronunciation of words and figure out what she is trying to say.

Oh WOW!, thank you! How much did you have to study? Or free time?
and for your Friday days (which were off) did you study then? I wondering if I get in a program, can I take a study day break! 
 

thanks! 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

They told us if we ever got a Friday off we were lucky.  I studied every day but I have a kid in college so going out on the weekends isn't my style either.  I felt like no matter what - there wasn't enough time to study.  There were plenty of people in our class that found time to enjoy their weekend.  I can't speak to their grades, but the majority passed (I think we only lost 8 from our cohort in total and 2 were medical).  We had to get a 95 in order to get an A and I only received 1 grade lower than a 90 (it was Med Surg and it was a rough semester and I had a 96 going into the final and didn't study because my mind was toast).  The problem is that there are usually only 3-4 tests.  You bomb one and then you have to work your butt off to stay afloat.  Everything builds on the thing before.  If you don't study enough this week and you don't totally understand, you won't understand anything afterwards either.  The difference in nursing school is you don't study to regurgitate.  You MUST understand the principles and how to apply them or you will fail.  Aside from dosage calc there isn't a lot of rote memorization. There always seems to be plenty of homework every week - even if it isn't studying for a test.  Honestly - test weeks were the easiest because there wasn't a lot of other work to juggle.

You can make time for a life and in fact you need to.  You can't study all the time.  You just have to figure out how to study efficiently.  Sleep helps also.

I won't even pretend that I didn't study up until the moment we had to take the test.  I would sit in the hallway with earplugs and literally study until it was time.  I always felt unprepared although my grades said otherwise.  It really just depends on your curriculum and how well you want to learn it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

My analogy is driving down the highway with the accelerator pedal stuck to the floor. It is a quick trip, but a white knuckle ride the entire trip.

By the time you are done, you are physically and emotionally exhausted, but it was worth it in the end. I feel I had a better education than if I had gone through the traditional nursing school path.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.
41 minutes ago, NICU Guy said:

My analogy is driving down the highway with the accelerator pedal stuck to the floor. It is a quick trip, but a white knuckle ride the entire trip.

@NICU Guy - amazing way to word it!

 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community health.

It entirely depends on how good you are at school generally. 
But the good news is, all of us graduated. A few people dropped out, but it was their own choice due to life circumstances. Nobody failed out. I think that’s standard for the ABSN programs. Unlike a community college ADN program, where they might flunk kids regularly for not shining their shoes or whatever. The ABSN programs typically have some faith in the students (because you have already proven yourselves with other degrees, other careers, etc) and are more supportive. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.
On 9/11/2020 at 9:59 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:

Unlike a community college ADN program, where they might flunk kids regularly for not shining their shoes or whatever. The ABSN programs typically have some faith in the students (because you have already proven yourselves with other degrees, other careers, etc) and are more supportive. 

100% agree. Right or wrong, the instructors treated us like adults. Several of our classes were joint lectures with the Traditional BSN class. It felt like they respected us more than the Traditional students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVOR.

Currently a senior in my ABSN program, and I can say after speaking with some of the traditional students and others in various ABSN programs across my state that it truly depends on the program. Mine is a 16 month with the only difference between traditional students is our lectures are online and we had to continue the program throughout the Summer with no break (which due to COVID was honestly a blessing and a distraction). I started with 63 students in my program in January, and we are currently at 60, with only one known drop-out from failing, the rest all had other life commitments. My program has the option of repeating a semester if you do fail, but with the high cost I only know of one person who has done it. I have the benefit of not having to maintain a full time job/kids/etc., so it really depends on the current work load you already have. My program's schedule is a hybrid, with 80% of the classes being online aside from clinical, which varies in location every 8 weeks. My last commute was 30 minutes, and now I'm looking at 1.5 hours each way. Get a good support system with other students, listen to some good nursing podcasts and stay on top of your reading and you'll do fine. I've managed a 3.9 my entire time in my ABSN program, so I wouldn't say it's hard, you just have to stay self-motivated and dedicated the entire time you're in it because nobody will hold your hand through it.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

God bless the OP for the question and for the responses! I start my accelerated program in May. I am beyond thrilled to be accepted but recently I find myself feeling like I am being pulled toward a gigantic black hole. I am a career changer with no clinical experience. And I have no idea what to expect! Of course, the horror stories on allnurses don't help. Visions of hanging on for dear life as a raging river tries to drag you over a massive waterfall (with the occasional stone being thrown at you) start to come to mind. Some of these posts are truly harrowing....

I'm a fighter and I don't go down easily but it's such a relief to get an alternate perspective. ?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.
On 10/31/2020 at 3:36 PM, FindingNovember said:

Visions of hanging on for dear life as a raging river tries to drag you over a massive waterfall (with the occasional stone being thrown at you) start to come to mind.

My analogy is having your accelerator pedal stuck to the floor on the highway. The trip is really quick, but it is a white-knuckle experience the whole time. Would I choose ABSN again over a traditional BSN? Yes, in a heartbeat. In my opinion, my ABSN education was much better than if I had taken the traditional route.  The instructors treated us like the adults we were and they had higher expectations for us because when you have a cohort full of over achievers, the instructors can push you harder. My ABSN program (past cohorts, including mine) had a near 100% first time NCLEX pass rate with my cohort having half the class pass NCLEX at the minimum questions (75q at the time).

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical Device.

When I was trying to make this same decision all I heard from people was how awful it would be to do an ABSN program. I think it depends on the program, but honestly mine hasn't been bad at all. It's busy, but I rarely feel overwhelmed. I agonized over the decision to do an ABSN program because I have two small kids at home and people made it sound like I would be missing out on a year of their lives. In the end, I'm so glad I chose to do the ABSN and would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to do it. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion