What is the best and most decent in $$ way to become an RN?

[nataliegilbs]

Im going to Riverside Community College right now completing my General Education. I heard that the nursing program there is one of the best. I would like to become an RN and then possibly a BSN. But i dont know the best way to go about it. I also heard that SDSU has a good nursing program. What is the best and most decent in $$ way to become an RN?

[ShelbyaStar]

If I were starting fresh and money was my primary concern, I would become a CNA first. Work as a CNA while working on an LPN. Then once an LPN, work as one while bridging to an ADN. Then you can work as an RN while working on your BSN. That way all through school you are gaining experience and making decent money, and your credits will be as inexpensive as possible.

Maybe skip the LPN part depending on how your programs work. I think going straight for BSN is the least wallet friendly way to go (as someone who started that way and is now going to drop down to doing ADN first). At least take prereqs at a CC.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

There are too many variables to have a standard answer to your question. If cost if your most important consideration, you will want to avoid any commercial (for profit) or private (not tax supported) schools in order to obtain the lowest tuition cost. Taking your pre-requisites at a community college & then transferring those credits to a 4-year program is the most cost effective in terms of tuition. You'll need to ACE each and every course... repeating courses is a waste of money, and is likely to have a negative impact on your GPA (which would prevent you from getting into a public, low-cost program). You will want to take a streamlined approach... going right for that BSN rather than doing a step-wise ladder approach that takes longer and racks up more tuition cost.

Stay reality-based. Do a thorough job of investigating the programs you're interested in. Find out the range of GPA & test scores you will actually need (the ones in the catalog are misleading). Find out how many applications they receive for each available slot. This will give you a good idea of what you are competing against.

Does that help?

[futureLVN40]

That's the exact way I plan to go. CNA to LVN (California) to RN to BSN, and if I get brave enough maybe MSN for Nurse Practitioner. But I'm anxious since I'm barely starting and I'm almost 36 years old.