Which path to be an RN should I choose?

[breezy119]

I need help deciding what is the best path I take to becoming an RN with a BSN. I was going to school majoring in Nursing and minoring in Family and Human Development. After completing all my nursing pre-req's I applied to the professional nursing program. However I didn't make it due to a nursing professor shortage at my school. I have a GPA of 3.75. I decided to turn my minor into my major and graduate ontime with a bachelors in family and human development. However, I still want to be a nurse.

My question is....how should I become one? I have found that several schools offer an accelerated nursing program for individuals who already have their bachelors in something else. It is 11 months long, difficult and expensive. Or my neighbor, who is a Nurse, recommend I become a CNA first. Because it only takes a little bit of time and if you work at a hospital as a CNA they will pay for your schooling to make you an RN.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[WayneStateKatie]

I would continue pursing your bachelors and would apply again next year to the same school since you said you wanted your BSN.

True if you work in the hospital many offer tuition assistance. This is not a totally free ride often (some hospitals have amazing programs-- most do not). There will be a limit to how much assistance you are eligible to receive. Around me most hospitals have a 1000 or 3000 per year limit and that is only if you work FULL TIME for them. If you work part time you will receive less money for tuition. Some hospitals will cover books and uniforms, many will not.

Hospitals sometimes have an "in house" kind of thing partnered with a community college. Again to cite an example near me Henry Ford Hospital offers a program to their employees who want to become RNs. They accept 60 candidates per year and they will pay for you to complete this program. You must still work for them during this time I believe and you have to sign an agreement to work for them for a certain number of years after you obtain your license. If you break your contract and don't finish and or don't work for the specified number of years you must repay all the tuition. This is done through a community college and you would have your ASN not your BSN which you stated you wanted to earn. If you entered a program like this you would later need to do a RN to BSN completion program.

You should explore the local hospitals. See what they offer in terms of tuition assistance for full time and part time employees. See if they have in house programs.

If you want your BSN I think it is a lot easier to just get it out of the way early versus trying to work 40+ hours a week and go to school but that is my opinion. Many people do work that many hours and go to school and I applaud them. I like to sleep. Part time work and my BSN program seem to get along just fine.....

There are SO many options. You've done well by starting to research by talking with your neighbor the nurse. If you want to do bedside then the RN program at a CC would suit you just fine (be aware there are waitlists several years long at many). If you want to go into management, or go into advanced practice it may behoove you to go straight for the BSN.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Talk to your college's director of admissions for the nursing program. Discuss what you could do to make your application stronger for the next series of admissions (can you submit letters of recommendation? can you write a supplemental essay to be considered with your application on why you want to be a nurse? would volunteer/work experience in the hospital strengthen your application?) If you're accepted in the next class that would only put you at an additional year to get your BSN. An accelerated second BSN would be very stressful and would take the same amount of time. An ASN would take 2 years once you have a start date (could be several years away) and then another year or two to do the RN to BSN while you're working. Timewise if you want your BSN right away applying for the next class is still the quickest route.

PHEW that was longer than I intended.

I wish you the very best. Just keep applying-- several students don't get accepted the first time they apply but those with tenacity are the ones who are eventually nurses:nurse:

[mommy2three2]

I was in much the same situation as you with the exception that I have a Bachelor's in Biology/Psychology.

What it came down to for me was what I wanted to do at the end of the road? I knew I wanted to be an APN (most likely either a PNP or NNP). Then the question became how do I get there and which road is best for me personally. I ended up becoming much more interested in the DE-MSN programs vs the ABSN programs since they were geared more towards those who wanted to go on in their educations and they were a little longer but in the end they got me a lot closer to my goal and when all was said and done the ABSN plus a MSN-NP was the same amount of time as a DE_MSN plus a post-Master's certificate. Also I had to consider my children. While neither route was going to be "easy" the DE-MSN with more time is easier.

So start with what you want to do then go from there.