Which program are you doing and why?

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I have a BA in an unrelated field and am currently looking into going back to school for nursing.

All of these different programs are confusing! I am unsure whether I should be doing a MSN or BSN program, or first going the route of CNA so I can work while completing other programs.

Which route did you choose and why?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

As far as CNA, I know someone who said being one did not help her at all throughout her nursing school since fundamentals cover what CNA's do in one class, however, I have another friend who said that it really helped being a CNA when she did Med/Surg. Good luck to you!!!

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I currently work FT. I am doing the ADN at our community college (not a lot of choices for colleges where I live). But they just recently began offering the BSN. Thing is, you have to already be an RN to go that route, so I will finish my ADN and possibly go the ADN to BSN route. I can go as far as my masters, but we'll see how far I can make it!!

I did it this way mainly because I am married, have a 1 year old daughter and have a FT job. Then anything further than an associates, I can decide on later.

Good luck!

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Thank you both for your insight.

I'd like to be done with school and able to work as quickly as possible, but I also don't want to rush it so that I just have to back to school in a few years. I start volunteering at a local hospital in a few weeks, so hopefully I will have the chance to speak to some of the nurses there and get feedback. Some schools make it so hard to get information, it's really frustrating!

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.

I will be going the Diploma route (once I get accepted), its only 20mths. Before I was going to do the BSN but the faster way and more beneficial way for me would be to do the Diploma program. I am a hands-on learner and they have a lot of clinicals per semester and you start clinicals after the first 2 weeks. I will then get my RN-BSN paid by the same hospital who will be paying back my Diploma program. The RN-BSN classes are held at the University and also at the hospital once I make a contract agreement with the hospital the diploma program is with. I like the idea that I'll be getting my RN and also a BSN paid all thru the hospital system. Plus I'm getting Veterans Benefits so basically I will be PAID to become an RN!! Check out some diploma programs where you are located, a lot of people blow them off but after going to many open houses this one has the best pass rate and financial situation

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I have a B.S. in Chemistry and I'm doing an accelerated BSN route. The ADN program has a 2 yr waitlist and the BSN program starts in Jan, so I'll be done by the time i'd even start the ADN. Plus i'm trying to get into the Navy and the Navy only takes people with BSN's.

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I am a freshman at a 4 year college working on my way to a BSN. We do offer an MSN route in a specialty, but I figured I would atleast get my BSN and get experience working somewhere like Med-Surg so I have a general experience before I decide if I want to get my MSN. What if I don't like the specialty? I have a general idea of what field I would want to go in after I graduate (L&D or post-partum) but in 4 years, who knows?! I change my mind a LOT so I will probably change it 5 times, and I'm thinking when I go through clinicals in 2 years it will give me a better idea of what kind of nursing I like. We have a lot of different MSN routes, MSN in Adult Health Nursing, Community Based Nursing, Emergency-Critical Care Nursing, Psych-Mental Health, Nurse Educator, and Family Nurse Practitioner.. You do have to be a nurse for a minimum of 1 year though which is good, because like I said I would think you should have experience as an RN first before trying to become something like a FNP.

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Specializes in Not specified.

I have a masters degree and will be starting a Graduate Entry MSN program in the spring. I chose this route for three reasons:

1. I want to be a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

2. I need financial aid, which is non-existent for people working on a second bachelors or ADN.

3. I wanted a degree at or above my current degree level--it is anticlimatic to get another degree that is lower than your highest degree.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

I have a BA and an MBA. I am going the ADN & RN-BSN route.

1.) Money.. unlike the last two degrees I am paying cash for my education.

2.) Money... I can receive scholarships and reimbursement that will cover my entire education, not just part of it...

3.) Time.. I have time to work part-time while attending the ADN program part-time since I have completed all of my non-nursing courses.

4.) Time... while attending ADN school I have time to gain more exposure at the local hospital as a tech.

5.) GO ARMY!.... The US Army Reserves will accept ADNs who are RNs within its Army Medical Department (AMEDD) as Commissioned Officers. While serving in the Army Nurse Corps one is completely deployable to active duty status so there is no need to join other branches as a BSN or to join Active Duty Army as a BSN before trying to make the rank of Major.

6.) Time... I have time to work full-time as a RN while attending the RN-BSN program part-time.

7.) Options.... The world is wide open for me since I already have two other degrees and years of Health Care experience. My prior work experience and advanced education will not be tossed aside when I choose to find employment as a Health Care Administrator.

OP: If you plan out a career as a Registered Nurse correctly, it is absolutely possible to do just about anything you can imagine. So whichever route you choose good luck. ;)

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I am going the BSN route. I was going for ADN but while attending school I have had babies so I kept taking classes here and there and before I knew it I had finished all BSN req's besides nur courses. It makes more sense for me to do a two year BSN completion program instead of the same two years in ADN program. I plan on continuing my education anyway. I already work in a hospital and they give tuition reimbursement to non-nursing employees as well as RN's advancing their degree. Whichever route you take you can always choose to continue your education or not. Best of luck!

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I have a B.A. in Psychology and on a waiting list at a CC for an ASN. It's the only night/weekend program in the area that I can apply to. I am a SAHM, so I'm not going to put my children in daycare to attend school. Can't afford it and don't want to. I'm doing the CC route because of money, time availability and ability to transfer credits in case I want to get a higher degree. If I had the grades and family around for daycare, I would apply to a Master's Entry program. Good luck in whatever you decide!

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I'm still on the fence between a community college or bsn program.

I can start the cc sooner, then bridge to bsn later, but dread working fulltime and taking more classes.

But I'll have to wait 15 more months to even start the bsn clinicals!

I'm leaning toward the cc.

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