Worth an extra semester and extra $ for the BSN?

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I have been completing prerequisites for an ADN program at a local community college. I was very content with that, but I just found out that there is a program through a local 4-year school and I could get my BSN in only one extra semester (I already have a BS in Psychology). When I looked into a local RN to BSN program it looks as if it will take about 5 semesters (at a slow pace).

My dilemma is that I'm fairly confident that I can get the RN to BSN paid for by the hospital, and the community college is far less expensive than the university. I will also need to take a lot more classes over the next few semesters if I pursue the BSN.

I need some opinions, would it be worth the extra money and tougher class schedule to be done with the BSN sooner? Or should I keep going for the ADN and plan on doing the Bachelor's later?

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Specializes in Infusion.

That is a dilemma. It is easier for me to make a choice to get the ADN first and then get the BSN. 1st, I only live a mile from my comm college and the nearest BSN school is about 40 miles away. 2nd, I have elementary school aged kids so being close to home in case of an emergency is important to me. 3rd, there is a private college in the state that has an on-line RN-BSN. If it were more convenient, I would just get the BSN and deal with the extra classes unless your family is against that idea. My DH would prefer I get my ADN and go from there but then the hospitals in the area are still hiring ADNs. Thirty miles north and further, they are only hiring BSNs.

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That's a decision you will have to weigh out for yourself. I will personally do my associates first. There is absolutely no difference in the amount of money that a ADN and BSN make while working side by side on the floors. If a higher degree is what you seek, you may want to take advantage of hospital offered bridge programs after you finish your ADN. That way you can work in your career field of choice and have the liberty to take your BSN classes at a slower pace. (My hospital has a program where you attend classes once a week, all day long, and finish your program in like a year and a half). Perfect for many busy parents, or travel nurses. :nurse:

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Thanks for your input. All my classes but one I could take locally. One semester I would have to drive about 45 minutes each way one night a week (Yuck!). I'm leaning toward the ADN primarily because of expense, but I am concerned about whether the hospitals here will stop hiring ADNs at some point. I have a friend with an ADN who just got hired as an RN in the hospital, but she is already an employee in another capacity. I have a part-time job offer at the hospital, so I'm hoping that will help.

Have you already started your program?

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I will be starting in August. I am really nervous. I am in a financial crunch b/c I am my sole provider, I will just have to cut back to negative zero! lol:lol2: If I had some sort of financial support, I would definitely go for the BSN straight through but that would be in a perfect world. Good luck to you! Just think about what would make more sense for YOU! You'll figure it out! :up:

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@nik77 - Good luck to you. Hopefully you'll get some good financial aid. I didn't think I'd get anything, but they paid for the class I took last semester, so all I had to pay for was the book. The semester before that they paid for about half.

It would be nice to have the BSN sooner, but I figure it will cost me as much as $15,000 more than if I do the ADN and then let the hospital pay for the BSN. That's a lot of money! I'm going to call the local hospitals to make sure they are still hiring ADNs and paying for BSNs. With 3 young kids, I'd rather have a lighter course load now so I can spend more time with them.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Get the BSN now if you can swing it, get it out of the way. You'll be glad you did.

As an entry level nurse you aren't going to realize any benefits of the BSN vs. the ADN, because an RN is an RN, and the pay is going to be nearly the same. However, for the long haul you'll have more opportunities to do other things as you age and you'll already have the BSN in the bag. It's defnitely worth it.

Getting an ADN to BSN is going to take you longer than one semester if you go for the ADN, which is not a bad way to go either. Once you get working and busy with your family, and being burned out from school, you'll probably be like most of us and put off the BSN and ten years from now you'll be kicking yourself wishing you had the BSN done.

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