2 year ADN for cheap or ABSN for more?

[cheezbawl2003]

Hey all;

First AllNurses post, but my wife is an RN so I've been lurking over her shoulder for years.

Here's the skinny;

I have been accepted, and have already started at RCC's Nursing ADN, with an expected graduation date of 12/18. I am also making my way through the process to gain entry to CSULA's ABSN program, which would start 5/17 and finish 8/18, with a BSN. The ADN will run about 4k start to finish, of which I've already had to shell out about 1k (coursepoints... ugh!) and will not be able to "make back", either via refund or transfer to another student. The ABSN will run about 32k or so. However, it will trim about two years total off of the path to a BSN. Likewise, true cost comparison to BSN would need to take RCC's 4k and add in another ~18k or so for an RN-to-BSN program, such as through CSUF.

My gut feeling is that the ABSN is the better choice. However, I understand that RCC has an amazing program, and costs substantially less, meaning less long-term damage in loans. Likewise, while the actual NCLEX/prospective hire date is about the same (give or take a few months), there's nothing wrong with getting MORE experience as a floor nurse before looking into MSN/NP/ACNP/whatever programs.

Most people in the medical field that I've mentioned this to seem to favor the ABSN, citing the pros of faster entry to practice, faster path to BSN-->MSN. However, many other people I've talked to "on the outside", so to speak, tend to highlight the quality of RCC (not that CSULA is bad, but living near RCC, it doesn't have the same name recognition, and there is something to be said about trying to get hired where you do your clinicals), the lower cost, and the longer timeline. I'm not as worried about the accelerated timeline as I tend to thrive in accelerated courses, but thus far this has been classes like A&P, Micro, or Psychology, not an entire RN/BSN program.

Thoughts and advice? Thanks in advance!

I should be reading my Brunner and Suddarth right now, but... Maybe a 20 minute break will be worthwhile :)

[FutureNurseInfo]

So you are saying you are already in the ADN program, as in "taking nursing courses, considered a nursing student"? If so, are you thinking of quitting that ADN school and start ABSN at another school? I am not a moral police but how will that look on your "life" portfolio? If you quit ADN to start ABSN, what will admissions at ABSN think? Also, you are already in the program and if you intend on quitting to do ABSN, you are pretty much holding up a spot that might have been filled by another student. I think you should stick with it.

[cheezbawl2003]

You are correct, and that would be something I was/am concerned about. However, I communicated very clearly with both programs about this. RCC started 2/13. Final notice for CSULA isn't until sometime in April. Prior to accepting my spot in the ADN program, I asked them about dropping out or leaving the school. Their program is heavily oriented around ensuring all nurses continue to a BSN, so they agree with the end goal. Likewise, they have programs in place to allow LVNs and students who previously had to drop out (life circumstances, bad grades, and other scenarios) re-enter in my place. In my interview process for the CSULA program, I let them know that I already had admission/would be starting the ADN program, even though I'm sure that if it comes to a tie between me and someone else without another program lined up, they might lean towards the other candidate.