Your opinion on degrees.

BreBeeNeuroNurse · Feb 24, 2015

I think it's always a better idea to get your asn first and then get employed. Getting yourself too far in debt too early when you could assistance is bad. Assistance would be ideal but if you can't get it then at least working and saving for your bsn is smarter than shoveling out all that money at once

Kaitybar7 · Feb 24, 2015

Thank you! I agree but just wanted to hear some advice from people who have experience. I have to work full time, and I am a mother so I will attempt to do this online and at a community college. Do you feel that cc degrees are overlooked by employers compared to others?

BreBeeNeuroNurse · Feb 24, 2015

I really see no difference in cc degrees to large university degrees other than pass rates and other things, cc is evolving and In my opinion is a smart choice for a working mother. smaller class sizes, cheaper tuition and such is a smart route. It's all about how you market yourself in today's economy, someone could go to a state school but if the employer doesn't like how they present themselves forget it! Good luck!

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Feb 24, 2015

Would you please give me advice?
Do you believe it is a better decision to just get a bachelor's degree or to earn an associates, become an RN and then find a job and hopefully receive tuition assistance from the hospital to earn your bsn while working?

Hi Katiebar;

There is intense debate regarding this. The short, non-emotional answer is: it depends on the nursing market where you live.

Browse around in the linked area of Allnurses for more discussion about this than you will ever have time to read.

Regards!

TiffyRN

https://allnurses.com/registered-nurses-diploma/

AJJKRN · Feb 24, 2015

I think it also depends on if the school is accredidated, their NCLEX pass rate, and how much it costs regardless of being an associates or bachelors program...

kalycat, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

In my area, which is mid-sized metro, it is more about the reputation of the particular nursing program based on clinical performance than if it is University or CC. We have a highly respected CC and a not so respected Uni. Sometimes recruiters are willing to speak to you about the trends in your particular market, so it may be worth a call or email to your local hospitals.

I happen to live in an area where ADNs are still regularly hired in to acute care, especially if they are willing to commit to starting a BSN program within 5 years. With so many bridge programs out there that are 100% online, many choose this route. I even know someone who got their ADN from a CC and started her BSN online from a public Uni her CC had an agreement with before even taking her NCLEX. I personally completed all my pre-reqs at a CC and transferred to a traditional BSN program because I already had another BS and it made more sense for my financially, and success in the pre-reqs led to more scholarship opportunities for me. My area doesn't have any accelerated programs, and as an in-state transfer, I had no issues with credits transferring, equivalencies, etc. Best of luck!

Gooselady, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

You'll get a metric ton of opinions on this!

I vote for getting it over with as soon as you can. If you have an opportunity to get your BSN, including a university close by, the funds or loans and scholarships, just get it done and over with. Why? I've watched several ADN's go back for their BSNs, working full time and taking night classes, or day and night classes, and you know, it looks like a ton of stress!

It's not impossible or 'stupid' to get your ADN first and then go back for the BSN. If your eventual goal is a BSN, or if those predicting a BSN majority by the year 2020 are correct, just get the BSN and get it over with. It looks like a LOT of work to work and go to school, and that's not but the tip of the iceberg. A close friend will finish her BSN this spring, and she has been exhausted. She works four days a week in acute hospital nursing. I love hearing about her classes and papers she gets to write, all much more interesting than I remember my BSN training to be LOL, but dang, she's fried.

Kaitybar7 · Feb 24, 2015

Thank you everyone! You have all really helped me out with my thoughts and questions! I'm glad to have found this community :)

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 24, 2015

I agree that it depends on your market. I did the ADN-BSN thing and then MSN. My employer paid for most of my education. It was the right thing for me

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

Fewer employers are paying for subsequent education than there were even 5 years ago, so don't count on that. Life happens, too-- you might find that you don't have the time or the energy to pursue higher education while you're working night shift or something else. I'm also starting to hear rumblings about employers making choices based on what kind of BSN program their applicants attended-- a real school vs. an online for profit one, as the longterm shortcomings of the latter become more apparent.

Also, look at the Help Wanted ads in your regional Sunday paper. How many of them say, "BSN required/preferred"? We hear from a lot of people here who can't get work because of that.

Short answer: You're gonna need it anyway. Don't be fooled by that, "We're all the same, we all sit the same NCLEX, we all hold the same license" line. BSN is the future of nursing, and you'd be well-advised to get it done all at once in the first place.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Feb 24, 2015

If you are able to go straight for a BSN degree, certainly go for it.

But it's naive to assume every student has the financial resources to do so.

Where I live, the ADN program at the local community college is ridiculously cheaper compared to any of the local four-year universities on a per-credit basis. I am able to attend CC while working as a LPN, and I have been able to pay as I go. No loans.

Now, if I entered directly into a BSN program, I would be forced to take out substantial student loans. As a childless, single male who makes over 50k a year, my financial aide options are not exactly robust. I took out an absurdly large loan out for my PN program six years ago, and I am never going down that road again, for any reason.

And let's stop equating not being able to work in a hospital with not being able to work as a nurse period. Yes, many, if not most, ADN grads will not get a job in a hospital. But most areas of this country are full of other places that will just as happy to hire an ADN RN as they would be to hire a BSN. We all know this is true, so why be coy about it?

I think going directly into a BSN program is the best choice for many. Maybe even the best choice for most. But telling everyone they should attend a BSN program, regardless of their financial realities, is decidedly ill-advised.