ADN or ABSN or Direct Entry MSN (with prior bachelors)

[jaye927]

Hello everyone!

I need as much help as possible as soon as possible. I am currently in my last semester to graduate in with a Bachelors of Science in University Studies with an emphasis in Biology. I graduate next month. I originally wanted to go to medical school, but I don’t think that lifestyle is exactly what I want. I would have to sacrifice a lot from my personal life and finances in order to reach that. My ultimate goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, but I am unsure what is the best cost opportunity for myself with my current debt. I’m 22 and I’m married, so we still have to pay for two more semesters of my wife’s schooling online (around $2,500 each semester). I also have $25,000 in student loan debt for my entire bachelors degree. I want the quickest way possible to become an FNP, but I also want to pay the least amount that I can. I have all the pre-reqs for any kind of nursing school and will end my bachelors with a 3.4 GPA. I have not taken the HESI yet and will be taking it soon. I’ve been looking into 3 kinds of programs ADN, ABSN, or Direct-Entry MSN. I will be living in rural town in AZ with my wife and this area is popular for hiring nurses with ADN’s, so that won’t be an issue finding a job. I am going to be doing a CNA program starting in January and ends in March. After that I plan on working as a CNA until I get into one of the programs.

Pros:

ADN: cost is $8000 total, can work during the program, is a local community college to where we will be living at

ABSN: faster than ADN, 12-15 months, finish with Bachelors

Direct-Entry MSN: Will end up with a Masters as a CNL after 15 months and can practice as an RN and then simply get a certificate as FNP (15 months); probably the fastest to reach final goal


Cons:

ADN: 2 year program (longer than other two)

ABSN: much more expensive than ADN (cost anywhere between $50,000-70,000), have to move to new location, cannot work during program

Direct-Entry MSN: Just as expensive as ABSN if not even more, end up as Clinical Nurse Leader (which I’m not interested at all in doing), cannot work during program, have to move to new location

**With all 3 I’ll need to practice as an RN at least for a year after graduation to get experience and then move on to either NP school or get an NP certificate.

So far the best option that I think is the ADN because I save in expenses, save time from moving and having to live off of student loans. Unfortunately it is longer than all the other options, when I could be done sooner and start working as an RN quicker. After practicing for a year I can do an online RN to MSN program which will cost around $35,000 and that will get me my MSN (FNP). I really would love to hear your opinions on what you guys would do in my situation. Thanks!!

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[762513]

Hello everyone!

I need as much help as possible as soon as possible. I am currently in my last semester to graduate in with a Bachelors of Science in University Studies with an emphasis in Biology. I graduate next month. I originally wanted to go to medical school, but I don’t think that lifestyle is exactly what I want. I would have to sacrifice a lot from my personal life and finances in order to reach that. My ultimate goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, but I am unsure what is the best cost opportunity for myself with my current debt. I’m 22 and I’m married, so we still have to pay for two more semesters of my wife’s schooling online (around $2,500 each semester). I also have $25,000 in student loan debt for my entire bachelors degree. I want the quickest way possible to become an FNP, but I also want to pay the least amount that I can. I have all the pre-reqs for any kind of nursing school and will end my bachelors with a 3.4 GPA. I have not taken the HESI yet and will be taking it soon. I’ve been looking into 3 kinds of programs ADN, ABSN, or Direct-Entry MSN. I will be living in rural town in AZ with my wife and this area is popular for hiring nurses with ADN’s, so that won’t be an issue finding a job. I am going to be doing a CNA program starting in January and ends in March. After that I plan on working as a CNA until I get into one of the programs.

Pros:

ADN: cost is $8000 total, can work during the program, is a local community college to where we will be living at

ABSN: faster than ADN, 12-15 months, finish with Bachelors

Direct-Entry MSN: Will end up with a Masters as a CNL after 15 months and can practice as an RN and then simply get a certificate as FNP (15 months); probably the fastest to reach final goal


Cons:

ADN: 2 year program (longer than other two)

ABSN: much more expensive than ADN (cost anywhere between $50,000-70,000), have to move to new location, cannot work during program

Direct-Entry MSN: Just as expensive as ABSN if not even more, end up as Clinical Nurse Leader (which I’m not interested at all in doing), cannot work during program, have to move to new location

**With all 3 I’ll need to practice as an RN at least for a year after graduation to get experience and then move on to either NP school or get an NP certificate.

So far the best option that I think is the ADN because I save in expenses, save time from moving and having to live off of student loans. Unfortunately it is longer than all the other options, when I could be done sooner and start working as an RN quicker. After practicing for a year I can do an online RN to MSN program which will cost around $35,000 and that will get me my MSN (FNP). I really would love to hear your opinions on what you guys would do in my situation. Thanks!!

Ever hear the adage if you want quick, cheap and good, you can only have 2 out of the three? You can get quick and good ADN programs, but it won’t be cheap, I went to one, tuition was 50,000 for 5 semesters. You can get quick and cheap direct entry online programs, but they won’t be good. You can also get good and cheap programs at a brick and mortar public college, but it won’t be quick.

I suggest you go to a good public college people have heard of and do BS to MSN getting your RN along the way. That’s the best route for you.

 

[pamac]

The choices you have in front of you are distinct enough that you should be able to come to a concrete solution base on your needs. I see the merits of each option. But lean heavily towards getting an acceleratd BSN.

After I got a biology degree and a medical laboratory technologist degree, I went to work in a hospital lab, and then went back to school for nursing. I did an associates RN, then got my BSN, and am now in NP school. I was able to work the whole time and my facility paid for every step of the way as long as I stayed working so many hours (not every place does this). The upside was that I didn’t have to relocate and uproot my family (we like where we live). It was also cost effective because my associates program was less than $10,000, and my BSN was less than $15,000 (online bachelors completion programs are available to pretty much anyone, and cost about $10,000-$15,000). But it took 2 years for the associates, and around 2 for the BSN. The BSN completion program can be done quicker, but my goal was to not neglect my family during this journey, so for my bachelors I just took a couple classes each semester for like 6 semesters, even through summers. Then NP school takes at least 2 years. So that’s a 6 year journey if you start with an associates. Granted, my family gets to see a lot of me, and I make good money as a nurse, so I didn’t have to sacrifice a lot of time to my pursuit. I’m not in a huge hurry. But time is money too, so I’m missing out on extra income I could get from being a well paid psyche NP. If I just wanted to be an FNP, I really wouldn’t rush because FNPs aren’t making a lot more than me right now where I’m at, at least new ones.

Since I had a different medical career before nursing, and my spouse also works in the medical field, together we feel like we make enough to live comfortable and invest wisely, take vacations, etc. But.... the stepwise approach takes time that you might not want to spend. If you have a decent job that you can work in while you do school, then sometimes it’s worth it. However, not every nursing school or work schedule works well with each other. If you are only making above minimum wage as a CNA, I think I’d much rather do a year long accelerated BSN and just hit the workforce making nurses wages. Sure, $40,000 to $50,000 is a lot to spend, but doing the ASN to BSN to NP route will still cost you at least around $25,000 before you even get to NP school (which should really only cost you between $30k and $40k depending on the NP school). Financially, you’ll be working making BSN wages after one year rather than having to spend 2 years getting the associates before you can work. You’ll literally make up the difference after about a year or so with your higher wages.

So here’s an example of why it may be best to hurry and hit the workforce rather than do school for two years: My first year as an RN with a decent amount of overtime I think I made around $78k. That’s not bad money because think I picked up an average of about 3 extra shifts per month, and usually as a new person they don’t let you pick up overtime shifts until you are off of your probationary periods. So for a while, I was a noob and not able to get in on the sweet moolah. My second year as a nurse I made in the $80’s. It’s not google engineer money, but for a brand new worker, thats a decent wage. When a nurse tells you they are making $50k per year it’s because they probably don’t work hard or work at night, or don’t pick up any extra shifts, and only work a straight 3 days. And for reference, I don’t live in a high wage place like California either. But to crack into higher wages as a nurse you have to work nights and plan your week so when you work extra shifts, it’s at the beginning of the week, and I only work extra if they guaranteed time and a half for any extra shift I worked, otherwise you come in to help at the beginning of your week and they call you off work on your other shifts that you are scheduled to work to keep you out of overtime. That still is a danger sometimes, but for quite some time hospitals have been so short on staff that they tend to not pull that kind of thing. So ultimately, nursing can take care of you better than working through RN school as a CNA will. I’ll tack an example on the end to show you that.

The MSN option seems like it’s the least palatable. For one, there’s no guarantee you’d walk right into a leadership job rather than have to hit the floor to actually learn how to be a nurse. They really can’t tell you that you’d get a job quickly as a CNL, because as a new grad, you wouldn’t be any less new than anyone else. You’d be a regular nurse that paid a lot more money and spent more time on a masters degree. Yes you could go on and get an NP cert without having to take the core classes you already took for your MsN, but I feel like you’d have to work quite a bit harder to get your MSN just to become a floor nurse. Basically, it’s overkill, and I don’t think you’d be much farther ahead for your effort than if you just went and got an accelerated BSN and then went to No school.

Overall, I really just think the ABSN is the most efficient use of your time and resources. That could put you working as an Np within 3 years from starting that journey. The ASN to BSN to NP would typically take about 6 (and certainly it wouldn’t take much less than 5 years under the best of circumstances). The MSN to NP would take almost 3 years, and those 3 years would be more rigorous and needlessly demanding than the other 2 options, not to mention the near certainty that it is the most expensive route.

I really don’t think someone should start with the ASN if they have the chance to get into a decently priced ABSN program. The only exception might be if someone has a good job like I did, and was able to maintain that job while they went to school. It’s not a given that someone can hold down a job while even doing an ASN. ABSN programs can be pricey, but if you don’t one that is priced well, it’s one of the best returns on your investment you can make in education. If someone doesn’t want to be an Np, and just wants to be a nurse, then the ASN is a great place to start.

So an example of an accelerated BSN vs a traditional associates RN while working as a CNA...

Let’s take the example of a 3 year spread. Say the ABSN costs $45k, and takes a year, and you don’t have time to work. Year one costs $45k. Year two you make $70k, and year 3 you make $75k. In that scenario you are at +$100k in total gain following year 3 after paying for school.

Alternatively, say you go to a cheap associates program that’s a great value at $15k total for two years. Say you work as a CNA and make $25k per year for the two years of school, and then graduate and become a new nurse making $70k your first year. So that means that at year 3 you are at +$105k in total gain after paying tuition. That’s all well and good, but you essentially worked full time and went to school full time to make that happen. And additionally, with the accelerated BSN, you are able to apply and get into NP school at the end of that first year. If you did the associates route, you then have to go back to school to get the BSN if you want to maximize your options for NP school. There are associates to masters programs, but they are rare.

So that’s the financial breakdown if you consider your choices in isolation other costs. I’d rather break into the workforce making nurses wages vs taking longer and living off of CNA wages. Hardly seems worth the time. I think the NSN would be even more expensive with little more to show for it. Debt can be a killer, but mostly for folks that over pay for their degree. I’d try not to pay $75k to become an RN. But $50k is more palatable, and even more so when it gets you to the workforce faster. Those kinds of long term calculations can really point folks in the right direction. I think that same approach will help you out as well.