Nursing As A Second Career - Degree Options

Q: I'm sure people in this group have seen this topic before so apologies in advance, but I've recently begun considering nursing as a second career. I have a lot of questions but before I get into any of them I have some questions about the various degrees -- I already have a Bachelor's degree in a non-nursing related field so am considering an accelerated BSN program. Does that make more sense than doing an associate's? I would think so since I've already done a bachelor's general requirements. If I do do the BSN, I need to fulfill about 5 undergraduate pre-requisites. Does anyone know if I can just do those at a community college/local school before applying to a BSN program?

A:Different schools have different requirements about where you take undergraduate pre-requisites. Some will take a "C" or better if you take them at their college, but will only accept a "B" or better if you transfer. Others will take transfers at "C" or better no matter where they are taken. If your local community college/school offers the science courses at better times/ is convenient for you, then go with it things being equal. Just make sure you understand the nursing program's transfer policy. Since you already have your bachelor's, it makes sense to go for the BSN and get it over with. Most if not all nursing programs run 2 1/2 to 3 years, the difference comes mainly from how much undergraduate work (credits) required. You are going to be in school for about 2 years either way, so why not take the higher degree? I find that the ADN/BSN debate (especially among returners) largely turns into one of finances: can afford

to spend the extra time and money?. If you can afford to go the longer time (assuming it is longer and in real life it usually is by the time you get the pre-reqs done) then go the BSN route. If not, make sure that the place you go to has a ADN->BSN route that is seemless (some don't count parts of the ADN toward the BSN although that scam is getting rarer). As for the pre-reqs. You will have to ask the school itself. Some schools won't accept all of your credits from another school (a scam that ISN'T getting rarer). It (literally) took an act of the Legislature to get the "big Nursing schools" in the state to accept the ADN credits from the community colllege.