How to Choose the right Nursing Degree Bachelor or Associate
You've graduated from high school and the career you have chosen is nursing. You enjoyed playing with your dolls, fixing up their "injuries", and oohing and aahing when your little brother had a scrape. You took pleasure in the act of caring for him, and you want to further your education and career by helping others. This is a commendable choice and one you want to excel in.
How do you choose which nursing degree to take? Should you go to college for two years to earn your Associate Degree, or stay in college until you have completed four years for your Bachelor's Degree? What about a Master's Degree?
There are several questions to ask yourself when choosing your college major. The first one is, of course, money. How many years of college can you afford? Will you be receiving scholarships or grants? Who is paying the bills, your parents or yourself. If your parents pay, will your education cause a hardship for them?
Everyone who graduates from a school of nursing has to take State Boards. This is a test to see if you have mastered the goals of your class curriculum. Even though you may have aced every test in college, and did in fact receive your diploma, you still have to jump this last hurdle and satisfy the state requirements. The test is the same for Associate and for Bachelor Degrees. The only difference is when you take the test.
You have the option of receiving your Associate Degree, taking State Boards, then re-enrolling in college to obtain your Bachelor's Degree. If you sign up for the four year program, you won't graduate until you earn your Bachelor Degree. You cannot stop in the middle of the program to take State Boards.
You need to determine how long you can put off your career. Can you afford to wait four years for your BSN? Do you need to start your employment after two years? Do you have the time and commitment to have a job while you go to college? It is very easy to find excuses why you can't go to class or finish your education. Do you have the drive and determination to complete it? Will you allow your personal life such as marriage and children deter you from your ultimate goals?
On the other hand, just because you enjoyed playing "nurse" with your dolls and your little brother, are you sure that nursing is the correct fit for you? Consider taking the ASN program, get your feet wet in the nursing field, and then reevaluate how you feel about it.
Any career choices you ascribe to is a major decision, and only you can make it. Research the pros and cons, know yourself, and welcome to the fulfilling role of nursing.
