Nursing in Denver (Center: transplants, credit, student loans)

[Kwostin]

We are planning to move to Denver from Las Vegas next summer. I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could help me figure out:

I am planning to attend nursing school to achieve either an RN or BSN. I already have my degree in Liberal Arts from UNLV. I could attend Nursing school here before we move, but that will push back our move by THREE years! How are the Nursing programs in Denver/surrounding area? I have looked into Regis and a few others, but I feel like I really don't know where to start!!!

I want to be competitive when I leave school, but also leave with very few student loans, etc. Are there any incentives (like the Hospital paying off your student loans if you work with them after you graduate)? If I were to attend a less expensive school, would I still leave with a competitive degree? Does the salary for an someone with an Associates degree really differ that greatly from someone who has their BSN? Should I suck it up and get it here before I move?

Any advice greatly appreciated!!!!!!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Kwostin

We are planning to move to Denver from Las Vegas next summer. I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could help me figure out:

I am planning to attend nursing school to achieve either an RN or BSN. I already have my degree in Liberal Arts from UNLV. I could attend Nursing school here before we move, but that will push back our move by THREE years! How are the Nursing programs in Denver/surrounding area? I have looked into Regis and a few others, but I feel like I really don't know where to start!!!

I want to be competitive when I leave school, but also leave with very few student loans, etc. Are there any incentives (like the Hospital paying off your student loans if you work with them after you graduate)? If I were to attend a less expensive school, would I still leave with a competitive degree? Does the salary for an someone with an Associates degree really differ that greatly from someone who has their BSN? Should I suck it up and get it here before I move?

Any advice greatly appreciated!!!!!!

First of all, you don't get an RN in college. You get the RN from taking a test after finishing nursing school. Nursing has three entry-into-practice routes: AAS, diploma (rare today, usually run by hospitals or trade schools), and BSN.

There is a saying, "Nurses Eat Their Young". So take any advice from a nurse, including me, with a grain of salt. I would especially keep my salt shaker around when people start telling you to get the AAS.

I would say, GET THE BSN, no matter how you have to do it. You will receive advice to get an AAS from some nurses. Rationales will vary. But ask yourself why the person is telling you this. What kind of nursing background do they have? A BSN will offer you more opportunity for advancement, no matter what anyone will tell you to the contrary. It will also give you wider employment opportunites, e.g., public/community health, etc, and a basis for getting your master's, if you wish to pursue that.

As for nursing programs in Denver; Regis, The University of Colorado Health Science Center, and Metro State College all have BSN programs for people with other degrees. I know the wait list for CU is long, like a couple of years. (I know someone who just got in.) There may be others nearby. I would suggest a google search.

I haven't worked in a hospital for a long time, so I can't answer the salary issue. But I have addressed the opportunity for advancement issue. Health departments usually require a BSN. I don't know if there are hospitals that offer incentives. You could google that, too, though the information may be hard to find that way. You could ask the advisors at the nursing schools, who usually have some idea what is going on in the general nursing community.

[Kwostin]

I actually have a friend who had a degree in Bio and then did a fast-track program at a community college to get an AAS in nursing. She was super happy that she was able to work so quickly and make the same starting salary as the other nurses.

But I totally hear you on the advancement issue. That is a HUGE part of a decision in any career. But isn't it possible that someone could get their AAS quickly, start work, and then go back for an accelerated RN-BSN? Do you think this would simply be a waste of time?? I suppose if there is a waiting list to get into these programs, the time-frame to achieve a BSN would be virtually the same........

Also, because you are in the industry - and have presumably encountered many new-hires just out of school, or with little experience - I was curious if you have noticed that the school a nurse has attended has really made a significant impact on their being considered for employment (of course considering cost of tuition)? If so, which do you suppose would be best to attend in the Denver area? I know here in Vegas, we are in such great need of nurses, some of the hospitals will pay for a nurse to go to school if they sign a 2-yr contract of employment at that hospital! So it doesn't really matter where one has gone to school, just that they are licensed!!! But I read in another post that nursing in Denver is a lot more competitive.....

I really am just trying to make a more informed decision on the course of my decisions over the next year so I can be better prepared!

Thanks for any advice!!

[Katarina Witt]

You're welcome!

But I totally hear you on the advancement issue. That is a HUGE part of a decision in any career. But isn't it possible that someone could get their AAS quickly, start work, and then go back for an accelerated RN-BSN? Do you think this would simply be a waste of time?? I suppose if there is a waiting list to get into these programs, the time-frame to achieve a BSN would be virtually the same........

Oh, yes, that's possible, but it takes about as long as getting a BSN if you already have a degree. A nurse at our office did that, and guess what? Now, she doesn't want to go back to school any more. You need to calculate that into the equation, too. You figured out the answer for yourself in that last sentence. In fact, the wait list for some community colleges (e.g. Front Range, Westminister) is as long if not longer than for CU! IMO, if you got an AAS, then went back, you would just be putting your high-earning powers on the back burner for a few more years, and you would be going to school longer, during which you would probably have to take out student loans.

I haven't worked with any new grads for a long time. I currently work in an office that likes to hire "experienced" RNs, meaning older ones. It's nice that somebody wants us, LOL! Before that, I worked in public health, which also likes to hire experienced, though not necessarily older, nurses (e.g. 2 yrs experience). It is generally required to have a BSN to work in public health. I don't know if nursing managers are concerned with where a nurse went to school, certainly not a few years out, anyway. There are a lot of transplants here who went to school in other states. In my office, there is currently no one who got their original degree in Colorado. The closest is the University of Wyoming. Personally, I'd go with CU or Regis, but that's more of a gut feeling than anything else.

As I said before, I don't know the hospital situation here, if they pay hiring bonuses, have tuition reimbursement, whatever. Nursing in Denver is competitive, especially when you want to get out of the 12 hr shift work.

[Mike from back east]

Denver Post reports on a Medical/Nursing job fair held this week. Recruiters say the are hiring as usual, despite a bad economy.

Denver-area health jobs buck trend - The Denver Post

[KatrynS]

Keep in mind that when you move you would pay out-of-state tuition for the first 12mo -- that's a BIG difference! Just looking at tuition costs, a BSN would cost $25-30K (just the nursing part, since you have a bachelors degree already) and an AAS about $10K -- and that's for in-state-tuition. [UC Dever is $400/credit but a CC is $120/credit.]

My mom worked 30 years as an RN. She got an AAS worked as an RN and then went back to get a bachelor's in business (hospital management) in later to solve the advancement issue. She never got a BSN, but advanced thru management. At least her experience was you did need a bachelors, but any bachelors would do. You might want to talk to HR dept around where you are now to see if that is still the case, in which case why bother with the BSN?

There are also AAS->BSN programs. Check out the UC Denver site to see how that would play out for you.

Since you have residency in NV, I'd start by looking at your opportunities there. Check with the nursing program at your college -- may be able to work out a fast-track BSN. Or if you really wan to move, consider picking up your pre-reqs (biology, math) before you move -- you can't even apply for the RN program waitlists until they are complete. Might as well get those met and have your wait time apply towards residency!

[Katarina Witt]

I did a comparison on the AAS > BSN program at Metro (I think) on the education forum a while back. You still lose credits. They don't accept all your AAS credits, and you need some other gen ed credits. You could do a search. You could also look at Metro's and Front Range's websites, which is what I did to make that comparison. It takes as long, if not longer, than just getting a BSN, especially if you have another degree. For someone with a degree, I think the CU program for people who already have a BS degree is the best bet in CO. You can also check with UNC and Regis to see what they offer in that area.