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How should I got about my nursing career, please read, thanks in advance for any advise.?

I've been admitted to the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and i planned on going there until i did some research and found out that's better just to go to community college and become an RN and then later pursue my bsn and ms with financial help of the hospital that i'll work for, which in most cases they'd cover most of the tuition. Since Im out of state total cost woul be around 40k per year if i went to University of Pittsburgh but because of my high GPA and test scores (3.8,2150 SAT) i've received scholarships that take care of virtually all tuition ,i'd just have to pay about $10,500 per year in loans for room,board,and books. So should I go to the University and get my BSN or should i just go straight for the RN at the community college, which would be absolutely free in fact i'd get money back every semester, work for about a year and then go and get my bsn. In either case i plan on getting a masters later in Nursing,business, or education, and more than likely my PhD

Public Comments

1. Rock on with your acceptance! If you got the scholarship take full advantage of it. That is an expensive school to attend and you never know if you will be accepted after you attend a community college. It's possible that your GPA could drop due to unknown circumstances, like a bad term.
2. I'm a recent graduate of a great Community college nursing program in Centralia, WA. However, to answer your question, if I had the opportunity I believe I would have went to a University. The reason for this is the amount of indept nursing that will be allowed by the University, their labs, their cadaveurs, their instructors are more than likely well above what the comm. college can offer, except for the instructors. Another however, ultimately a university student who pays 15-40k/year will have the exact same certification as a student attending a comm. college. The university student will have a easier transition, I would think, to the BSN; seeing as to how the student is already there and used to the environment. If you're a go getter and plan to be the best possible nurse you can be, then just go to a comm. college because you will be driven to succeed no matter where you received your certification.
3. Several things to consider here. College is expensive, and if you have a scholarship you should consider it. But also, most (not all) community colleges dont give you as good of an education (for nursing programs). You are better educated and get more clinical hours going the BSN route. But if you are definetly planning on getting your BSN later, then it wouldnt be that big of a deal. Make sure to look into the courses offered at both the university and the community college. Compare the nursing courses and see which looks better for you. The actual BSN is mostly more basic classes, but the nursing courses might be better in the univeristy compared to the community college. Look into the courses and get a feel for what you want to do. I think it will be easier to decide if you can compare them. Dont forget scholarships are major, and debt is not fun, however if you can work out a payment plan with the university (loan companies more specifically) then you would be able to pay off the loans farely quickly with the salary of a nurse. Hope I didnt confuse you more. Good luck.