Debating between ABSN vs ADN
I am heavily debating between two programs right now, an Accelerated BSN or an Associates degree in Nursing and am wondering what others think given the following reasons:
The biggest issue I have choosing between the two is that both schools are expensive and will pretty much cost me the same. I don't live near any community colleges as I live in a very rural part of my state. The only options are private schools and a state school, and the state school is just as expensive as the private school unfortunately.
I keep hearing that ABSN programs are extremely harder than a 2 year associate program. Is this true? This particular ABSN program is 18 months long over 4 terms. The associate degree program I applied to forces you to get your LPN the first year, then in the second year you get your Associates in Nursing. Will I have a harder time in nursing school if I go the ABSN route or will it be about the same stress levels?
My last concern is that the two programs have clinical placements at different hospitals. One of the scholarships I’m considering is specifically for students who commit to working at rural hospitals, and the ADN program’s clinical sites appear to qualify, while the ABSN program’s do not. So my question is whether hospitals tend to favor hiring nursing graduates who completed their clinical rotations at their facilities? Would completing clinicals at a particular hospital provide an advantage when applying for a position there after graduation?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.