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One other word of advice (and I am playing devil's advocate here). You may hear from others that the best route is the obtain a 2 yr associate degree and then practice an an RN. Depending upon the place of employment, there is no differnce in salary between and 2 yr and 4 yr grad. Both have the same responsibilities and take the same license exam. Once you are employed, then you can take advantage of tuition reimbursement and go back for the BSN degree. It can be cheaper doing it this way in the long run.
But.... I don't necessarily share this view. In today's world with tight budgets at hospitals, tuition reimbursement is not all that great. I know many nurses trying this route and it is taking them a long time and much of it is coming out of their own pocket. It is stressful to be working full-time (which you have to do to get the tuition reimbursement) plus go to school, pay bills, take care of family, etc.....
If you can, I always advocate going to school and getting the BSN to start with. Many jobs require a BSN (management, sales, some research, etc.) If life gets in the way and you can't get back to school for another degree, then your options may be limited with an associate degree. I do know many 2 yr grads that are happily practicing and practicing in a variety of areas. But many of them are also going back to school to try to advance.
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