Going from BSN to MSW, is it worth it?

[jodiBSN]

Hello fellow co-workers,

I've been kicking around the thought of moving into the social work world and would love some outside thoughts.

I currently have a BSN with 10+ years of experience. I'm looking into further education, such as Family Nurse Practitioner but would also like to consider the possibility of social work. I like the idea of working with refugees, street kids, refugee kids etc. both in the States and Aboard.

With that goal in mind, would pursing social work better equip me for that and open more opportunities for me?

What do you think?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Social work is (the experience of several close friends) a very expensive degree to get, and the pay is terrible.

On the other hand, I have a couple friends who are RNs who work with refugee populations both here in the states and with Doctors without Borders. (South Sudan, Myanmar, Syria)

So I guess what I'm saying is that you can significantly impact these populations as a nurse and don't need a SW background to do so.

[jodiBSN]

That's a great point.

What about the counseling/therapy aspect with working with these populations? I'm assuming there's more, extensive training in a MSW program. A RN is trained to care for the patient holistically but programs generally fall short on the therapy training needed for this.

[amoLucia]

Why not consider psych nsg? Or some post graduation certification programs?

There are multiple postings here that cover the 2 as competing professions. From my quick check, they seem to favor nsg over soc work.

Over education, under compensation, limited job availability & soul sucking responsibilities are cited.

You really need to research your options.

Good luck to you.