Should I start my BSN or wait for RN-MSN?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello all.

First, let me say that I visit All Nurses every day and I have found this board to be an amazing resource for information about nursing and all the joys, sorrows, problems, decisions, and choices associated with the profession. Now I'd like to ask for some input.

I'm a nursing student on summer break and in September I will begin the 3rd quarter in a 6 quarter ADN program. I am 41 years old and have a prior BA in Biology (with 10 years experience in environmental research). I chose to do an ADN rather than a BSN for several reasons, but mainly because I already have a bachelor's degree, the ADN would be faster than a traditional BSN, and I couldn't find an accelerated BSN program near where I live.

I am already planning ahead for how to further my nursing education after I finish my ADN. I definitely want to go into a Master's program. I'm thinking Acute Care Nurse Practitioner right now but I expect I'll figure out exactly what I want to do once I have more clinical experience. I'm worried about getting hired as a new grad. I've read that many hospitals in my area prefer a BSN, particularly when screening applicants for critical care or ER internships (which I am interested in doing).

My local research hospital has a RN-BSN program and I could apply to start taking some classes (theory classes not clinical classes) during my 4th quarter of my ADN program. But considering I will want to enter a MSN program as soon as possible after my ADN, is it worth it to start working on my BSN while in my ADN program? Or should I skip the BSN and just enter a RN-MSN bridge program once I get my ADN and start working? The RN-MSN program will take 2 years but full-time and I can't start any of the classes until I finish my ADN.

Would the fact that I'm taking classes toward a BSN make me look better when I'm applying for jobs as a new grad ADN nurse? I think this is the burning question because if my previous BA will serve the same purpose then I'm not sure I need to go through the added cost and pressure of taking BSN courses while finishing my ADN.

Thanks so much for any input, I am in a big dilemma over this.

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Earning your MSN is an excellent idea but im wondering if it makes more sense to receive your BSN first. Once you become an RN you will gain clinical experience then you can really find out what your niche is and then specialize in that area. :nuke:Im currently a BSN student and this is only my opinion. Good luck with whichever route you take.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

In my area most positions do not require a BSN. Having a previous bachelor's degree will likely help you as you search for a nursing position.

From what I understand, most RN-MSN programs are much faster than completing a separate BSN. Some of the schools in my area will accept students directly into the master's program with an ADN and a BA or BS in another field.

Good luck to you :)

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Earning your MSN is an excellent idea but im wondering if it makes more sense to receive your BSN first. Once you become an RN you will gain clinical experience then you can really find out what your niche is and then specialize in that area. :nuke:Im currently a BSN student and this is only my opinion. Good luck with whichever route you take.

I think you're right, it would be good to get at some experience as an RN prior to applying to an MSN program. However, because I have a BA already, I can start an RN-MSN almost right away when I graduate, and have my MSN in almost the same length of time it would take to finish the BSN.

I think I feel the time crunch a little more acutely because I am 41. I don't want to spend too much time exploring possibilities after I graduate (I've been doing that most of my life so far :lol2:, now I need to buckle down and committ to a career path.) I want to start working on advanced education as soon as possible.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Just my opinion...

I graduated from ADN in May. For me, finding a job was no problem. I've been feeling the school "itch" and finally decided to go for a BSN. My rationale is that, after 6 months on the job, I still don't really know what kind of nursing I want to do. I feel that While ADN and BSN programs get you into the door of nursing, the MSN is really the career-making degree, because they are much more specialized programs. They are also very costly. Before I invest the time, energy, and cash into a Master's degree, I want to make sure it's really the career path I want to take. So my advice is, unless you are absolutely certain of what you want to do with a MSN, I'd wait and work for a while, get some clinical experience and knowledge, and then go from there.

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