Direct entry Msn for non-nursing BA? - Page 2

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  1. Jul 23, '12 by
    i completely disagree with the comments about people in direct entry programs not having the adequate knowledge and nursing education compared to traditional nursing programs. i am currently going through the marquette direct-entry program for non-nursing degree students and i feel like i have learned a lot of what's really important to know as a nurse and i am able to retain a lot of that knowledge because we have such a short time before we apply it. there are still science prerequisites we have to pass in order to get accepted so we still have the base knowledge before starting nursing school. marquette really does a great job of teaching us what we need to know and making sure we leave the program knowing how to treat patients ethically and utilizing our critical thinking skills. marquette has a very high nclex passing rate and every nurse i've talked to that graduated from the rn portion found jobs within 2 months. marquette is a very well respected school and you will receive a great education that employers will pay attention to when hiring you as their nurse.
    only down side is that it is expensive but it is definitely worth it.
    mzaur, Maseca, myelin, and 1 other like this.
  2. Jul 23, '12 by
    marquette enjoys a good reputation precisely because it is a longer program and they do teach more nursing. i got the impression from the op that the course of study s/he was considering did not do that. please correct me if i'm wrong.
  3. Jul 23, '12 by
    I am applying for a direct-entry MSN in at Georgia Heath Sciences University. It is for people that have a degree in a non-nursing field. The program is only 16 months long but it's very intensive (15 credit hours each semester) and they have a huge amount of clinical hours...much more than the 2 year BSN program. I hear the concerns over direct-entry MSN and accelerated programs but I'm not sure why it is so looked down on. I considered going the ADN route but I just can't justify it. It does concern me though when I hear people saying that direct-entry, accelerated nurses are not as good somehow. I guess it also confuses me. Is it really that hard to get employed with a direcy-entry MSN? Why?
  4. Jul 23, '12 by
    "I considered going the ADN route but I just can't justify it. It does concern me though when I hear people saying that direct-entry, accelerated nurses are not as good somehow. I guess it also confuses me. Is it really that hard to get employed with a direcy-entry MSN? Why?"

    I am guessing that it has to do with lack of experience. May I ask what reservations you have regarding going the ADN route?
  5. Guide
    Jul 23, '12 by
    I'm a direct entry grad from a very well known and respected school. My classmates and I had no trouble getting jobs. Prospective employers were more concerned about a lack of NP experience than lack of bedside nursing experience. Reputable DE programs are extremely selective and competitive, and only accept students who have proven they are successful academically, professionally, and have life experience and skills that can translate well to nursing. In many cases, less than 10% of applicants are accepted.

    I have precepted both DE and traditional NP students. Neither group was better than the other, clincally and academically. I had experienced RNs struggle as they had to shift their mindset to that of a provider. I've had experienced RNs become frustrated because they thought NP clinicals would utilize their bedside skills, and they found that it was a whole different skill set. I've also had DE students flounder because they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work they had to do to meet expectations. I've also had students from both backgrounds excel. Point is, success was much more influenced by the individual, rather than by nursing experience.

    Yes, there are a lot of DE "haters" out there. Sadly, most of them are fellow nurses. There are many reasons for this, which I don't want to get into, because that's not what this thread is about. Just be prepared for this should you enter a DE program.

    I would recommend an established "bricks and mortar" program should you go the DE route. I think it's better to have face to face support from faculty and staff who know you, and it's good to be able to utilize the resources of the school (library, writing lab, etc) in person. I also found the friendship and support of my classmates to be invaluable. I'd recommend applying to a program that finds your preceptors for you, and doesn't leave you hanging in the wind trying to find your own. A good DE program will most likely be the hardest thing you've ever done, but I have no regrets at all. I love being an NP, my patients and supervisors are happy with me, and that's all that matters.
    Maseca, myelin, and metal_m0nk like this.
  6. Jul 23, '12 by
    My experience has been the same as the previous poster. The role socialization in the first year of practice for NPs is very stressful, regardless of previous experience.

    Rich, E.R. (2005). Does RN experience relate to NP clinical skills? The Nurse Practitioner, 30(12), 53-56.
    Last edit by BostonFNP on Jul 23, '12
  7. Jul 23, '12 by
    Wow, uh, the direct entry grads in my area all find jobs as NPs, unless they choose to work as RNs since it sometimes pays better. Also, their licenses are completely transferable state-to-state. Of course these programs teach nursing. The entire first portion is completely dedicated to RN training, with the MSN training following once the student is a licensed RN. Lots of people work as RNs during the MSN portion. Direct entry programs exist at many of the elite nursing schools (Penn, UCSF, Yale, etc). These are the best schools in the country and these programs are extremely competitive. The idea that direct entry grads are any "less" than other grads is completely unfounded, and honestly, it seems that other nurses just don't like the idea that people have taken a different pathway from what they did. It's silly.
    midido80 and Maseca like this.
  8. Jul 23, '12 by
    lalopop,My reservations about an ASN program versus a direct-entry MSN is primarily that I already have a BA degree so yes I do feel that an ASN would be a step backwards for me. I'm also 32 years old and I don't want to spend the next 10 years at school, I want to work. Also my husband is in the army and we move frequently so it isn't easy for me to go to school so when I have a choice between ASN and MSN it's a no-brainer really.
    midido80 and jt43 like this.
  9. Jul 23, '12 by
    Marquette is very expensive, last I heard $900 a credit. By now its probably more!
  10. Jul 23, '12 by
    Quote from HouTx
    Do some serious investigation before plunking down mega-bucks on a direct-entry MSN program. There are a lot of pitfalls.

    First of all, employers are just not hiring these grads due to negative experiences. Employers in my area are very wary of accelerated programs due to the fact that grads do not get sufficient clinical exposure and sufficient time to become enculturated into the nursing profession. The 'advanced degree' does not make any difference in salary since it does signify any clinical expertise. Grads from these programs may also run into real problems if they want to relocate to another state unless they were awarded a BSN along the way.
    Interesting. A little googling, for Houston, TX the avg RN salary is 76k and NP 93k (Indeed.com). Does a fresh NP make as much as a seasoned RN in most locales, probably not at the start, but over a career they will fill out. I don't think most NPs are in it for the money anyways as most choose NP over MD/DO for reasons other than cash.