refresher course or dual degree program for older inexperienced RN

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · May 12, 2005

This depends on your plans now that you are retired. Do you want to be a staff nurse? Do you prefer the bedside? Or, would you like to teach nursing? If you would like to be a nursing instructor, then a direct entry MSN program might be the best career choice for you.

If you prefer the bedside, another refresher course along with an extensive orientation on a general medical surgical floor (with good nurse patient ratios and excellent support) would be the best choice.

Best wishes and please keep us posted :)

krisssy · May 13, 2005

This depends on your plans now that you are retired. Do you want to be a staff nurse? Do you prefer the bedside? Or, would you like to teach nursing? If you would like to be a nursing instructor, then a direct entry MSN program might be the best career choice for you.
If you prefer the bedside, another refresher course along with an extensive orientation on a general medical surgical floor (with good nurse patient ratios and excellent support) would be the best choice.
Best wishes and please keep us posted :)

I would LOVE to teach nursing, as I was very good at teaching in my previous career. BUT, can you teach nursing when you have never worked as a nurse in a hospital-even if you get an MS in nursing?

suzanne4, RN · May 13, 2005

I graduated with a BSN in 1969. After two years as a school nurse teacher, I changed careers and got an MA in education and taught in the elementary schools up until a few years ago when I retired. I have no clinical experience except what I got in nursing school. I took a refresher course for 6 weeks two years ago. As soon as I started feeling a little comfortable, it was over. I needed another year of that refresher course. In the interim, my career was put on hold with two abdominal surgeries. I did manage to complete a drug dosage and calculation workbook all by myself.
I am well now. My question is: do I take another refresher course OR do I apply for a dual degree program for second degree students which also allows students to accelerate by progressively introducing master's courses? I thought it might be a good idea if I transferred everything except the nursing courses and just took them all over again.
I would appreciate your advice. Thank you very much.

Do you actually hold a current license to practice in your state? If you kept it up, you should be okay with another refresher or extensive orientation. Some things have changed considerably, and other things are still the same.

Just as the above poster stated, it will also depend on what you want to do...

and also up to your BON if you need to get a license.

Good luck................ :)

krisssy · May 13, 2005

Do you actually hold a current license to practice in your state? If you kept it up, you should be okay with another refresher or extensive orientation. Some things have changed considerably, and other things are still the same.
Just as the above poster stated, it will also depend on what you want to do...
and also up to your BON if you need to get a license.
Good luck................ :)

Yes I do have a current license in the state of New York. The board of nursing in NYS is fine with me working-it is me who feels insecure and like I don't know anything!

suzanne4, RN · May 13, 2005

Great, now what do you want to do? Teach or bedside nursing? Or strictly administrative? The world is open to you...................

suzanne4, RN · May 13, 2005

I should add that the reason that I asked about your license before was if you had not kept it up, many states would have made you attend mandatory classes before being able to practice. You saved yourself alot of time and grief. :)

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · May 13, 2005

I would LOVE to teach nursing, as I was very good at teaching in my previous career. BUT, can you teach nursing when you have never worked as a nurse in a hospital-even if you get an MS in nursing?

In which area(s) of nursing education would you like to specialize? It is true that many programs (or state regulations/ accreditation agencies) require a certain amount of nursing experience for instructors (usually two years). Some, however, are very flexible with requirements. This can vary considerably from program to program or from state to state. Years ago, our nursing school had an excellent maternal-newborn faculty member who had very little experience as a practicing nurse. (She was actually my instructor while I was in the ADN program. She was such an effective teacher that I was shocked to learn she had never worked in a hospital. I am now teaching many of her former courses.) In one of my nursing education classes there was a nurse with a unique specialty area (genetics) who also has never worked in the hospital setting. Despite this fact, she has already been hired to teach in a relatively new BSN program in the state. My advice would be to check with nursing schools in your area to find out their requirements for new faculty and proceed from there. There is such a shortage that aspiring nurse educators are being promoted much faster into the field.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · May 13, 2005

I graduated with a BSN in 1969. After two years as a school nurse teacher, I changed careers and got an MA in education and taught in the elementary schools up until a few years ago when I retired. I have no clinical experience except what I got in nursing school. I took a refresher course for 6 weeks two years ago. As soon as I started feeling a little comfortable, it was over. I needed another year of that refresher course. In the interim, my career was put on hold with two abdominal surgeries. I did manage to complete a drug dosage and calculation workbook all by myself.
I am well now. My question is: do I take another refresher course OR do I apply for a dual degree program for second degree students which also allows students to accelerate by progressively introducing master's courses? I thought it might be a good idea if I transferred everything except the nursing courses and just took them all over again.

Where is your discomfort, exactly? Clinically or in theory? When you speak of the dual degree program, do you mean a BN/MSN (thus, repeating your BSN??) If that is what you mean, I would not bother. I did the BS after the ADN, and IMO, I felt I really learned nothing more than fluff. There were no hard core nursing classes (diseases, treatments, etc). At the time, i was not working in the hospital, and thought school would benefit me, in keeping me in the loop. It did not. I would go with the refresher again, esp. if it includes a clinical component. No matter what you plan to do in nursing, you need to know what's going on in the hospital :twocents: . Are you 'upstate' or 'downstate'?

krisssy · May 13, 2005

Great, now what do you want to do? Teach or bedside nursing? Or strictly administrative? The world is open to you...................

I would LOVE to teach or do administrative work. But, how is that possible when I have no clinical experience beyond nursing school graduating in 1969?

Could I even get accepted into a master's program without any nursing experience? Would I be able to do the work being away from nursing for so long?

krisssy · May 13, 2005

Where is your discomfort, exactly? Clinically or in theory? When you speak of the dual degree program, do you mean a BN/MSN (thus, repeating your BSN??) If that is what you mean, I would not bother. I did the BS after the ADN, and IMO, I felt I really learned nothing more than fluff. There were no hard core nursing classes (diseases, treatments, etc). At the time, i was not working in the hospital, and thought school would benefit me, in keeping me in the loop. It did not. I would go with the refresher again, esp. if it includes a clinical component. No matter what you plan to do in nursing, you need to know what's going on in the hospital . Are you 'upstate' or 'downstate'?

My discomfort is really in clinical. I virtually have NO experience since nursing school(1969 graduation) except for the refresher course two years ago. Yes I did mean a BN/MSN program which would mean repeating all the nursing courses. Yes, I was looking for hard core nursing classes. Maybe I should repeat the refresher class and then go for my masters immediately after that. What do you think? I am downstate in Long island.