Big dreams with much disappointment ...sigh!

[Dreaming4acute87]

I graduated in 2010 with an ASN, I knew what the job market looked like. I knew I would have to "do my time" in an alternative work environment. Two and a half years later I have a 14 month wonderful son and long term care experience under my belt. I was excited and scared in the beginning, I was so appreciative to have my job. I have been supporting my husband while he finished grad school. I graduated nursing school with honors, excited to come into the world of nursing. I am so depressed going to work every day knowing I need more out of my career. A doctor stat is called at my facility and my heart jumps as a glimmer of what I loved in nursing school comes to life again. I learn a new skill here and there and hold on to it for the life of me.I find myself browsing allnurses, unable to read about those RNs talking about their new exciting acute care jobs because it hurts too much. Turning away from nursing magazines because my yearning for more is too frustrating I see student nurses come through our halls, look at them with a mix of jealousy and awe. I know I need to move on but I just can not catch a break having been looking very seriously since OCT,I now feel like a starlet trying to make it big in Hollywood. Even my VP of nursing has told me "girl you need acute care, you would be awesome...just keep applying." It has gotten to the point where I am embarrassed to say I am STILL looking for a new job to those always asking. I do not have many more days of PTO left, taking off work to shadow, interview only to have my emails and calls ignored for weeks at a time. I wish they would just say NO, pulling the band aid off quickly and swiftly. Not dodging me for weeks at a time. I look at coworkers who have made it into the hospital and wonder what do they have that I do not. I feel my application is sent to some cyber space with no one on the other side. I have been on quite a few interviews, mostly through connections hearing very positive feedback but it is just not happening. Either it is a "budget issue," or my ltc experience, my lack of a Bachelors, or maybe it is just me! I always hear the same feedback, "you did great in the interview...we really liked you but..." I do have a scheduling issue with some aspects of the weekend but countless of other friends have made it work. I have enrolled this week for my RN-BSN online. I am discouraged, sad, and just needed to vent.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Hang in there. You'll figure it out.

Unless you have a bachelor's degree in something else + the ADN, going right for MSN is a bit problematic, pragmatically speaking.

*** The OP came here for advice. Not very helpful to give her inaccurate information.

To the OP: Of corse you don't need a bachelors degree in anything to earn an MSN in 3 or 4 semesters. It's just a suggestion. I have seen other ADN RNs take a similar path with sucsess.

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

I know how you feel OP. My advice is to keep applying and start following up with the nurse managers and recruiters. Applying online is not good enough anymore, time to get the stalking. It worked for me:)

Exactly. I was sending out applications for a while with no luck. Finally, I just went to a hospital I was very interested in and asked to speak to a recruiter. Was asked for interview that same week, then second interview week after that. A lot easier to make a lasting impression when you meet face to face.

[Music in My Heart]

Exactly. I was sending out applications for a while with no luck. Finally, I just went to a hospital I was very interested in and asked to speak to a recruiter. Was asked for interview that same week, then second interview week after that. A lot easier to make a lasting impression when you meet face to face.

That *can* work at times... but at places like my hospital, you'd never, ever make it past the front of HR and security... online apps only... only... period.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

*** I would suggest forgetting about the BSN. You have already interviewed several times and not been offered positions. To make yourself stand out I would skip over the BSN go strait to MSN. SHould give you a real leg up when applying to those hospital jobs.

?????

[PMFB-RN, RN]

?????

If you have a question or something to say you will have to be more specific. I don't know what "?????" means.

[Guest343211]

*** The OP came here for advice. Not very helpful to give her inaccurate information.

To the OP: Of corse you don't need a bachelors degree in anything to earn an MSN in 3 or 4 semesters. It's just a suggestion. I have seen other ADN RNs take a similar path with sucsess.

So wait. Where are you seeing those without another undergrad degree getting a MSN in a year?

The people that I see bridging directly into MSN programs are those with ~80% of undergrad nursing science requirments for bachelor's level, after they had their ADN, OR those with undergrad degrees--bachelors degrees in other things, went to an acclerating nursing program and then launched into an MSN program. The OP has an ADN, but I am not seeing where she said she has a four year degree in another art or science. See what I mean? The acclerated bridge MSN programs are usually for those that may have gotten an ADN after having obtained a four-year degree in something else.

Clearly there is some miscommunication or missing information. What you are saying is new to me. You almost always have to meet pre-reqs for the next level for grad educations, unless you have something unusual going on like were a ten year old prodigy (prodigy going into nursing--not likely--just saying. . .), or you have met certain special conditions with a committee within the grad school of nursing. This is something that would very much be an outlier statistically speaking. You dont' set plans by way of outlier applications unless you know you fall within the outlier probability zone--and even then, it may be risky. And you don't just say, to the PD, "Hey, I killed the GRE, so here I am. Let's get me started on those grad courses."

Some schools will allow you movement toward the MSN, after acceptance into their Bachelor's program, and you declare your matriculations intentions when you are like 3/4 of the way through,** if your gpa is high enough. But you have to have a high enough GPA (see particular school/program), you have to have meet the required number of undergrad pre-reqs--or gotten some lovely and special committee to let you text out on many of them, and then you have to put in writing your intentions for matriculation to a particular graduate program. They then MAY allow you to take certain grad courses in lieu of other undergrad requirements--but it depends upon the school. I've seen this cut back a lot at a number of Brick and Mortar schools.

BTW, those are the schools I recommend to people--in case they change their path in the future or something like that. Certain graduate education programs want degrees from Brick and Mortar four-years. So say someone wants to apply to some particular medical or law program/s. They may either not accept the non B&M degrees, or they may look down on them, and hold their nose as they are placing your application to the "no way" pile.

Otherwise, I really have no idea what you are talking about.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

So wait. Where are you seeing those without another undergrad degree getting a MSN in a year?

The people that I see bridging directly into MSN programs are those with ~80% of undergrad nursing science requirments for bachelor's level, after they had their ADN, OR those with undergrad degrees--bachelors degrees in other things, went to an acclerating nursing program and then launched into an MSN program. The OP has an ADN, but I am not seeing where she said she has a four year degree in another art or science. See what I mean? The acclerated bridge MSN programs are usually for those that may have gotten an ADN after having obtained a four-year degree in something else.

*** In a year? No I didn't say that. Those I know who have done RN to MSN did it in 2 years, with one fellow who was very ambitious doing it in 18 months.

There are a number of RN to MSN programs that allow RNs with associates degrees to enter the MSN directly without any undergraduate degree and no other college beyond the associates degree. No BSN in earned along the way. A number of nurses in my hospital have competed such programs and I can think of 4 nurses off the top of my head who are currently enrolled in RN to MSN programs. The advantage is that they can complete a MSN in about the same time they would otherwise spend getting a BSN. These programs typicaly require more credits than the BSN to MSN programs, like 44 instead of 36. They seem to be all the rage in my neighborhood.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

The OP has an ADN, but I am not seeing where she said she has a four year degree in another art or science. See what I mean? The acclerated bridge MSN programs are usually for those that may have gotten an ADN after having obtained a four-year degree in something else.

Clearly there is some miscommunication or missing information. What you are saying is new to me.

Here is an example of one such program. There are others but I know several people enrolled in this one. University of Arizona (a real bricks and morter university with a school of nursing) RN to MSN in clinical systems leadership. No pre-reqs except RN lisence with some experience (I think 2 years, not sure), GPA >3.0, associates degree from an acceredited nursing school. Program is 44 credits and can be comleted in 2 years taking one class at a time, each class being 8 weeks. No bachelors degree required, no college classes, other than those taken in the ADN program, required. No BSN earned along the way. I don't know why this would be surpising. You don't need to earn an associates degree before you earn a bachelors degree, there have long been bachelors to doctorate programs. Why should you need a bachelors degree to earn a masters degree?

http://www.nursing.arizona.edu/RNMSApply.htm