Seeking some advice with my career

karmyk · Jul 21, 2006

1. if i have a choice of joining a 16 moth course of bsn (tuition fee $ 40,000+) or adn (tuition fee of $13,000+), which one should i get into ? i wanted to know if there is clear distinct advantage in getting a bsn degree as compared to adn as far as rn is concerned ? will it be financially beneficial to get into bsn program ?

the answer is: it depends (sorry... my favorite calc teacher used to say this a lot).

do you want to work pediatrics or possibly some other specialized nursing field? i think in many hospitals, they prefer for you to have your bsn instead of your adn to work in certain fields.

if you get your adn, are you planning to do an rn-bsn bridge? if that's the case, it might cost the same amount of money in the long run.

are you planning on getting your msn? while many schools offer msn programs for people with their bsn, there are only a few that have direct rn-msn programs... although some schools will also consider applicants with a bachelors in another field. so you might want to take that into consideration, too.

you'll be able to work as a nurse with both, and you'll be able to make good money regardless, but i think the bsn opens additional doors to you... so it depends what you want in the long run. for example, my cousin already had a b.a. in political science and decided on an accellerated adn program because she was planning to eventually go to school later for nursing/healthcare-related law... so for her, she felt that the adn fit what she needed more.

2. are there lot of people in nursing or similar profession with computer or engineering degree ? will my engineering degree be any beneficial to my career in the long run (i know it will not be anything till i get enough experience in the early days) ? if so, what kind of career should i pursue? i was thinking in terms of hospital management or something similar but do not know what kinds of skills are required there ?

former electrical engineer (for 5 long years in an uninspiring "engineering" job in the military... if there's one organization that lets engineers just waste away in dull, unchallenging, non-technical jobs, it's the military... well, as long as you're active duty. i spent 5 years basically doing a lot of project management, which is good for people who want to move "up" in the world... but i have no interest in project management) here!

one thing i noticed a lot at the intensive care unit of the hospital i volunteered at was the fact that a lot of the nurses spent a lot of their time documenting stuff on a computer. since it's the 21st century, that's the direction that a lot of things are going. maybe it will be possible for you, in the future, to help develop more reasonable, user-friendly programs for hospital staff to use...

additionally, if there's one thing that i've found useful in my engineer training, it's the process of troubleshooting. it's something you can apply to almost any situation possible.

i can't tell you where you'd fit best, though... that's up to you. you're going to have to figure out what type of nursing job is best for you. try volunteering at a hospital, working as an aide or a tech, shadowing a few nurses, or even interviewing nurses and other medical staff.

3. what kinds of job nurses get or 'move on to' after having 10-12 years of [e

xperience ? i am sure there will be 'upper level' jobs for nurses as they get more experience and higher degrees (bsn, msn etc.).

there are a ton of options. for example, you can move onto being a nurse manager, going into healthcare law, or becoming an advanced practice nurse (nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, etc.).

4. do you have any suggestion for me other than 'go back to engineering j

ob...it is lot more easier' ? i have my reasons to get to nursing and i think they make lot more sense than the reasons that i gave to my dad when i joined my computer engineering degree 10 years ago.

go for it! i get a lot of funny looks when i tell people that i'm pursuing a nursing degree now... mostly because they tell me that i have so much going for me that it would be a waste (finding a great-paying engineering job wouldn't be hard to do in the first place)... but i just tell them that it's something i want to do. xp

however... i think you need to do a little more research about the nursing profession in order to become more familiar with what your options are... and what exactly you're getting into.

i took my aunt's advice and worked awhile as a cna in order to build, at the very least, a small understanding the healthcare system (and a nurse's role... as well as the roles of other people in healthcare)... and it was a very valuable experience for me. if you have the time and resources to do it, i highly suggest you try it out.

good luck!

(p.s. i give up... this darn thing keeps on auto-editing the last two, or four, quote boxes)

catinacatina · Jul 21, 2006

Saroj,

My advice to you is stick to nursing and you will go places. The entry salary for nurses in both coast East and West is about 60k. You may want to do more research on the school aspect. There are some schools that will take into consideration your current degree and have you bridge to a BSN. There are also bridge programs that include BSN to MSN and the amount of time to invest is not as much. I do not reccommend an ADN unless you goal is to just get to work and continue your studies on line( this is an option if you have to get to work). You can also become an RN with an ADN and focus on become part of the the Nurse informatics gurus that hospitals are always seeking as they continue to implement bigger and better computer programs. The sky is the limit. Check on schools that will provide a post master certificate in nurse informatics after you get your ADN if you take that route. Also you may want to research the salarie structure in the area you decide to live and work as a nurse. Some areas are looking for BSN prepared nurses if you have no experience. I hope this helps. :nurse:

Member30 · Jul 28, 2006

Hey Saroj,

I have a degree in Microbiology and have work experience in research ,from India. i first started considering Nursing because of good job prospects and the work flexibility . I finished my prereqs in 2 semesters and infact just got accepted for the MEPN program in CSUDH. Its a master's program and you get to apply for the RN license at the end of 2 years of the program, obviously after one clears NCLEX.So I would suggest since you already have a bachelor's degree go for the master entry level programs. Hope this helps.

Good luck,

Rajni

nepsys · Aug 7, 2006

Dear All:

I am so grateful that they have a forum like allnurses.com. I find all of

your answers very helpful and assuring that I am doing the 'right thing'.

I am now been accepted for accelerated program from Jan 2007. I am

moving forward with the firm conviction that I will have a lot more options

available when I come out of my 16 months pogram. Yes, I have my plans to get MSN and higher degree but I will start with BS->BSN degree for

now...Afterall, I have to take care of my two kids and a supportive hubby...

Thanks a lot....

Saroj