ADN + BA Psych = Good Combo?

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Hi!

I have my ADN and need to get a bachelors (where I live, you can't get a job ANYWHERE in any field without some kind of BA degree). I've always been interested in psychology, so would my ADN + BA in psych be a good combo? What would this combo allow me to do in terms of jobs?

I'm not sure if a BSN is right for me... I've been laid off several times in the last couple of years due to the economy and change in health care model (it it required to have a BSN for most RN jobs here). Plus, at least where I live, RNs don't have much patient-contact anymore, for most of the work is delegated to techs. The whole reason I went into nursing was to care for the needs of others... not to have others do that aspect!

So, is a BA in psych a good idea? What it it enable me to do? Would this be a good move if I wanted to do hospice nursing or public health? What exactly does a psych nurse do (I would love to run groups, counsel, etc... I would not like to just dispense meds and chart, which is what the RNs at the hospital I did my psych clinicals did).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

What about getting a Bachelors in Community Health with a concentration in Health Promotion Education in the Community Setting? A college nearby has this degree... I'm hoping it would lead to a career in Health Education (public, schools, etc). That's my dream, but IDK how to go about becoming a health educator and what the job prospects are like?

I know a couple health educators (non-nurses), and they are really struggling to find any reasonable employment. Both the people I know are ridiculously underemployed (both in terms of job responsibilities/opportunities and in terms of compensation) for the education and experience they have, and they're v. envious of my being an RN. Both are working part-time/prn, not because they necessarily want to, but because that's all the work they can find in this area -- fortunately, they both have husbands who are the primary breadwinners for the family. If you can do this for the love of it and not because you need to make a decent living, then go for it -- otherwise, I dunno ... Nursing, even at its worst, is a much more reliable means of earning a living and offers a much wider range of employment possibilities. (Don't give up your RN license!! :))

Have you talked to your local public health department about possible employment? Many public health department require a BSN as a minimum for nurses, but not all do. What about something like Hospice? Does that interest you? That seems to have a significant teaching/education component built into it.

Best wishes!

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I know a couple health educators (non-nurses), and they are really struggling to find any reasonable employment. Both the people I know are ridiculously underemployed (both in terms of job responsibilities/opportunities and in terms of compensation) for the education and experience they have, and they're v. envious of my being an RN. Both are working part-time/prn, not because they necessarily want to, but because that's all the work they can find in this area -- fortunately, they both have husbands who are the primary breadwinners for the family. If you can do this for the love of it and not because you need to make a decent living, then go for it -- otherwise, I dunno ... Nursing, even at its worst, is a much more reliable means of earning a living and offers a much wider range of employment possibilities. (Don't give up your RN license!! :))

Have you talked to your local public health department about possible employment? Many public health department require a BSN as a minimum for nurses, but not all do. What about something like Hospice? Does that interest you? That seems to have a significant teaching/education component built into it.

Best wishes!

That really makes me sad that the job prospects for health educators are slim-to-none. :-( It's my dream to do that... nursing is not what I thought it was, for I wanted to do more direct patient care, comfort, and teaching, yet (at least in my state), nurses only have time to throw pills at pts and then spend the rest of their time charting, manning the phones, being ordered around by doctors, and act like a secretary. The massive understaffing is not only stressful, but also dangerous.

Since the boom of magnet status, no hospital here is hiring ADNs. They all require BSNs with years of experience. When i graduated and got hired at the hosp, they laid off all the ADN new-grads, but kept the BSN new grads. The recent graduating class of 2010 at my alma mater still don't have jobs, save for 5 out of the 140. And of those 5, only 2 were able to remain in state. They only got jobs b/c they worked as techs while in school. But even the other students who were techs didn't get hired b/c of their ADN. Even nursing homes won't take us b/c we dont have "3-5 years of acute care experience." I've applied out of state too, but no luck. I'd LOVE to do hospice and/or visiting nursing, but I run into the same brick wall. Nursing was my dream, but I haven't been able to find steady work since I graduated top of my class in 2008.

So, I want to change careers, but still want to incorporate my love of health in my job. I love teaching and health, so a health educator position would be perfect, but I'm afraid I'll run into the same issue and not find a gig.

I'm scared to get a BSN if my heart is not in nursing anymore. I'm not fond of acute care and the stress of someone's life on my shoulders can be too much at times. I want to help PREVENT people from getting ill and to help them live a healthy life.

I don't know what my next step ought to be. . . . :-(

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Specializes in TCU, Post-surgical, Infection Prevention.

My suggestion would be to get the BSN, which for most I have seen achieve success within the health industry. Start with that and then branch out... My dad is an MD/JD/Retired Colonel and with that foundation he can "rub" any two careers together and make it work. Same with my mother/mentor. After a certain point, she was more interested in the administrative/procedural side of things - but could not have achieved what she has without the BSN...

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Do u know if most BSN programs want Psych Stats or Math Stats as a pre-req? Each program is different....

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Specializes in TCU, Post-surgical, Infection Prevention.
Do u know if most BSN programs want Psych Stats or Math Stats as a pre-req? Each program is different....

I have looked into a few programs, and have not seen a requirement for the Psych Stats; the developmental/lifespan psych - absolutely. For Math stats, probably at least half. Usually the ADN/ASN and entry level BSNs appear to have the same prereqs (as I have observed in Southern California, specifically)

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
Do u know if most BSN programs want Psych Stats or Math Stats as a pre-req? Each program is different....

Most programs simply list "Statistics" in their prereqs, and I would have to assume it's the one that is offered through any school's math department. Some schools have even indicated MTH xxx or a similar course number in their listings, which confirms my assumption. I took Psych Stats as an undergrad and so far every school I have asked has told me it's an acceptable course for the stats requirement. Also it does not seem to have a time limit like natural sciences (except at one school in FL which I ended up eliminating as a choice). Good, because I would hate to take it again :D

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How difficult was psych stats? Math scares the stuffing out of me!

Would elementary stats or psych stats be easier?

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
How difficult was psych stats? Math scares the stuffing out of me!

Would elementary stats or psych stats be easier?

Well, I took Psych Stats about 20 years ago so the details are a tad sketchy :D ... but I can tell you that the only prerequisite for the course was PSY 101. I got an A in the class and I don't recall it being particularly difficult, but then again math was always my strongest subject. Having not taken Elementary Statistics I am unable to compare the two, but what I can tell you is that Psych Stats does heavily apply its concepts to that discipline. I remember many case studies discussing psych experiments and calculating deviations for results and stuff. I assume both Elementary and Psych Stats cover the basics and are equally challenging courses. Unless you are interested in expanding your preliminary knowledge in psych, assuming you took General Psych already, I would advise taking plain old Elementary Stats. Without some sort of focused interest in psych going onto Psych Stats, it will likely be frustrating.

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Specializes in adult ICU.

When I took stats it was a psych stats course. My school didn't whether it was in the math dept. or the psych dept, but they did care about it being UPPER DIVISION. They would not accept stats 101.

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Thanks for the advice! What's strange is that Elementary stats needs more pre-reqs than Psych stats. And, what's even MORE frustrating is that each school requires a different stats. Ugh. So much for trying to get gen eds out of the way!

Back to the Community Health BA, would I have an edge over other job-seekers b/c I not only have a background in nursing, but also background in Community Health Education, including being a personal trainer and certified nutritionist? I know that many public health jobs require a BSN or MPH, but wouldn't my combo (ADN/RN + PT + nutritionist + BA in Community Health Education) be a winning combo, for my knowledge-base spans multiple disciplines? I hope so! I'm really interested in this degree!

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