BA to Diploma to DNP?

[evpsych]

Hello,

I have a B.A. in Biology and after five years working as a rehab therapy aide at two rehab hospitals, decided to pursue nursing. My ultimate goal is to become an NP in rehab. I will enter a diploma program this fall and am wondering if with a BA and diploma in nursing I will be able to apply to DNP programs? I noticed that some programs require MSN as a prerequisite, while others (e.g., UMass) accept non-nursing BA/BS plus an associate degree in nursing.

Thoughts/suggestions?

[arciedee]

Hello,

I have a B.A. in Biology and after five years working as a rehab therapy aide at two rehab hospitals, decided to pursue nursing. My ultimate goal is to become an NP in rehab. I will enter a diploma program this fall and am wondering if with a BA and diploma in nursing I will be able to apply to DNP programs? I noticed that some programs require MSN as a prerequisite, while others (e.g., UMass) accept non-nursing BA/BS plus an associate degree in nursing.

Thoughts/suggestions?

A lot of the current DNP programs are more like bridge programs for those who are already MSN credentialed NPs. But I think that more DNP programs are going to be popping up that are more traditional NP programs. A lot of current NP programs will accept people with their RN and a bachelor's degree in another field, so I would expect that you'll still be able to do that. Check out the schools you're interested in to find out what their specific requirements are.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I also envision that after a while, there will be multiple entry routes to a DNP. What is prevalent right now are MSN to DNP bridge programs but there are BSN to DNP programs already in existence. I am not aware of BA/ADN to DNP programs yet but you seem to have made your research and found that UMass allows entry to their DNP programs with a non-nursing bachelor's and an associate degree in nursing. I would not be surprised if direct enrty DNP programs start to appear for those with totally no nursing backgrounds. Like the above poster wrote, if this is something you wish to pursue check with the schools involved and ask about your chances of getting admitted. By the way, I did a short stint (1 year) as an NP in rehab (Physical Medicine and Rehab). It's an awesome specialty, just not fast paced enough for my liking.

[Doraemon27]

I will be starting in an ADN program this fall, and the DNP option has been one that I've been exploring. To add to the thread starter's post - I believe UWash also has the same ADN+BA/BS in another field admission requirement.

(I have a B.A. in Biology, also)

[azor]

Re: BA to Diploma to DNP?

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I will be starting in an ADN program this fall, and the DNP option has been one that I've been exploring. To add to the thread starter's post - I believe UWash also has the same ADN+BA/BS in another field admission requirement.

(I have a B.A. in Biology, also) Please do they have something like ASN to MSN programme.Tell me please.

[CRNP and CNS]

I had a Ph.D. in macromolecular biology prior to going to nursing school. I have a M.S.N. as a C.N.S. and a post -master's as a ANP, and I am board certified in both. You have a undergrad degree in biology and will be going to a non-college nursing program and you want a doctorate. Why don't you try alittle education and experience first. It might be a real eye opener.

[jjjoy, LPN]

I had a Ph.D. in macromolecular biology prior to going to nursing school. I have a M.S.N. as a C.N.S. and a post -master's as a ANP, and I am board certified in both. You have a undergrad degree in biology and will be going to a non-college nursing program and you want a doctorate. Why don't you try alittle education and experience first. It might be a real eye opener.

I'm curious what your trajectory has been to this point. It's hard imagine someone with a PhD in macromolecular bio being willing to spend 3 years completing the odd pre-req and a traditional RN program (ADN, BSN) to become an entry-level nurse and get some experience for a few years and then another year or two in school to get a MSN (maybe 6-8 years total to get from no-nursing background to the MSN). I'd imagine someone with those credentials would want a direct-entry MSN program and spend maybe just 3-4 years in school to get the MSN and just 1 year part-time as a bedside RN. And somehow you've also fit in becoming a CNS and an NP?! Sounds like LOTS of education (from initial undergrad, to PhD, to RN, to advanced practice)... I guess I'm curious where you fit the experience in!!!

[CRNP and CNS]

After 30 years in practice, working and going to school full time, YOU would be surprised what you could accomplish. You remind me of one of my 2nd year BSN students who when observing registered nurses doing patient care said, "when we graduate we really won't have to do THAT, WILL WE?". I replied ( and this message is ever so appropo to you), "NO dear, all you have to do is pick out a cute pair of scrubs and sit behind a desk all day." You remind me of students who had their parents call to complain that 7AM was too early to start clinical. Get off you rump and work, no one owes you anything. Go out and EARN IT.

[jjjoy, LPN]

After 30 years in practice, working and going to school full time, YOU would be surprised what you could accomplish. You remind me of one of my 2nd year BSN students who when observing registered nurses doing patient care said, "when we graduate we really won't have to do THAT, WILL WE?". I replied ( and this message is ever so appropo to you), "NO dear, all you have to do is pick out a cute pair of scrubs and sit behind a desk all day." You remind me of students who had their parents call to complain that 7AM was too early to start clinical. Get off you rump and work, no one owes you anything. Go out and EARN IT.

I'm not sure who you addressing... the OP? myself?? I didn't see anywhere a suggestion that anyone was owed anything or that an implication that anyone was just sitting on their rump expecting to be handed a great job.

It originally sounded like you were criticizing the OP for inquiring how to go about getting a DNP for someone with a bachelor's in bio and a diploma in nursing. I agree that it's a good idea to get some experience as opposed to just rushing through school, earning one degree after another. And MANY people are wanting to go directly to being NPs... and nursing schools are catering to that, offering direct-entry master's programs and the like. I'm not sure how that will play out in the long run.

Since you have so many educational credentials yourself (more than most have in lifetime!:bowingpur), it's easy to suspect that you would have been one of those pre-nursing students who are planning to get through their basic nursing education quickly and move into advanced practice as soon as possible. But certainly that may not have been the case!

Anyway, when you mentioned all of your credentials, I was curious what your trajectory actually had been in the field. And I'm also always curious to hear from people for whom nursing was a second degree/career and how they felt about nursing education as compared to their previous experience. This interests me because compared to previous educational experiences, I was most frustrated and disappointed by nursing school. And from what I've heard from others, my school's approach was pretty standard... though I've heard of a few programs that seem to provide a more comprehensive education (as opposed to just shoving reams of materials at students - "educating" - and weeding them out with tricky exam questions - "testing ability to apply knowledge".)

So with a PhD in such a rigorous field, I'm curious what your impression of basic nursing education was. And with such a degree, I'd imagine that you're a very scientifically-minded person. And much of nursing education does NOT seem very scientifically oriented and many nursing roles are NOT scientifically oriented either. Of course, a basic understanding of science is needed as well as a basic understanding of human physiology. But being successful in nuring roles often seems to depend more upon learned experience than upon scientific knowledge or application of scientific principles (which I'm not criticizing, some roles DON'T require in depth knowledge but demand other important skills).

[justme1972]

Nope...you have to have a BSN unless you are completing a BSN degree for non-nursing majors.

All of the DNP programs that I am looking at ALL require a BSN and a BA plus a ADN/Diploma RN degree is NOT considered equivalent.

[CRNP and CNS]

Dear jjjoy,

When I received my ADN in 1979 the specter of the '85 proposal loomed over every non BSN student. There was not a lecture in which it was not mentioned, remember? Yes, I immediately enrolled in a BSN program, ( I am sure you recall there were very few RN-to-BSN programs at that time.) I was enrolled in a generic BSN program that thankfully gave me credit for my non-nursing courses, but regarded my ADN courses as "technical nursing" courses and I subsequently took ALL nursing courses required for the BSN students. ( I assume this is the "fast track" you alluded to ). No mommy and daddy did not pick up the tab, and tuition reimbursement was unheard of. I worked 11-7 every day, except on the weekends when I worked 3-11, and 11-7 Saturday and Sunday. And yes, I was expected to be on time for my 8AM Monday lectures.

I did not return for my Masters in School Nursing until 1992. I returned in 1996 for my MSN, and 2002 for my post Master's ( was this must be "the move to advanced practice as soon as possible" you stated ). Maybe my career path would have been more alacritous if I did not have cancer three times. I must admit there were times I only worked two jobs because of the physical implications.

I have been in nursing for 30 years. Drop me a line after you have had cancer a few times, continued to work, and have 30 years experience under your belt.

[Miss Mab]

Wow---I think maybe some wires got crossed in here.

My impression was a poster asking someone w/an extensive educational background just what his/her take was on nursing academia and its attendant issues today. Don't know how that degenerated into name calling and such. What a shame...

Without further enraging anyone but just a completely separate inquiry, I do wonder if some of the animosity we see in the 'community' against the newer accelerated and direct entry options is coming from, while not jealousy exactly, perhaps a resentment that these options weren't always available to another generation of nurses? Sort of on par with the whole anger at new grads in specialties for not having to 'pay their dues' first?

Probably a whole different thread but the door opened by the above poster's, I think, basic misunderstanding of the inquiry into his/her career path.

CRNP, do you think, given your extensive prior science background, that you might have gravitated towards these newer type of programs had they been more widely available?