ABSN or MSN CNL to be an Nurse Practitioner??

charisma00 · Jun 9, 2018

You say you want to become an NP - do you know what specialty?
>Probably psych or FNP
Do you have previous healthcare or non-healthcare experience with that population?
>nine years in psychiatric clinic
Where are you starting from in terms of education - do you have a prior degree?
>Bachelors in Biology and Psychology
How much can you really afford to pay for a nursing school program?
>less is better.. BUT my return should be worth it. I want to be independent as soon as possible (as in leave my parents house). I want to start a family soon with my fiance.
Are you already carrying a large debt load?
> I am debt free
Are you the sole income for your household?
> Not at this moment
Are you able to move to attend a program or are you needing to stay in your current location?
> with my parents support
These is some push for programs to convert to DNP level, however at this time no state requires the DNP in order to obtain a license, and assuming such regulation comes to pass, MSN holding license NPs will be grandfathered in.
>> I have heard of this push, I considered since I am just starting my career, going into a DNP program would probably be the best, it will cost a little less than the MSN CNL program if I got to a state school
**Also, the only reason MSN CNL program is even in the mix is because its one of the only advance degree programs for nursing I got into, which I consider a blessing since I was above average on paper but not the most competitive applicant. I was trying to see if taking the program would be advantageous to me due to these circumstances and knowing that I want to be a NP. If I had the choice of all programs at this time I would have just applied to direct entry NP program.

I really appreciate your detailed response and I realize I have left a lot of details out that may confuse some. Thank you so much for breaking it down.. I have answered the questions above.

Another question I have is, what does it mean to be grandfathered in? Are employers mandated to pay for schooling? How does that work?

charisma00 · Jun 9, 2018

Definitely do the ABSN.
Your choices are:
Do the ABSN, become a nurse with a bachelors degree. Then attend an MSN or DNP program to become a nurse practitioner.
Or, do the MSN CNL, become a nurse with a masters degree, and also a clinical nurse leader.
To tell you the truth, no one has any idea what a CNL is, but it is not a nurse practitioner.
As a new grad CNL, you would be qualified to do the same jobs any new nurse. and you still would have to go back and get a second MSN, post masters certificate, or DNP as a nurse practitioner.
You would be no nearer to your goal of becoming an NP, but would have spent twice the time and twice the money.
(The post masters certificate for nurses who already have an MSN would generally include only the clinical courses, as you would already have completed the nursing theory, research and other non clinical courses. I just looked at the web site of a local school, and their post masters certificates take well over a year to complete, so this is not at all a quickie route to become an NP.)

Thank you so much for this info and suggestion!

charisma00 · Jun 9, 2018

I have an MSN CNL and can't just get a post masters certificate because my MSN is entry level (I also had a non-nursing bacherlor's). Post masters certificate programs for NP generally require you to have a degree in advanced practice already (such as another concentration in NP or CNM, CNS). I am currently in a BSN to DNP program because of this. The programs that do consider other nursing masters weren't really much shorter, if a semester or one or two classes. A CNL masters is just not up to par with an APRN masters. Thankfully my CNL program was pretty short as it was accelerated and much cheaper than the program you are considering, otherwise I would have probably got my BSN.
In short, definitely get your BSN, if anything simply due to the cost with almost no added benefit. The only way I can see it being beneficial is if the school you are looking for for the CNL would waive some of the classes if you decide to go there when you eventually get your DNP or post masters certificate. My school would only count two of these. Not worth it.

I am so thankful for your response, you have no idea. Thank you so much! It's that differentiation that I needed to hear, as I thought all MSNs were created equal and considered "advance practice". I am so glad you answered, as this was the missing link I needed to make my decision. The school would waive a few courses but I wouldn't go tot an expensive private school twice. When after practicing as a nurse Id have options. Thank you.

verene, MSN · Jun 9, 2018

Another question I have is, what does it mean to be grandfathered in? Are employers mandated to pay for schooling? How does that work?

Grandfathered in means, that a provider who met the legal requirements for license at the time they graduated and obtained licensure will be allowed to continue to practice, continuing to be held to those existing standards for practice, even if the requirements for entry to practice change in the future.

It does *not* mandate employers to pay for additional schooling. Though some employers may be willing to help employees pay for additional education if such a switch occurs.

If one does want to pursue the DNP post-MSN, I would not worry about it being an issue. The vast majority of NPs in this country are prepared at the MSN level. This means that MSN-DNP bridge programs exist, and even if the requirement for DNP comes to be (which may or may not actually happen), these bridge programs will need to continue to exist for many, many years.

I highly recommend researching the two degrees and the debates around the DNP. There are many threads on this website about different pathways to nurse practitioner, as well as debates around MSN vs DNP for preparation. There is also a lot of information available online in general if you search for it. If you know any NPs in real life try to set up some informal interviews with them as well about the profession and their work. It's a great way to both learn more and start building professional connections and mentors.

My own conclusion at this point is that unless you really want to teach at the university level, or have a burning personal desire for a terminal degree the DNP is probably not worth it - but seek out information from as many sources as you can and draw your own conclusions.

cmonlaf, MSN, RN · Jun 9, 2018

I am so thankful for your response, you have no idea. Thank you so much! It's that differentiation that I needed to hear, as I thought all MSNs were created equal and considered "advance practice". I am so glad you answered, as this was the missing link I needed to make my decision. The school would waive a few courses but I wouldn't go tot an expensive private school twice. When after practicing as a nurse Id have options. Thank you.

You're welcome! You could also look into prospective programs to see what their requirements are. Generally it is made very plain on their websites that MSN to DNP programs or post master's certificates are only for advanced practice MSNs. Good luck.

futura4 · Jun 20, 2018

My understanding from weeks of research on this same topic is that they WANT the DNP to become the standard but because of the nursing shortage, they aren't yet about to enforce it. Your best bet would probably be A-BSN and then work for a year or two and then apply for an NP MSN program. In my opinion, the MSN in anything other than NP isn't what you should strive for if that's what you eventually want to become (though, that said, I do understand the temptation to go directly into an MSN program and avoid the BSN) I'm in the same boat. If others are saying something with CSN or CMM won't help you become an NP, listen! Don't go into debt to then have to obtain another advanced degree.