Accelerated BSN or ARNP Immersion

[bobobijoux]

Hi there,

I already have a BA in a non nursing related field and am now looking into nursing. I am interested in either an accelerated BSN or an Nurse Practitioner immersion program. I would really like to do the masters program and become a nurse practitioner. My concern is that upon finishing the program I will have difficulty finding a job because I will have no nursing experience. Should this be a concern? Would it be better to just get my BSN?

Thank you

[LEAFjr]

Since you already hold a B.A. degree, I would strongly recommend going after your Second-Degree B.S.N. It's a specialized accelerated program for people with bachelor's degrees in other fields; that way you don't have to re-take all of your gen-eds and will finish sooner. NP programs require at least 1 year of work as an R.N. before applying, so get your Second-Degree B.S.N., work as an R.N. and then apply to an M.S.N. NP program.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

In my area of the country, a lot of new grad NPs are taking other clinical (RN) jobs because employers want a significant amount of experience for traditional NP positions because those jobs require significant expertise & the ability to practice without direct supervision.

Since you're new to nursing, I'm curious as to why you believe that becoming an NP is the only route? I would recommend much more investigation along with some frank discussions with practicing NPs. Many are employed in very low-level clinic (ready clinic, doc-in-the-box, etc) type situations.... endless drudgery & paperwork. Not nearly an ideal or even very interesting work environment. There are many other "advanced" career options for nurses that may be far more attractive (with better financial renumeration) than an NP.