Accelerated BSN/MSN Grads - Jobs?

[10yearreunion]

I'm curious about the jobs that grads coming out of accelerated BSN/MSN programs are finding.

Do the positions meet your expectation of what you imagined you'd do when you started the program? Are you able to make loan payments based on the salaries you're being offered? Are you forced to relocate? And, is it easy to get hired with an MSN without years of experience as an RN?

Many thanks!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

The reason that I want to tag myself with this thread is that I am interested with the job opportunities out there once I'm done and that I would be competing with these MSN grads as a BSN grad, how would my job prospect look like, especially being here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I already face the horrors of new grads being hired and now with accelerated BSN/MSN grads? Wow.

*** I don't know anything about your area. In this area (the upper mid west) you, as a traditional BSN, are at a significant advantage when it comes to getting that first job. Some of the direct entry masters grads have left a sour tast in the mouth of area nurse managers.

[Scooby-Dooby-Doo]

Wow, thanks for the insight. My friend who graduated here in the San Francisco Bay Area could not find a job as a new grad RN. She has her BSN through the traditional route as well but she is thinking of relocating to Iowa for jobs as an RN. The horrors of new grads here getting a job is a nightmare. We're oversaturated with nurses and many want to hire RNs with experience already. But since you mentioned the upper-midwest, I have been thinking of relocating if I cannot find a job here. Thanks!

Honestly, all I want to do after I get my BSN is to try to start from the bottom of the pile. Maybe work in a geriatric care facility or if lucky, go to the med-surg floor. I'm not looking to go directly into maternity, critical care, and all that fancy stuff, although it would be great to but I'd feel behind because I wouldn't have the right experiences yet. If I were a new grad, I would want to start something basic by testing the waters and then see where my nursing path can take me with that. Something simple and then slowly build up, you know?

[Jules A, MSN]

Honestly, all I want to do after I get my BSN is to try to start from the bottom of the pile. Maybe work in a geriatric care facility or if lucky, go to the med-surg floor. I'm not looking to go directly into maternity, critical care, and all that fancy stuff, although it would be great to but I'd feel behind because I wouldn't have the right experiences yet. If I were a new grad, I would want to start something basic by testing the waters and then see where my nursing path can take me with that. Something simple and then slowly build up, you know?

As someone who has been "delegated" to by the CNL, with no nursing background at all, I was precepting this is music to my ears!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I'm not looking to go directly into maternity, critical care, and all that fancy stuff, although it would be great to but I'd feel behind because I wouldn't have the right experiences yet.

I applaud your willingness to work in any area of nursing where you can get a job, the idea that you need certain experiences to work in specialty areas is a myth. It may well be the case that experience in long term care or med-surg will be a liability for speciality care. My hospital has found that to be the case for some nurses.

[trinnylax0484]

The accelerrated programs are really only a good idea for people with hospital work experience (medical assistants, patient care techs, phlebotomists, etc.). The lack of clinical experience will hurt your chances of getting into MOST areas of a hospital as a grad with no exp. MSN and BSN are paid the same amount.

MSN may help years down the road if you want to get into director / management level positions but you may want to get an MBA then as well.

[Magen1021]

I graduated from an accelerated BSN program last month. I think there is a bit of a generalization out there about accelerated programs but I don't think it is having a severe impact on the hiring process. At this point, I'm still about a month away from taking my NCLEX so job prospects are pretty slim since I'm not registered but I have talked to several nurse recruiters. They have all advised me to be prepared for the "why did you choose nursing as your second career?" question. I think you will have no problem landing interviews as a new graduate nurse, whether you get hired or not will all depend on how you present yourself in the interview. Be polite and appreciative of the interviewers time, and emphasize the strengths you do have if you feel the interviewer thinks you are incompetent because you're an accelerated graduate.

I have applied for plenty of jobs and received a number of calls telling me to "keep in touch" until I pass my boards. So ya, I haven't been hired, but I'm positive it has nothing to do with the program I attended and more so to do with the fact that I am not registered yet.

GOOD LUCK!

[Scooby-Dooby-Doo]

Greetings all and happy new year!

Some thoughts came up to my mind when I was thinking about this topic. I know that there are some facilities that are phasing out LVNs/LPNs and even some that are not going to hire ADNs and are trying to make the BSN as standard for nursing. With that concept, would they hire BSNs, including/excluding ABSNs, for cheaper pay over accelerated MSNs even if they all are fresh meat new grads with no RN experience? Would these MSNs get a higher pay as the BSNs starting with a MS degree? I understand that these types of things depend upon the facility.