Advice Please?

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Hey all,

I'm looking to go into an accelerated BSN program in the fall. While researching some schools, I came across a school offering a master's as a Clinical Nurse Leader, without requiring a BSN. Your BS can be in any field including a non-nursing field, and once your done with the program you can sit for your RN boards. The more I look into this the more I like the idea, however I'm wondering how likely it would be for me to be able to get into a program like this without a nursing background.

Any advice or thoughts would be great! Thanks!

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Thanks so much, I knew this was the right place to ask!

I'm a bit unsure about it and I figure before I seriously look into applying at the program I found the more info I can find out the better!

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

Here is my honest opinion---If I worked with a CNL that had no previous nursing experience, I don't think my coworkers would give him/her as much credibility and respect. How can you be an effective and respected leader without any prior experience? The CNS I work with (I do understand that CNS and CNL are two different things) worked in bedside nursing prior to going back to school for her CNS. She is very knowledgeable and understands where we are coming from because she has been there. I respect her and go to her with questions I may have. So my advice is, stick with you accelerated BSN and then go from there.

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Thanks, that is what I was thinking.

Now the question really becomes...where? LOL! I'm looking at schools from Washington DC up till CT. So many choices!

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I am not working for anyone that is not a nurse, period. I did that one time and it lasted exactly two weeks. I was hired as the nurse manager for the ED and had to answer to the director of respiratory therapy/ life flight/ etc. He had no idea what nurses did and he was lazy. So after two weeks I went to the chief nursing officer and told her that I could not work for him and why. She then made me a direct report to her.

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If I was going to go for this I would work as an RN for a few years and then put the degree to use, but not after getting experience as an RN first.

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