Any ACTUAL Second Degree BSN/RN's?

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 31, 2007

Per diem nurses and agency nurses are not underemployed - they choose their particular work situations that work for them. They are able to do this partly because of the nursing shortage that exists in many markets.

Exactly right. Well-spoken. I work perdiem by choice, not due to lack thereof.

wincha · Apr 1, 2007

I have my BA and then went to nursing school. I have been a RN for over 20 years. I am seriously considering going back to school for my MBA. I also have sales experience.

wincha · Apr 1, 2007

Repeating basic Chemistry and Biology courses that I qualified for AP Credit at the age of 15 in prep school is certainly not going to make a better qualifed "nurse" in a crisis situation in any ER... Completing my base level education requirements that would get me "in the front door" coupled with years of experience working alongside qualified personnel would be just about the ONLY way you would gain that type of experience>>

Wow, I just don't understand your posts. You just finished training to draw blood? You went to a prep school and took AP courses, I do understand that since my teenager is in that process now. How do you think that you are above taking classes in nursing school and why didn't you just go straight to college in which your AP courses would or should have given you credit for those courses? I am getting an attitude that you are not suited to be in the nursing profession. There is no way you would "test" out of nursing courses. Also, the part about paying for college again.... well you have finished your courses for being drawing blood thats hardly a degree. Many people do "pay" to go on to law school, med school, and to get their MBA and "pay" to do this. Many people go back to school and "pay" to become teachers or pick another field they are interested in.

wincha · Apr 1, 2007

Seriously, I went to graduate school as well and there's a ton of "nurses" out there that wouldn't have passed some of the "core" classes in my junior year of High School. And I'm sure that in my field they would struggle with certain coursework just as anyone would not be able to digest and interpret usefully a Physicians Desk Reference within 48 hours.>>

?Prep school and AP classes? ? Just finished community college for Phlebotomy? and now discussing that you went to Grad school. I think this poster is full of it. You wouldn't last in nursing school also with that attitude those nursing instructors would chew you up and spit you out. Just to let you know nursing school would not be like any other experience you have ever had and I would compare it to boot camp. This poster sounds like she could not handle that but I don't believe this person is for real now.

luvmy3kids · Apr 1, 2007

I agree Wincha... why would you become a Lab Tech if you've attended grad school?? It doesn't make sense.

This thread could have been very interesting and beneficial to me as I stated before... I have a BS in another field and I am so excited and happy that I've decided to go back and get my degree in Nursing. I'd love to talk with others in my same situation to see how it is going for them or how it worked out.... I'm not getting my BSN in hopes that my BS will be a bit of an edge for me... in the long run... I'd like to bridge to that point... but right now it just isn't feasable.

I wasn't thrilled that I had to re-take my Chem 101 because it was over 10 yrs old.... but not because I'm above and beyond it... but because I know it is going to be a hard course that I'm going to have to work at.

However, I know how much Chem is required for further use in my Nursing courses so I am thankful that I'll get the refresher course. It's obviously to my benefit or I really don't think that all the colleges in America would require it...

oh yeah.. it's a scam... I forgot :idea:

If I were a Chem/Bio major and I decided to go back to nursing school 10+ yrs later... hmmm... well maybe I would be a little aggrivated that I had to repeat courses that I really didn't need to take. But I would be looking at the BIG picture and the fact that I would get to be an RN at the end of this journey and if taking a "easy" class was what it would take to get me started... then so be it.... no big deal right??? (Hey easy class = easy A right???)

The OP never stated what his/her's degree was in so it's hard to understand quite where they are coming from. They stated they are a "business" person which tells me they aren't into Bio or Chem... but I could be wrong...

They never stated really why they would want to become a nurse. I haven't quite figured that one out yet.... I mean come on... if you really wanted to become a nurse (like most of us here)... then wouldn't you just bite the bullet and take the requirements...

I just feel like this was a ploy to make someone feel good about themselves and make everyone else feel lousy (which I doubt happened... but YKWIM?)

guy_nurse · Apr 1, 2007

What is it that you do now?

In my experience I have found that the accredited facility curriculums are set by the state and the accreditations board. You saying that you have excellent test skills and can test out of many core classes if only given the opportunity is EXACTLY why that opportunity is NOT given.

If you truly want to do this, just go back and take the classes, if you know the material, good for you, you will have an advantage; you never know you just may be surprised to find that you don’t know everything.

I am a male 36 year old steel fabricator, and I have lots to learn; I have classmates that have associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and some who have worked in the medical field as techs, LPNs, administrative, accounting, etc. and they have to devote more to this than anything they have ever done. It is not easy, and you are correct to assume that this is some sort of conspiracy—it really is; if you are not willing to put forth the effort—the school nor the health care facility—want you. Good luck!

Just_Me_2 · Apr 2, 2007

I have a bachelor's in social work, although I never worked in the field. About a year before graduating, I realized that my heart is in nursing. I went back right away and did a year long LPN training program, and worked as an LPN for around 12 years. I am now finishing up an ASN program in May and will start the remaining classes for my BSN in the fall.

The reason I waited so long to return to school after getting my LPN license is because I had 4 children very close in age, and I wanted to spend their preschool years with me mainly at home. I worked prn or contingent BY CHOICE for most of those years, averaging around 24 hours per week. I could have easily had a full time position, I just didn't want it.

Most of my classes transferred into my ASN program, and I have just found out that they will also all transfer into the RN-BSN program I am starting. I did have to take a few prereq type classes, like developmental psych, A&P, and micro, but the school I am attending allows us to take them along with some of our nursing classes.

J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS · Apr 9, 2007

I have a BS in Psychology, but the semester before graduating I decided that I wanted to go to nursing school, so I started taking classes for nursing school. I went ahead and finished my Pyschology degree and stayed the next semester and took the rest of the prereq for nursing school. I actually only applied to 4 schools the first time and did not get accepted. I worked that Fall semester and applied for the spring semester to almost every nursing school in TX and got accepted to all of them. Settled on UT HSC Houston and really enjoyed it. I learned a lot there. I cam out of school thoroughly prepared for nursing...I went ahead for the BSN because I already had one Bachelor's degree and an AA degree, and did not want another AA degree, it seemed to not make sense to get another AA degree. I eventually continued on and finished my MSN after working 5 years in ICU, and started working on Doctorate in nursing.

Anyhow, I only received 1 job offer due to my Psych degree and it wasn't what I wanted it was with CPS covering 3 counties. I don't regret going for a second BS degree it was well worth the time.

mccmaeve · Apr 9, 2007

I went from MSW and 20 years experience to RN Diploma program. Worked as Nurse Aide during school-part time and borrowed $$$ to supplement my income. So ta-dahh!!!! I am an ACTUAL second career RN!!

Your post has an arrogance that won't take you very far in Nursing School. Nursing is like NO Other Education. Nursing is art and science, and one had better understand the science if you expect to understand what is going on with your patients.

Get over yourself!!! If your credits are outdated--yes---you have to take the class over again.Things have probably changed since you were 15. And don't you think patients deserve someone with current thinking?

Some hospitals offer "Tuition Forgiveness" or other programs in exchange for 2-3 year employment committment. The classroom and clinical hours are what the states regulate that Nurses must know in order to give safe care. Or did you forget that nursing means providing competent safe care to other human beings?

As for not paying for a second education, because you already paid for one before....Are you serious?

Do more research on the profession before you waste your money and other people's time or harm some patient with your arrogant disregard for the knowledge a nurse must posess.

queenjean · Apr 23, 2007

Wow, you have some very large assumptions about a field that you know relatively little about.

Unless you've been continually studying your chemistry, a/p, etc, no, you are not current on your knowledge.

I have a BA that had a major concentration and a minor concentration. The minor was in human biology. Yup, still had to take some of those classes over again when I went back to school for my LPN/RN.

You have obviously never been in nursing school, as you think you would be able to quiz out of certain aspects of the classes just because you fancy yourself more intelligent than most. Do you think you are the only one here who graduated with honors from a major university? Do you think you are the only nursing student ever who took AP classes in high school? Who went to school on a full ride? Who has been successful in another field?

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 23, 2007

I appreciate the varying opinions here, and personally, feel we can all learn a lot from each other's experiences.

In that vein, let's try to make this a thread that is informative and useful without a condescending tone to it, if we can?

Thanks!

abooker · Apr 25, 2007

I had to take Freshman Comp over again because I'd placed out of it back in '82, and my CC wouldn't transfer those credits onto my new transcript. I thought this was stupid, and I could've perhaps challenged it or tested out, but I took it. There are hoops to jump through in any degree; some seem irrelevant at the time. I was surprised I did learn a lot in the class and enjoyed it.