AS to BSN while traveling?

[Travel_RNER]

I am tossing the idea of working on my BSN while I am traveling. I can't decide if this is the best idea or not.

One of the things holding me back is the cost of my BSN. I think if I hold out I could maybe get a hospital to help pay for it when I settle down for a permanent job in the next couple of years.

Secondly, do I want to be working on school work while living the traveler lifestyle? I enjoy venturing out and exploring the areas I live in.

Anyone heard anything good/bad about University of Phoneix?

I have no desire to be in a management position. I like my place on the floor doing hands on patient care. I am just afraid in years to come a BSN will be the entry level for most jobs. I don't want it to hold me back. If it wasn't for this fear, I probably wouldn't pursue it. What are your thoughts?

[NedRN]

If you don't want to do management, I wouldn't worry about it. There are still a large body of diploma trained nurses out there, and ADN is the plurality I believe. I don't know of any hospitals requiring it, nor will they anytime soon - too many non BSN nurses out there. North Dakota BRN did require a BSN for a few years about 20 years ago, but dropped it.

My specialty board (AORN) does require it now for new certification applicants. I would recommend that you get your CEN if you haven't yet as that does look good on your profile as a traveler - they do not currently require a BSN and once you have your CEN you will be grandfathered as long as you keep up your CEUs (and you may find that you do the required CEUs anyway to keep up your state licenses). Your experience and references will matter more than your degree for getting travel or staff jobs.

But there is nothing wrong with getting your BSN. You may find in a few years that you want to move on to graduate school, perhaps become an NP, or a lawyer or who knows what. It will give you more options. In general, it should be far easier to get your BSN now rather than 10 years from now. Many schools require qualifying coursework to be current to 5 or 10 years.

[Travel_RNER]

Good point with the time frame for carrying over coursework! Definitely something to keep in mind. I have certainly considered getting my CEN. It's just so costly with the fear of not passing in the back of my mind. I know a lot of jobs have required that or TNCC. I may do some research on the CEN for now. Maybe that is a better option right now instead of devoting myself to a year of online classwork and additional student loans. Thanks for your input.

[NedRN]

TNCC is much more likely to be required than CEN. CEN just shows you are interested in being professional and maintaining a good knowledge base, which while still not a certainty, generally indicates striving in that direction to an interviewing manager when she is sorting profiles on her desk for those to interview and those not to.

[RNERHOUSESUPOR]

If you want to do your BSN then by all means go for it. You can do it as a travel nurse or staff. I haven't seen where anyone is paid significantly more for having though. When I finished my ADN in 1989, North Dakota was trying to require a BSN for a person to be considered a Registered Nurse. I doubt the requirement will be tried again during my career.

Rod