Hello! I'm currently 18 years old and I will be attending a 4 year university this fall. My major is microbiology, I picked that because the nursing major is SUPER impacted and I didn't want it to hamper my chances of being admitted. I know microbiology is a course you need to take for nursing so I hope, with the help of my counselor, I can transfer!
I've never been great at science or math (I enjoy writing and english much more), but I always like to push myself. Also the abundance of jobs and necessity for this profession is a plus! Im a people person and I enjoy taking care of others and impacting their lives. With that being said, I heard nursing can be extremely challenging and nurses like to "eat their young" when on the job. All of this makes me extremely reluctant but i still really wanna do it. I don't do too well with confrontation and it makes me anxious to hear nurses can be bullies. Any advice? Can anyone truly do it if they set their mind to it? And most importantly if I do pursue this I will be receiving a BSN, is the extra work for the BSN worth it?
Any comments would be helpful, thanks for your time :)
I'm thinking people are wanting to get into this career because the fallacy about the nursing shortage, and to a lot of people it seems as though nurses make a lot of money. It is extremly competitive to get into a BSN program where I live in Colorado, I know nurses who had 4.0 GPAs who were unable to secure themselves a spot in a BSN program. I had a 3.7 and definitely couldn't get straight into a BSN program and as embarrassing as that was for me, I went the long and agonizing route. I was an LPN for five years before I recently graduated with my ADN and passed NCLEX, and now I am in an ADN-BSN program and hopefully will get my BSN in the next couple of years. I have already started working as an RN in a well paying position, which I was hired over BSN candidates who did not have any nursing experience. Personally, I love nursing because I love using my brain, being pushed to my physical, emotional, and mental limits. The first two years I spent in nursing really thickened my skin and I learned a lot. I have always been compassionate and when my patients can see that and we can have a healthy nurse-patient relationship, nothing makes me happier. And none of the other nurses try to mess with me anymore because even though I'm young, I've been around the block and I know my stuff. If it's where you're meant to be, you'll get there, regardless of what route you take.
Ohhh okay, I understand what you're saying! For example, I could be an anthropology major for all they care as long as all my prerequisites for the nursing program are fulfilled? But does that apply to receiving a BSN as well? also how competitive is it to enter a nursing program? I know science classes can be very hard so will my grades in college need to be good in order to enter one?
I still don't quite understand declaring microbiology and then, I guess, transferring (?) to nursing.
Let's say you do decide to declare microbiology. Whatever general education classes you take will apply to that BSN as well (some schools have a different take on this and some general education classes are necessary for a BSN that might get missed doing micro first -- this means you might have to take more classes than you otherwise would have to). For example, I graduated with my undergrad in psych (long story, none of the details are helpful in this case except you have to really know yourself if you want to go into nursing...or, really go to college at all). I went back to the same school to get my BSN and all the capstones and general education courses I took applied so all I had to do were nursing only classes (still took 3 long years just like it would have if it was my first degree). If I happened to do something other than psych, I wouldn't have had child development and some of the other non-nursing but nursing-degree-required courses, and I would have had additional courses to take (I hope that makes sense). What I'm babbling at is, if you do micro, make sure that whatever you are doing also can apply to the requirements for the BSN at your school.
Some schools have roadmaps for how their nursing degrees work and that might help you understand what you need to do to check all the boxes in order to get your degree. Keep in mind, too, that some schools are so impacted (for all degrees) that you might need to plan on getting as many GEs done as possible so you aren't at a disadvantage when it comes time to scheduling your classes and the classes you need (which may only be offered once a year) aren't conflicting with whatever crazy schedule your nursing department manages to concoct.
But, this was in my case. If I knew myself better and wasn't in the situation I was in when I was your age, I would have done nursing straight away (if I had been braver, that is).
OP- I will do what you ask, and tell you (what I think) are some positive aspects of nursing... Then I'm going to ask a little tiny favor of you at the end- deal?
When I am actually able to help a patient, and you can see relief on their face. Whether it is pain relief or allaying a fear. When I can do a usually painful procedure & they say, surprised, that didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. When someone's beloved family member is dying and I can make them comfortable & make it a little easier for the family to bear. Those are all things I like about my job.
I've been a nurse for a little over 16 years, over that time nursing has changed a lot. I like taking care of patients. I like hearing their stories & getting to know them. That helps me take care of them. Bedside (hospital) nursing is taking that away from nurses. Less nurses for more & sicker pts, lots more paperwork & more being added to it all the time means there is barely time to run in give a med, take a blood pressure, change a dressing, etc. That's why nurses are frustrated & it comes across as nursing is a miserable job. It's why I don't work in a hospital anymore. It's why I do home health because I can talk to my pts & get to know them. I hate the paperwork though!! There's a ton of it!! But it kinda evens out.
Ok, now what I want to ask of you. I do know it came from a place of not knowing any different, that's why I want to educate you. Please, don't ever say "just a community college RN" again. It's rude & demeaning. I was an LPN for 14 years & did a bridge program at a community college to get my ASN. If you get your BSN , you'll take the same NCLEX the ASN/ADN students have to take & pass. Yes, with a BSN, in some places, you'll have more opportunities. Where I live, we all work side by side. I have no desire to teach or administrate so I don't need a BSN. That's all I wanted to say.
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
If you have a BSN rather than just being an RN from a community college and program are you more likely to me hired, or is experience more valuable above all?
Oh I missed this until the PPs pointed it out. Well Gee I also went to a community college for my LPN & ADN. Good thing I did not know that I was "just another community college nurse".
Oh I missed this until the PPs pointed it out. Well Gee I also went to a community college for my LPN & ADN. Good thing I did not know that I was "just another community college nurse".
I would like to take this opportunity to point out to the OP what their comment about being "just another community college nurse" means and why that was a major fail.
I'm in a BSN program simply because I have to in order to be competitive. The hospital I really want to work at is Magnet and therefore a BSN is a must. Did I, someone already with an undergrad degree really desire to go through all that again (and pay for another undergrad degree at a graduate tuition rate)? NO! But, I wanted to make sure I could keep working full time (needed a slightly slower pace to pay my mortgage) and that I could actually stand a chance at getting a job when this was all said and done. If I could have gotten it done in 2 years at a significantly lessened cost, I WOULD HAVE. But, then I would have had to work wherever I'd get picked up at only to eventually have the pressure of having to bridge and get my BSN.
So, what is the difference between me, a very-soon-to-be Bachelors-prepared-RN and an Associates-prepared-RN? In my state, at least, the only difference is that I can shell out some more cash to get my PHN certification (big whoop), I can do beginner's level research, and I have a term that covers leadership/management (again, at a fundamental level). That's it. Oh, and the ADN RNs generally are much better prepared with their skills while, the thinking goes (the research supports?), having BSN RNs means better assessment skills and better outcomes for patients (allegedly - your mileage may vary depending on the intensity of your BSN program; where I work, though, I can attest to this being true). So, I bow down to the ADNs because they're typically way more prepared to actually work than I am upon graduation (and that's why I have applied to a residency program because it needs to fill in all those gaps in my skills education - what did I just pay all that graduate-level tuition for again????).
I hope that makes more sense as to why what you said was so bristling to the ADNs and why, though it's becoming the standard for being marketable in a very competitive job market, getting a BSN adds a lot of extraneous demands that aren't quite related to the real work of nursing (unless you want to eventually get your MSN and/or DNP and/or PhD -- after getting real work experience, however).
Essentially, the difference between a BSN and an ADN are somewhat superficial in the context of actually just working as a nurse.
Ugh, I just want to work so badly. I can't graduate fast enough.
If you are so sensitive to be offended by this relatively gentle, straightforward info, you'll never make it as a nurse. Sorry to say. You asked for information, you got it. I'm not sure why you're so upset.
I have to agree with this poster. If all it took was a few people on a messageboard to discourage you from the career - you should probably choose another one. I am willing to do any and everything (that is legal - don't get any ideas) to achieve my dream of becoming a nurse. It wouldn't matter what anyone said to me - I know I will get there. That's the kind of attitude you are going to need to make it.
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dianadRN
45 Posts
I'm thinking people are wanting to get into this career because the fallacy about the nursing shortage, and to a lot of people it seems as though nurses make a lot of money. It is extremly competitive to get into a BSN program where I live in Colorado, I know nurses who had 4.0 GPAs who were unable to secure themselves a spot in a BSN program. I had a 3.7 and definitely couldn't get straight into a BSN program and as embarrassing as that was for me, I went the long and agonizing route. I was an LPN for five years before I recently graduated with my ADN and passed NCLEX, and now I am in an ADN-BSN program and hopefully will get my BSN in the next couple of years. I have already started working as an RN in a well paying position, which I was hired over BSN candidates who did not have any nursing experience. Personally, I love nursing because I love using my brain, being pushed to my physical, emotional, and mental limits. The first two years I spent in nursing really thickened my skin and I learned a lot. I have always been compassionate and when my patients can see that and we can have a healthy nurse-patient relationship, nothing makes me happier. And none of the other nurses try to mess with me anymore because even though I'm young, I've been around the block and I know my stuff. If it's where you're meant to be, you'll get there, regardless of what route you take.