Associate Degree or Direct Entry Masters?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am contemplating applying to nursing schools and am trying decide which route to take. I have a bachelors degree (not in nursing) so I am looking at Associate Degree programs and Direct Entry Masters programs. One big difference I understand is that the Associate Degree programs do not allow you to pursue positions in leadership or administration down the road but Masters programs allow that opportunity. Is that correct? Anyone out there get there Associate Degree and now wish they had pursued the Masters instead? Obviously there are more Associate Degrees programs out there but I dont want to put myself in a position of having to return to school later down the road. Any info would be appreciated!

Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

I'm in a direct entry MSN program and I also struggled with what degree to get initially. Some days I regret my choice just due to the speed and intensity of the program and that I have 3 little kids and a husband that is sometimes helpful, and sometimes he is my 4th little kid.

And remember that the MSN in many direct entry programs is a generic one and those classes have little (if anything) to do with the actual clinical part of nursing. The licensure part of my program (didactic and clicnicals) are similar to the BSN programs around here but with a few more clinical hours.

In the end I feel it will be the right choice because I am almost 40 and want to do things in nursing that require a master's degree and this is the fastest way for me to reach my goals. I do plan on at least 3 years at the bedside to get clinical experience before moving on/going back to school for an NP.

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Specializes in ED, Flight.

Personally, I understand avoiding debt. I finished my BSN with none, and that feels really good these days.

I don't understand the other objections. So what if she has an MSN with no experience? She's no worse off than any other grad nurse, AND she already has an MSN in pocket for future use. It may even effect pay scale after orientation.

So, if finances are not the issue, I go back to my original stand: Do it. You rarely regret more education. It always looks good on the resume. And It'sMe's experience is certainly instructive.

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Yes experience is instructive. I have 15 years at the bedside. I couldn't even get a job in January when I left my company and tried to reenter nursing. I have been away from the bedside for 13 years. I started my new clinical job last Monday. Went through hospital orientation all last week. Start clinical orientation on Tuesday. I am scared to death! Can I do it? Will I be able to relearn all of the tasks I once knew how to do by memory? Can I handle the physical stress? Will they like me? Will they resent that I am a male? Hey, I feel just like a new GN!

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If "direct entry MSN" refers to the accelerated masters in nursing, which I am thinking it does, then you will get your RN license before you do the masters portion of your MSN. This means you may work, at least per diem, if you can fit it into your schedule. I have a BSN but in my school we were thrown in classes with a lot of the accelerated masters students - in fact, some got hired where I got hired. These accelerated masters students are taking new grad positions, just like I am, but I believe are finding it easier to get employment. Hospitals seem to be favoring some of these masters prepared students because it enhances their prestige and I think it figures into their plans to get magnet status. Also, while job searching I noticed that some hospitals had minimum quals that were different for MSN students - they didn not require a full year of experience like they did for bachelor and ADN new grads.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

This is sort of a trick question. From a management perspective, to really work your way to the top you will have to have a minimum MSN. However, if you have a BSN and an MBA that will do also. They really want to management experience and educational training to back it up. I have a BSN and it has allowed me to work to the directors level in at least 3 hospitals but I was never able to apply for the chief nursing officer positions due to my lack of an advanced degree. So if you know that management is what you want to do, get your education out of the way now and get it over with. Good luck.

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This is sort of a trick question. From a management perspective, to really work your way to the top you will have to have a minimum MSN. However, if you have a BSN and an MBA that will do also. They really want to management experience and educational training to back it up. I have a BSN and it has allowed me to work to the directors level in at least 3 hospitals but I was never able to apply for the chief nursing officer positions due to my lack of an advanced degree. So if you know that management is what you want to do, get your education out of the way now and get it over with. Good luck.

Hi Diane. I have a ton of clinical experience as well as Nursing and Hospital administration experience. I just recently decided to get back into nursing administration as I felt the timing was right. I applied for many nurse manager and clinical director positions. Over and over I was told that I would "qualify" if I had a BSN along with my MBA that I already posses but that if I really wanted to be taken seriously I needed the MSN. There is a huge push by hospitals seeking "magnet" status to have their nursing leadership have MSNs. I am sure that there are facilities out there that still hire BSN/MBA leaders but the strongest path is MSN. I am not advocating the MSN because frankly I don't want to spend the 18 months and $32,000 for the degree but it seems like I am being pushed to do so. So I took a clinical staff job to get some creditability. And guess what, I met some MSNs that are working right along side of me! Interesting what is going on in nursing these days! :bugeyes:

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