B.S in Psychology: Looking into second degree in Nursing

fabiusgile · Mar 28, 2009

I think you should just get married and start having babies

rubberducky2285 · Mar 28, 2009

Thanks babe. But I was looking for more than just your opinion to the subject. Remember your the one who sent me to this website!

caliotter3 · Mar 28, 2009

You should pursue a BSN in an accelerated program or enter an MSN entry program. Going to an ASN program is a step backwards unless you do not intend to go further in your eduation.

rubberducky2285 · Apr 5, 2009

What is an MSN entry program?

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2009

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=msn+entry+programs+in+wisconsin&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.becomern.com%2Fdirect-entry-msn%2F

Here's a link that explains the MSN direct entry and a list of schools by state that offer it.

Here's a question for anyone out there that can answer: My friend also graduated with a B.S. in Pyschology but only has a 2.75 GPA. Are there any accelerated BSN/MSN schools that will accept a GPA that low? Is there any course of action for her besides a non-competitive ADN program?

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 8, 2009

Do you want to practice nursing? That is the key question. I hear that you're interested in health care and helping people and that you enjoy being in school and learning new things. But do you want to practice nursing? That should be the main motivation for attending nursing school.

Any ideas of what kind of nursing you might like to practice as a full-time profession? That is, what the goal of earning the degrees you are considering pursuing? Is it to practice a profession or simply to enjoy the learning process and then move on to learning something else? I can relate to that personally. I loved school and would do that professionally if I could! However, I found nursing school one of the most frustrating academic experiences I ever had.

The content of nursing school tends to be very broad, therefore rather shallow. You just can't get too in depth when you've got so much ground to cover (geriatrics, pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, pregnancy and birth, oncology, cardiology, etc). Take a look at some nursing textbooks at a school (eg medical-surgical nursing) to get a feel of what the coursework covers. Ask yourself if it's what you'd like to be knee deep in for a couple of years.

A lot of nursing school is about testing your ability to deal with stress and to be self-directed in your learning. A lot of it is reinforcing safe practice and critical thinking. You don't need nursing school to learn these general skills. But you do need nursing school to be able practice nursing.

Food for thought!!!! Best wishes to you!

meluhn · Apr 9, 2009

If you love school so much why not get your Phd in psych and become a licensed psycotherapist? The money is better and you are already in the field.

I agree with the poster that said NS is a very frustrating experience. If you pride yourself on keeping that 4.0, NS will frustrate you too. You may have to settle for a 3.5. By the end of ns you will take that and run!

However if you are dead set on being a nurse the accelerated BSN is the way to go.

The adn program is not your typical associates degree. It is approx. 15 credits more and much more rigorous. By the time you get thru all the prereqs and everything you could be getting your bsn in the same amt of time. Not that the bsn program wont be hard but at least when you're done you'll have a bsn. Good luck

sms1313 · Sep 2, 2009

I know it has been a while since you originally posted this, but I was in the same situation and had the same idea. One year later I am an RN and starting the Psychiatric NP portion of my accelerated MSN program. Yes, I did everything to be an RN in one year...it was crazy, but definitely possible.

Now I am to start my new job as a Psych RN and will be making almost 80k with the shift differential...if you've ever worked with a BS in Psych, you know what a huge difference in pay that one year has made. I basically tripled or even quadrupled what I was able to make with just the BS in Psych. I will now have the money to pursue my Psych NP education and the hospital I am working at will be contributing a large chunk of the money with their tuition assistance program.

Going into an Entry to Practice program for people with B.S. Degrees in other areas was the best decision I could have made and I am looking forward to my career as a Psych NP. I decided that this was ultimately for me when I realized that I could do therapy, prescribe, go into private practice, and actually make a good living in the same amount of time as it would have taken to become a social worker making less than half of the money.

To respond to someone else's post, no I do not think getting a PhD is necessarily the best way to go depending on your preferences. No prescriptive authority (unless you want to go to med school and be a psychiatrist who doesn't really do much talk therapy), it takes a very long time, you don't get that "whole person" knowledge and perspective, and there is very little reimbursement for your education. Nursing allows an unprescedented amount of autonomy and the freedom to switch fields at nearly any time. I could wake up tomorrow and think, hey, maybe I'd like to do Labor and Delivery! Not a chance, but the option is there...

Good luck with whatever you've chosen to do, I would certainly reccomend becoming Psych NP to anyone with a B.S. in Psych trying to figure out their next steps! It seems like an option that is still relatively unknown to people in our situation and that is just such a shame, glad you found out about your choices.

kierkegaard · Sep 6, 2009

Dear SMS. May I ask you where you did the Entry to Practice program? The only one I found in New York was Columbia. I'm really interested in doing this in a year and didn't know it was possible.

Thanks.