what Bachelors degree can I earn besides BSN (from RN)?

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Hello, So I am going on 3 months into my first nursing job and I am not loving it. I know there are alot of new grads that can't find work that would like to choke me for sounding ungrateful for finding a job (took me a year and a half after graduation to get it!) but after moving half way across the country with no family or friends, I am ready to go back home if I can get my old job back. I guess I am the one in 5 that want to leave nursing within the first year :'(

but anyways, I don't want my ADN to go to complete waste, and I do like healthcare, so I am wondering what else is out there that I can move on to from RN?

Specializes in ICU.

Health information, can lead u to a managers job running the HIM department. Or a bachelors in nursing informatics can get u a desk job in the IT department. Go to school to be a coder, coding can allow u ti work from home, less pay than nursing though,with the start of ICD 10 in 2013 the informatic world will be abuzz and a mess until the kinks are worked out. People are saying if u understand ICD 10 u are going to be in demand.

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Specializes in ICU.
http://education-portal.com/article_directory/q_p/page/Medical%20and%20Health%20Professions/q_p/Glossary_of_Bachelor's_Degree_Programs.htmlI just googles bachelors in health care field, this site gave a lot of degrees and an overview of the degree. While u may be considering a BAchelors. Some programs might have a masters that u can go directly into if u see this in your future. When I was younger I had no idea the bachelors could be skipped. Good luck in your decision.
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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

Totally from left field-and WAY more than a Bachelor's- but have you considered working toward an MD or NP? I just took my NCLEX today but I know that I don't want to be a nurse forever; I want to be a NP and eventually (my 30 year plan) to be an MD.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I think you should stick it out for at least another 6 to 8 months, even if you aren't liking the job. You can always start applying for other positions and see what happens. I also moved thousands of miles away from family and friends for my first nursing job. To prospective employers without at least one year or more, you're still considered a new grad, and you look like a job hopper. Try to learn all you can before moving on.

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I appreciate the helpful sentiments of those who have suggested areas of nursing like legal nurse consultant, forensic nursing, and case management. It's true that these might be good options for some nurses, but almost all of these alternatives require years of experience and expertise in the areas of concern. This is not a realistic opportunity for someone with only a few months' experience.

What you might consider is trying a different specialty area before jumping ship entirely. One specialty area can vary greatly from another. And even within a specialty, the environment can be night-and-day different from one employer to another.

At the very least, I encourage you to get at least a year under your belt so that you can say you have some experience. Anything less than that sends you back to new grad status and closes some doors. With that magical year, you retain a few more choices if you decide to come back to nursing.

You might also want to look into some kind of career counseling to figure out what it is about nursing that you don't like. Maybe it's something that's innately part of the job and you won't be able to get around it. But it also might be some aspect of the job that isn't universal to nursing in general. If you can identify the problem, you stand a better chance of either fixing the situation or at least avoiding making the same mistake again.

Best wishes.

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A bachelor's degree in English, History, Journalism, Education, marine biology, and pretty much anything else aren't worth the paper they're printed on and graduates are lucky to be working as baristas and cashiers. And job poor prospects are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems with job-hunting after getting a bachelor's, there's also the issue of the huge costs of the degree and associated debt you may drown in.

Just my opinion - but if you're employed now, I'd really think twice about trading in nursing for a useless bachelor's in another subject, student debt, and (likely) a low paid joe-job.

While I would not have phrased this thought in the same way, there is a lot of truth to these statements. I have a BA. I did a double major: English (Concentration in Writing) and Philosophy.

That means that any potential employer should look at my credentials and my life experience and say 'Well now, this gentleman has the ability to express themselves clearly and think logically. He sure would be an asset to this company. Let me offer him millions of dollars to secure his employment with us'.

Instead, I can't even get a job mopping floors at a local restaurant, overnight.

Yes...that last statement was true.

Maybe it's the job market. Maybe it's the state I live in.

I don't know.

I don't care.

I only know that I used to work in a hospital and everyone told me I should study to be a nurse. I didn't listen then but I'm listening now.

I know that after 2 years you can do contractual work and narrow yourself down to something you like in a better geographical location.

Do what's best for you but I encourage you to stick it out if you can.

All the best!

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Considering how hard it is for newbies to get work, as you know, I think it would be smart to stick it out for at least a year so long as you don't think you will be putting your patients at risk. From my Job Search I see so many positions asking for 1-2 years experience you might as well get them while you can so you have something to fall back on.

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Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.

What is it you would like to do? You mentioned your current job is as far away as you can get. What is the other side?

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why don't you check with a recruiter and maybe try travel nursing? Also if you're more interested in the adminstration or like a nurse practitioner side of things you will need a BSN (another 1-2 years) but it pays atleast 20K more. I guess it depends on why you dislike it so much. Do some soul searching on that one first. Figure out what you don't like vs. what you do/would and maybe seek something in the field more befitting to you. It's too many opportunities out there to just let you RN license go to waste.

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Just out of curiosity- how did you feel when you did your clinicals? What were your thoughts while going through your clinicals?

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Im not sure if this will make you feel any better, but when I say I felt the same way you did after I started my first job as an RN new grad, I felt just like you. I was so confused and even angry because it was not what I expected. Im not even sure what I expected. I graduated with my ADN in 2009 and started on good ol med/surg! 6 months later I would cry at work, I was stressed, and very depressed. But when I say it did get better, it really did. At first i was looking into other programs because I wanted to leave nursing completely. I also started looking for other positions, but soon realized you are considered a new grad till you have at least 2 years of expierence. I made the best of it and really enjoyed working with my friends. We (the new grads) gave eachother emotional support and became a family. So I encourage you to find people going through the same experiences and have a support team. I applied at so many nursing positions whether I qualified or not! I obtained ACLS and dysrhythmia certifications to become a better nurse and to have a more lucrative resume. I started thinking of what was interesting to me. I had been on the education plan for radiology before deciding to become a nurse & decided thats it! I will be a radiology nurse. I saw an opening and went for it! I had no ICU or concsious sedation experience, but didnt let that hold me back. Well, I got the job. I am a radiology nurse and I really enjoy it!! no regrets. I am currently working on my BSN and plan on applying to grad school ( FNP student hopeful...) and I feel good. So please, dont jump the boat too soon. There are better jobs out there and a career path that will be best for you. And even if you decide nursing is not for you, I wish you luck with any of your future endeavors!

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Sorry to hear you're not enjoying it as much as you thought you would have :uhoh3:Hmm, if you get your BSN you will have more opportunities in different nursing specialties, such as research RN or even management. Most of the posts that others have mentioned are pretty good alternatives.

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