brand new, solid college graduate - massively confused as to nursing field

MisterSimba, BSN · Jul 1, 2008

Here's a few programs:

- UCLA has an entry-level Masters (two years)

- Mount Saint Mary's College has an accelerated BSN (one year)

- Azuza Pacific University has an accelerated program called the EENAP (Early Entry Nursing and Advanced Practice) and it's offered in San Diego and San Bernadino (fifteen months)

- Concordia University has a new accelerated BSN .....this is all the way in Irvine, though (one year)

Have you done your prerequisites yet? That'll take at least a year, but with your background you probably have the English, Philosophy, Psychology, etc...... and you'll notice that the prerequisites vary somewhat among each school.

Good luck, from one fellow English major to another! :redpinkhe

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2008

OP, I'm not in your region so I can't help with the local stuff. You'll find a lot of 2nd/3rd career RNs here on this board. Many of us have had very similar work/academic stories.

I'm an accelerated BSN grad and what I tell everyone who wants to go that route:

1. Pre-reqs...already mentioned but worth hitting on again. No matter what your background you will have pre-reqs. These are non-negotiable (usually) and individualized by program. I was ABD and had to take almost 60 credits of pre-reqs before my 1 year accelerated program. So that's an area you should start on ASAP.

2. Financial aid: There is very very little aid available for accelerated programs. Most universities look at their accelerated programs as cash cows since people come with a fist full of money looking for a new career. Many people trying to get in have an MA or better so you won't be that unique to them. Traditional aid programs focus on getting people to the bachelor's level. Also, it is hard to work and do an accelerated program. Not impossible but not easy. You may need to save up and borrow.

Best wishes to you. I did this 22 years ago. No regrets.

Harparia · Jul 1, 2008

Also look at the University of Oklahoma (in San Diego). I'm not sure of the cost, but it is a second degree, accelerated program. I think that it's a 14 month program.

http://www.ounursing.com/sandiego/index.html

Hands and Heart · Jul 1, 2008

Cal State LA and Cal State Long Beach both have entry level master's program. The pre-licensure portion of the program is 15 months and extremely accelerated. After that you can sit for NCLEX and start working as an RN. Then continue on for 2-3 years for your master's. Tuition is reasonable if you have CA residency. As you decide your master's track, you have a choice of several NP tracks, education, administration, and others. Something to think about. And as stated before, prereqs are a must: chemistry, developmental psychology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, general education.

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2008

2 words.......DIPLOMA PROGRAM.........you leave school with skills that are marketable and you can function at the bedside the next day....while the push is for degree nurses, i've never worked with one that could function with skills required to save a life........granted they could "talk" the game but few dying patients want to hear the A&P of the process and would prefer hands that could DO something. :wink2:

oceansouljewels · Jul 1, 2008

thank you all, that is some direction but which designation gives the most autonomy after some time? there are so many programs and I call them but end up with sales pitches so i am not certain what programs are the best for me. is it the RN that can prescribe? I know I would not want to work in a hospital... most likely a doctor's office - either in obgyn, derma, or possibly rehabilitation/special needs...walking etc. thanks:)

EGKB · Jul 1, 2008

From one second-career nurse-wannabe to another, hello! Some of your questions have been already answered, but here's my two cents!

From the academic background you've described, it doesn't seem like you would have any problem getting into and succeeding in whatever nursing program you choose. That said, there are lots of programs out there that are technically two-year programs, but when you take waiting lists into consideration, along with the amount of time it takes to do the prerequisites, it usually takes longer.

Although you have much postgraduate education, unless some of your courses at any point have been sciences (A&P I & II, Micro, Chemistry I & II), you will also be stuck taking the pre- and co-requisites.

In general, accelerated programs (for people who have at least a bachelor's degree in another discipline) require that you also have most of your co-requisites completed before you even apply to the program (you must have them ALL completed before you start the program). The co-requisites are all the non-nursing science courses (A&P, Micro, Chem, Psych, Soc, etc.)

In my area, all of the ADN/RN programs (that I know of) have waiting lists of at least one year, but they are not selective - all you need to do is complete the prereqs to get on the list. Then, you wait. You can take all the non-nursing science courses while you're waiting; you end up in school about 3-4 years part-time if you go this route (many courses must be taken in sequence).

The accelerated BSN or MSN programs I looked into did not have waiting lists because you either got in, or you didn't - and they were very competitive. I applied to and got in the program I wanted, but unfortunately I could not start as planned, and they will not hold my acceptance; if I decide I want to start the program at some point in the future, I will have to reapply.

The good news about going the associate's degree route is, if you have to do lots of pre- & co-requisites, someone with your academic history should have no problem taking those classes while working part- or full-time. And when you start taking your nursing courses, that will be part-time as well.

While you may have more opportunities in the long run if you get the bachelor's degree (it all depends on your career goals - not everyone wants to be a manager!), you will start at the same salary as an RN whether you have an ADN or BSN. At least that's the general consesnus! Since it sounds like you are financially strapped, maybe the ADN route would be a good way to go. You can always continue on for the BSN or MSN, and your employer might even pay for it.

One last note - good luck on the financial aid front. There's not much financial aid out there for people looking to earn second bachelor's degrees. (I don't know about the associates or direct-entry master's degree programs). Many hospitals have relationships with universities and are willing to help you out financially if you make a commitment to work for them when you graduate, but you will have to decide whether their requirements are incentive enough for you.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

jjjoy, LPN · Jul 1, 2008

Given that you've jumped around a bit and you say that you're looking for something rather "open-ended", I'd personally suggest NOT leaping back into another educational program until you are pretty sure about it. It's another big investment and who knows if you will find it worth it TO YOU in the end. You certainly won't be pulling down six figures again for quite a while if you go the nursing route. And unless you go into a lucrative advanced practice field (which means more school as well as good negotiation skills and applied clinical skills), the big bucks in nursing often come at a price... lots of overtime, nights, weekends, etc.

You also say that you probably don't want to work in a hospital but that is where the majority of nurses start working and what the bulk of RN training focuses on. And nursing school is just a foundation. Much of a nurses's most valuable skills are learned on the job. The first year on the job can be almost like the final year of a person's formal nurse's training. Many doctor's offices these days don't hire nurses; they have medical assistants. So I'd suggest doing some research about opportunities as a new nursing school graduates and what kind of experience might be required (or strongly preferred) for non-beside nursing jobs that interest you.

There ARE many wonderful opportunities in nursing. However, I'm thinking that since you already have a degree and have already started and stopped a few different career directions, you might want to put off investing more time and money in education for yet another field that may or may not pan out the way you plan. Instead, I'd suggest seeing if you can find work that is more personally fulfilling that uses the education and skills you already have or that you can learn on the job.

If health care interests you, look into working for health care related organizations. From there, you can survey the wide variety of types of positions in health care and what might work best for you. It might be nursing. It might be something else.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2008

jjjoy makes some really terrific points. Let me give you an example. I'm in my 50's and I work as a community health RN. I have a wonderful schedule, my own office, take vacation when I want (even at Christmas) and a pension in the future. I love this job. Because I was an early accelerated grad, people gravitate to me to ask about my job and "how to get it".

I am really quick to point out that I did 10 years of full time hospital work to be qualified for this job. There was no way to get from new BSN grad to this job without that. I use my clinical background every day, even if I'm not doing hands-on, physical care.

Have you thought about getting some experience in a medical environment? Could save you a ton of headaches later on. Most of my fellow accelerated program grads lasted a very short time in nursing.

Good luck to you.