BS+RN+??=MSN?

[pistolpete02]

Hi everyone,

I have BS in Microbiology and I am in the process of completing an ADN (about half way done). Anyways is there a quick way to become an NP? Can I skip the BSN since I have a BS+ADN?

Anything helps!

Thanks!

Pete

[pistolpete02]

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond this. I really appreciate the feedback!! I have worked with NPs and PAs in the emergency department for the past 10 years so I have a fairly solid idea as to what the day to day workload entails. I've been very fortunate and have worked in 17 different emergency departments across the US, taking bits and pieces of what works vs what doesn't work. I feel like the biggest difference with the NPs who have experience as RNs vs NPs with no experience as an RN is learning how to communicate with staff and patients in high stress situations. Learning bedside manor is key.

With the suggestions that one should have experience as a RN prior to completing a MSN do you notice a difference between practicing PAs and practicing NPs who hasn't worked as an RN first?

[NURSE2b_AtléticoMadrid]

pistolpete you have a BS in microbiology, I think you know by asking that last question you are going to receive a huge sample bias of responses. If you've worked at 17 emergency departments around the nation you have a collective idea that the measure of clinical competency varies from practitioner to practitioner (or discipline2discipline). Standardization of education and applying ones skill set are factors that contribute to competency and an individual practitioners confidence. Collaborative medicine + horizontal leadership improve communication in our discipline and can reduce errors, plus it creates an environment for the new PA/NP to grow. Everyone has a "individual" learning curve stemming from that afore mentioned clinical confidence and standardization of education, but if you are venting out the NP option like myself, programs vary so wildly from one program to the next, do your own research. We both have a hard science background, the scientific method vents out sample bias if done correctly, respectfully, opinions stated here can catalyze any potential biases.

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond this. I really appreciate the feedback!! I have worked with NPs and PAs in the emergency department for the past 10 years so I have a fairly solid idea as to what the day to day workload entails. I've been very fortunate and have worked in 17 different emergency departments across the US, taking bits and pieces of what works vs what doesn't work. I feel like the biggest difference with the NPs who have experience as RNs vs NPs with no experience as an RN is learning how to communicate with staff and patients in high stress situations. Learning bedside manor is key.

With the suggestions that one should have experience as a RN prior to completing a MSN do you notice a difference between practicing PAs and practicing NPs who hasn't worked as an RN first?

We all start out as novice NPs, and all have our different strengths and weaknesses. I have precepted NP students both with and without nursing experience, and found that competence and confidence are very much an individual thing. I've had students with 20 years of bed side experience who could not transition into diagnosing and treating on their own. I've had direct entry students who were rock stars. I've also had the opposite.

NPs with nursing experience initially have a better understanding on how the system work, but the others catch up quickly. I think after some experience you cannot tell the difference between a direct entry NP and one with nursing experience, all things being equal.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

my 2 cents, the role of the NP is heading toward DNP and most places will not let you do the DNP with out the BSN. You woudl almost be better getting the BSN and then doing a BSN-DNP some will award the MSN along the way.

[Cat365]

There are programs for RN to MSN with an unrelated bachelors. The one I looked into required you to complete all of the bachelors level nursing courses in addition to the masters level courses. Which makes complete sense to me. I don't know if the program I looked into gave you a BSN as well. It never occurred to me when I was looking that that might be possible. I also don't know the ramifications for not possessing a BSN.