BSN or not to BSN, this is the real question?

[annemolina]

So to all my fellow pre/post-nursing students i need advise!

I am currently in my 4th year in college as a pre-nursing student, i will be done with all my nursing pre-requisites within the next 7 months(end of my 5th years fall quarter) and will be applying to nursing schools. my gpa is decent above a 3.5, i have no hospital/clinical experience or nor am i a LVN-CNA-MA. In the case i do not get into any nursing school i need a plan B.

2 options come to mind:

option 1) -Finish up my 5th year by retaking classes, interning/volunteering to gain experience & reapplying and getting into a nursing program the following year. taking 7-9 years in total for my BSN.

option 2)-counselor gave me the idea to purse a bachelors degree at my current university in whatever field i prefer and then do an accelerated masters in nursing, and still take me the same amount of time. just resulting in 2 degrees.

My questions are, what type of bachelors degree would i pursue, if i were to consider this route?

- health care management? kinesiology? biology? chemistry? nutrition?

biochemistry?

- also what kind of jobs would i be able to get with any of those degrees & would they help me out to get hired or help me out as a nurse in any way?

- would i most likely get a faster/better job with a masters in nursing or bachelors? or does it not matter?

Bigger question in the end... is it worth pursuing a degree in a field i am not passionate about then going for MSN or taking the long road and spending the same amount of long years into a BSN i truly want?

The ultimate result will be my nursing career... which route is the best for me and my future??

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear from you guys! Questions, comments, concerns, and advice are greatly appreciated.

[llg, PhD, RN]

1. I would never invest time, energy, and money into a degree I wasn't passionate about. Time, energy, and money are valuable resources that shouldn't be squandered. If you decide to get another degree along the way to your nursing career, make sure it is something you are passionate about and in a field that you would be willing to work in if the nursing thing didn't work out. Don't waste resources on a degree you won't be willing or able to get a job using it.

2. You didn't mention money. That should be a big part of the equation (unless you are rolling in it). If you have a "year to kill" while you are waiting to start nursing school, get a job to get some valuable work experience -- preferably in health care. Or at least get some volunteer experience in health care while you earn cash.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Bigger question in the end... is it worth pursuing a degree in a field i am not passionate about then going for MSN or taking the long road and spending the same amount of long years into a BSN i truly want?

I wouldn't pursue a degree in biology or nutrition as a stepping stone into nursing.

There's a saying: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Earning a non-nursing degree is deviating from this straight line.

[annemolina]

I considered the money aspect but not entirely. would it be a higher pay for a MSN or BSN or are they exactly the same ? im sure the MSN route would be more costly in the grand scheme of things.

I don't believe their is a degree out there that would be of any interest for me or would benefit my nursing career. in the long run i'm sure the MSN in nursing route would be a lot more expensive. Even though the nursing schools i am applying to don't require interning, CNA or volunteer experience, would it benefit me to do so just to get my foot into the door of the medical world and start forming connections/ gaining experience?

[annemolina]

thanks your saying really cleared my mind, i guess i will put all my efforts into my real career/ dream, staying on this "straight line".

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I considered the money aspect but not entirely. would it be a higher pay for a MSN or BSN or are they exactly the same ?

New grads are paid the same, whether educated at the BSN or MSN degree level.

[AJJKRN]

New grads are paid the same, whether educated at the BSN or MSN degree level.

Or with an ASN/ADN, depending on the hiring job market

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

In my job market, it is based on the job description. An ADN, BSN, and MSN all make the same if they are the same job. However, most jobs that require a MSN require additional experience that would pay more. If you wanted to go the future NP route, you would have to do a post-masters certificate or earn a MSN.

I would advise you to apply to BSN programs now. You shouldn't need four years to apply. Usually it is 1-3 years of pre-reqs. It sounds better for the school if you graduate from there with a non-nursing degree instead of transferring to a nursing program. I would get into the BSN or even an ADN now, get some work experience, and then specialize in the MSN later on.