BSN with a minor in Health Science and Psych

[SarahShelly]

Hi! I am a pre-nursing student (it will be a great day when the "pre" goes away) getting a BS in nursing. Because of my financial aid requirements, I have to stay full time. Which leads me to double minor. Health sciences was an obvious choice, and psych was just a few extra classes of things I enjoy. Combined with 13 years of active duty medical experience, do you (the all nurses community) think I will be a marketable graduate? I would like to begin working full time to pay for my DNP education as soon as I graduate. I am a bit untraditional (read 13 years in active duty military) so I really want to set myself up for success. Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Thank you so much for your service. We love our vets!!

The only thing that usually matters - when it comes to jobs for new grads - is direct care experience because that's the job you're applying for. I would advise you to be very clear and specific about exactly what sort of patient care you did during those 13 years of "medical" experience. Nursing is not medicine; we have a defined scope of practice. You don't want prospective employers to fear that you would be unable to adhere to your scope of practice because of your previous job. We do not practice medicine, so you may want to rephrase that in your resume - and since you weren't a nurse either, I would suggest you refer to it as "patient care" experience.

BTW, from an academic standpoint, BSN is a "program" rather than a major. When you get to the clinical portion of your education, there will not be enough 'extra' credit hours available to meet the requirements for a minor unless you are comfortable carrying waaaay more than a normal full time load. You may be very different, but the majority of students (even those with very high GPAs) are shocked at the difficulty of clinical education requirements. So, it may be very hard to juggle extra course work and still maintain the required nursing GPA.

Best of luck to you.

[SarahShelly]

By the time clinicals start, my minors will be complete, with the exception of one online bio psychology course, which I can fit in the semester my peers are taking English comp (my associates degree covered most of my Gen Eds, so I am ahead. While my peers are taking college algebra, I came into the program having finished Calc 1). The only reason I have two majors is to stay full time with my GI bill. The program specific pre-reqs weren't enough to carry 12 credits at once.

I am clueless about a nursing resume...and that is scary. I just hope I am doing everything I can to get into a position were I can do what I love. Patient care...