BSN to MSN or LMHC/LISW???

HealthyRN · Feb 18, 2008

I would recommend that you begin by pursuing career counseling. Most universities offer this as a free service to students and it would help you to clarify your career goals. Nursing and social work are very different professions. If you are interested in working in mental health, you could obtain a master's in nursing for mental health/psych NP or CNS and this would allow you to diagnosis and treat mental disorders. Some advanced practice nurses also do counseling, but I'm not sure as to the extent of this or how much their practice is based on this. On the other hand, I know that social workers tend to focus more on the counseling aspect and cannot prescribe medications. Salaries are going to vary by state and region, but in general, NPs tend to make much more than SWs in my area of the country.

Have you considered master's entry programs? This would be an alternative to the accelerated BSN if you don't get in. Master's entry programs accept students with bachelor's degree and allow you to sit for the NCLEX and obtain a master's, usually in 2-3 years (plus pre-reqs). You would have to be very certain that you want to do mental/health track though and you would have to be willing to take some time to obtain basic RN experience. Many employers may not want to hire an advanced practice nurse that has spent no time learning the basics.