CA Paramedic to BSN

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Nov 1, 2014

Hi, welcome to allnurses.

Before I proceed, I would like to divulge that I am also in California (SF Bay Area not SoCal) and although I am a Nurse Practitioner, I feel that I still have a grasp of trends in RN employment in the state.

As a male nurse who likes high acuity settings because of the adrenaline rush and self satisfaction in having accomplished something afterwards, I agree that nursing is a great field for a guy with similar aspirations given that ED and ICU settings are ideal for these scenarios. California is also a state with one of the strongest nursing unions in the country and this has made it possible for nurses to be paid better here than in other states.

However, one could also argue that the high cost of living here balances the high salary out and makes it so that there is really not much difference in the pay vs cost of living ratio compared to other states. Having said all that, I must admit that I've been happy in my career as a nurse and I think it's a great field to be in. Now on to the bad news:

For some reason, everyone wants to be a nurse in California. Of all the states, we probably have the biggest number of RN surplus and this is proven by Board of Registered Nursing data. There are many new grads who are underemployed here (working in non-nursing jobs or less desirable nursing jobs they didn't expect they would accept).

Part of the glut is probably due to a large number of RN travelers from out of state who bring years of nursing experience and gets a better chance of getting hired in desirable hospital units here. There is also that element of it matters who you know and if you don't have connections, you're out of luck.

The other bad news is that it's tough to get in a BSN programs here as well with the exception of private institutions that will get really expensive to attend anyway. Many state run universities have many applicants and not having stellar GPA might put you at a disadvantage if you have to compete with a large pool of applicants.

That doesn't mean you are out of options. You could consider attending nursing school out of state and seek experience out of state first before returning to California. This is a longer way of achieving your goal but in the end, you will be able to do what you wanted to do in the first place, hopefully.

caliotter3 · Nov 2, 2014

It is good advice to focus your efforts at getting your nursing education out of state, perhaps your beginning nursing career also, then returning to CA.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 2, 2014

Eric_Medic, if you're still basically unattached, I would highly suggest heading out of state for your Nursing Degree. I wouldn't look at any of the online/distance programs like Excelsior or similar programs because California does NOT accept that for initial licensing or endorsement of an RN license for practice here.

Look at getting your prerequisite coursework done, and concentrate on getting as good a GPA in those as possible. Programs can (and often do) look at your prerequisite GPA and your overall GPA as separate pieces along with an entrance exam score. Given that you already have a Bachelors, you might be able to get into an accelerated BSN program. I would have gone that route if I could have.

If you want to return/work in California as an RN, I really suggest finding programs that match their requirements for initial licensing, even if it's out of state. Get a job as an RN, build some experience and then you'll be a whole lot further ahead of things when you come back because the hospitals will only have to orient you to their specific way of doing things.

It's much like being a Medic. You're accredited in one county and if you go to a different county, the accreditation process goes pretty quickly. It's not like you'd have to go through an entire field internship all over again...

To answer your questions: I'm male, a Paramedic, have a Bachelor's, earned an ASN, had about a 3.0 GPA overall GPA by the time I was ready to apply to RN school, but like a 3.8 prerequisite GPA and an 88.7 TEAS score. Now I'm licensed and looking for my 1st RN job.

johndough · Nov 6, 2014

I'm somewhat in the same boat. I did my BS and not using it. I now work as a CNA and applying for nursing school.

Since I already have my BS, I am applying for a MEPN (Master's Entry to the Profession of Nursing) program.

You end up with an RN but it's taught in a Master's level with additional materials to study. Instead of a "BSN, RN" at the end of your name, you have an "MS, RN."

It's a 15 month program, and I have an interview in a week.

I think they have it in San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix/Tucson AZ

I'm doing it in AZ and you need a min. of 3.0 gpa for pre-req and overall gpa. I'm not sure where you stand on pre-req gpa, but you can always retake some a couple of pre-reqs in one semester and fix you gpa. For overall gpa, my school only counts the last 60 units for all schools you've taken, so if you just start from the last class you took and count to 60. It will count your EMT classes since you took those last.

It helped me a lot too because I had a couple of bad grades but I got 6 units of A for my CNA class, and I did well for my last semesters at university.

Well, TLDR too, but good luck.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Nov 9, 2014

Have you thought about Physical Therapy? You can do a Medic to RN course of study at any number of bridge programs. But your love of being fit, exercise, etc and PT may be a better fit.

Also, have you tried certifying as a fitness instructor? Even nutrition/fitness is an intriguing mix.

You could see about becoming a tech in one of your local ER's, then you can see first hand as to if you would like to invest in a nursing program.

Be careful with your former GPA. A bridge program may be better than an accelerated program, as sometimes GPA's have to do with clinical placement.

I would make appointments to see some of the academic advisors in the colleges that you would want to attend. They can direct you as to what you would need, what direction you could potentially head in, that kind of thing.

Best wishes.

vengeance · Nov 18, 2014

I was a medic for over 20 years. I had bachelors in 2 areas simply because my parents made me go to college. After graduating I became a ff/medic. I used the bachelors to get into a bridge to MSN. I am now applying to ED jobs

Rbeck911, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2014

I was in your exact position (almost) before I went into nursing. EMS does not allow for much upward mobility, so I totally get where your coming from. When I first entered EMS I wanted the fire department so bad, and I got it. I quickly realized that it was not for me. It just didn't interest me as much as the medical side of it. So, I decided to pursue nursing and I have never looked back, man. My advice, if you are worried about your GPA, start small and do a EMT-P to ASN bridge program. If you complete the bridge, your GPA will certainly be boosted enough to get into a BSN program, and you will be able to get your foot into nursing quicker. Check our Excelsior college. They have a completely online EMT-P to ASN program and it is very reasonably priced (I know what medics make ) So, good luck to you. If you have any questions, hit me up. I am all about the ambulance bros making more money, however they have to!

Eric_Medic · Nov 19, 2014

Thank you for all of your responses. I really appreciate the insight. I have started taking pre-requisite courses which my Bachelors did not cover. Ive also started a phlebotomy course which is short and should allow me to gain a ER-tech position a lot easier. Ive been trying to network with nurses I have met and utilize all the connections possible to gain insight and possible job opportunities.

Eric_Medic · Nov 19, 2014

What state are you in Vengeance? I was looking at the MSN but have been told that it is geared more towards the "education/ instructor" role. I would love to find a program which offers a BSN rolled into their MSN program but so far... no dice.

Eric_Medic · Nov 19, 2014

Thanks for the response RBeck911. I have heard of Excelsior college but have not looked into it too much. I will start looking toward ADN/ASN programs but Im hoping my science pre-reqs I have to take will improve my GPA to be more competitive. Also, I am in CA and planning on staying in CA. I have heard negative things about Excelsior and its relationship with BSN entry and the CA BRN. Any insight on that?

One of the reasons I am more interested in BSN programs is because with my previous bachelors, it winds up being almost the same amount of time to obtain my BSN vs ADN/ASN. Obviously BSN programs are more competitive, but I would like to save time, and come out the other side with a more competitive degree so I can get where I would like to be faster. (ER RN)

Also, did you obtain the position of FF/PM and then quit to go back to school?

caliotter3 · Nov 19, 2014

If you remain in CA you will not be able to obtain a CA RN license with an education from Excelsior. Reportedly, even if you obtain an RN license from a state that recognizes Excelsior, you will not be able to endorse that license into CA, however, if you choose to work a federal job, you will be able to practice as an RN in CA with an out of state license.