Can I go to grad school now?

[Terra Fermata]

I am just about to finish my BSN (one semester left and I'm PUMPED!) but I have not considered grad school. Some people say you should go right into after your bachelors but it is my understanding that once you start grad school you have to specialize (like NP, CRNA, etc.). I have a whole list of interesting specialties that I find equally enticing and while I have a few picked for my top 5 I do not think I could dedicate myself to one, especially when I haven't even worked in it. What is your alls view? I would eventually like to get my masters, and either DNS/DNP/PhD (not sure which to do/what each allows you to do).

[elkpark]

IMO, you are smart to not rush into this. Graduate education in nursing does basically lock you into a particular professional role and career path, so it's important to make sure whatever you choose is something you actually want to pursue. I've known a number of individuals over the years who either entered nursing via a direct-entry MSN program or rushed into grad school as soon as they finished a BSN, only to find, after they spent a lot of time, effort, and $$$ on their graduate degree, that they didn't enjoy doing what the degree had prepared them to do. Then they were faced with figuring out what they do want to do and what degree they're going to have to get (and pay for) to get them there, while paying off the loans for the degree they already have. Not a happy place to be.

There are so many roles, paths, and career opportunities within nursing, many of which you don't even find out about until you've been in nursing for a while (and plenty of which don't require a graduate degree), that I believe it's worth it to take some time to familiarize yourself with the larger nursing "world" and get some solid clinical experience before making a commitment to a graduate program.

Best wishes for your journey!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What is your alls view?

Do you know what you want to do with your nursing career? The entire point of obtaining a graduate nursing degree is specialization. If you have not yet figured out what you want to do, I see no point in attending a graduate nursing program at this time.

In general, the three main non-clinical non-advanced practice MSN degree specializations are nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing informatics. There are some other less common non-clinical non-advanced practice MSN specialties such as infection control, case management, and holistic nursing.

Of course, the four clinical advanced practice MSN specializations are clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthetist.

A newer specialization is the clinical nurse leader MSN. It is not an advanced practice specialty, but has versatility in case you want the MSN degree but are unsure on which specialty piques your interests.

Essentially, I advise you to find out what you would like to do before you jump head-first into a graduate degree nursing program. Good luck to you.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I waited 2 years to do my RN-BSN because I was burned out from school. I just finished my BSN and I have been at my current job for a little over 2 years. There are a lot of changes going on in nursing, so I thought I would see what my options were. I am applying to an MSN program in Informatics. It is a non-clinical degree and is something I find interesting. I can add on a clinical nurse educator after (like 5 classes)so I can teach (I have a masters in teaching, too). It is a part time program, so I will still work for the next 3 years.

If I were you, see what you like. I am an older new nurse and I can sort of see where I want to go.

Good Luck!!