Career Change BSc in Food / Nutrition

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 12, 2009

Hi, I'm new to this forum and website. I discovered it while researching a change in my career.
I'm interested in returning to university to study nursing. I'm most interested in dermatology and skin care. I already hold a bachelor's degree in Food and Nutritional Science. I took many of the same courses the nursing students took for their BSc degrees, with additional nutrition and chemistry courses.
Has anyone here ever heard of having a BSc degree in a related science, and then using some of those courses to get a BSc in nursing as well? It would be great if I could study for the RN, and then only have to take the nursing portion of the BSc requirements to get the Registered Nurse BSc.
Has anyone here done this, or know of someone else who did?
Thanks
Mickey

Mickey -

Welcome to allnurses.com!

With your prior degree, you'd be an excellent candidate for an accelerated BSN (ABSN) program. You would still need to take the regular nursing prerequisites (Anatomy & Physiology, Psych, Microbiology, Pathophysiology,...), but once you start the accelerated phase of your program, you'd graduate with your BSN in 12-18 months.

If you're not dead set on nursing, and are still wanting to use your prior degree, you might also go for a second degree as a Dietitian. My wife did that years ago, and I think it took her two years to get her RD/LD. This could still give you a lot of patient contact in a hospital as a clinical dietitian. Just a thought....

Good luck!

Mickey Braun · Aug 12, 2009

Hi,

Thanks for the welcoming and the reply.

I hadn't heard of a ABSN program before, but I'd hoped there might be such a thing. I guess I'll have to find out who offers it. I've already had all the prerequisites for nursing that you mentioned, except pathophysiology. Good to know I'm ahead of the game there too. :)

I prepared to go into dietetics when I was at university, but practicing as a nutritionist turned out to be unrewarding for me, so I never persued the dietetic internship itself.

I've been working as a real estate appraiser for several years now, but that's going nowhere at the moment. I'm very interested in a career that's in demand all over the world, because I'd like to live in England eventually, where my boyfriend lives. Nursing seems to fulfill that requirement, and it's the best match for my skills, interests and background.

I appreciate the info. All the best!