Career Change from RD to RN

rshergill877 · Jun 2, 2016

Hi WhitneyS,

I am so glad I found this thread. I am in the same boat as you are. I have been an RD for about 4 years now. I love the field but there just aren't any job advancements and the pay is not so great either. So I want to go to nursing school, preferably an accelerated program (usually 12-15 months) for my BSN. Like yourself, I also had taken almost all the pre-reqs required by most schools for their Accelerated BSN program. I recently finished Life Span Development and A&P II. I live in NJ so I am applying to a few schools, Columbia (trying my luck lol), NYU, Wagner, NJCU, Stonybrook, all have ABSN programs.

To answer your questions, most schools do not require any experience with nursing, except NYU (I think 100 hrs or something). But you should be ok, because for almost all schools, you just need to have a bachelors degree in order to apply for the program. And since you are an RD and have worked at a teaching hospital, that should be a plus in your favor.

As long as your GPA is not below 3.0, you're good to go, but do look at your science pre-req courses GPA (both from your RD degree and the ones you'll be taking now), some schools require the science pre-req courses to be specific (3.2-3.5 or more). Some schools have no time limitation on on the pre-req courses and some do.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you from and what schools have you looked at to apply? Are you applying to a traditional BSN program or accelerated? :)

Whitney S. · Jun 2, 2016

Hi rshergill877!

I'm glad that you found my thread! I wasn't expecting to hear from another RD with the same goals. Honestly, when I told my co-workers what I was doing (my manager knows what I am doing and is supportive of my decision) they all thought I was crazy! Probably still do I agree with you on the low pay and no job advancements as an RD... they tell you in school that you can do ANYTHING and can specialize in so many different things. Which is true, we can - but no matter what you specialize in, you're basically doing in-patient work (and not being that involved in patient care..), counseling, or foodservice. My main reason for wanting to go for nursing is because I hate being so uninvolved in patient care! I am very clinically minded - so I love working at a hospital. But I hate how limited we are. Working at a teaching hospital, my co-workers and I do have the privilege to completely manage tube feedings and order whatever supplement we want, but even with this I do not feel I am doing as much as I would like to for patients.

And okay, that's great to hear. I live in Texas, I am planning on applying to Texas Tech's Traditional BSN program.The location I am applying to is only 15-16 months long, and is where my parents live. Since it's a shorter traditional BSN program, I'm going to apply for that. I dislike online courses.

The requirements for the program I am applying to is overall a 3.0 and the sciences have to be at least a 2.75. I do make the cut, but I was afraid my GPA wasn't high enough.

Sounds like you are applying to several! I am mainly just applying to Tech's program because I really cannot afford to take out a loan to live on - my parents are letting me live with them if I am accepted.

Again, glad you found my thread! :)

rshergill877 · Jun 3, 2016

Hi,

Thats great!! I work at a dialysis center and let me tell you, it is so boring. We draw blood the first week of the month and educate patients on their labs and diet changes they need to make to make their blood work look better. The next 2-3 of the months we're just doing medication changes and a majority of the month just writing notes/documentation. So boring and so repetitive. I also worked at a big teaching hospital when I lived in NY and that was the best experience ever but as an RD you're still limited like you said.

I have only told my dialysis director and the medical director of the facility about my plans since I'll be needing letters of recommendation from them but not my co-workers, like yours mine would think Im crazy lol. So Im staying quiet till I actually get into a program, I can tell them then :) I know so many RD's who went into a different profession after being dissatisfied wit being an RD, whether its the pay or no job advancement (and trust me Masters doesn't help with any of that). Some went into nursing and are a LOT happier, some went to PA school and are making twice as much as me lol

that is great that they have a traditional program that actually is 15-16 months long. Wish they had something like that here in NY or NJ. I would probably have to take out a loan which is ok! Don't have any kids yet so I can still go through the accelerated track!

Let me know how your application process goes! Are you applying for the fall or spring semester for next year?

Whitney S. · Jun 3, 2016

Honestly, I think most jobs are repetitive. Your job sounds a little more emotionally satisfying than just being an inpatient RD. At least you see the same patients (or I am assuming) and see their progress. I just feel SO emotionally unsatisfied with being an RD. I want so badly to be hands on with my patients and be a vital part of their hospital stay rather than ask them what flavor of Ensure they want.

And yes, I know a master's degree does not help. I actually turned down going to school to get my masters in Nutritional Sciences to take a shot at becoming an RN. Yes, I have also heard of many other RDs going in another direction. I wish I had known this when I was 20! I haven't even been an RD for a year yet! I was thinking about nursing school when I was still in my dietetic internship.

And that's good you can take out a loan! I don't have children either, thank goodness. I am not applying until November to start in either the summer or the fall (I am applying to both to increase my chances) and taking the TEAS V in September. What about you? When are you applying?