Considering a nursing career but my background is unrelated

rogramjet · May 26, 2005

I have a BA in Russian Language and a minor in Bussiness Administration. I changed careers. No problem. I think it actually helped. I knew what to expect in nursing school a little more than the ones who had never been to college. Even with that, nursing school is far more intense than my BA.

Go for it. Nursing is great. And if you decide to go in and get a Master's degree, some Universities do not require a BSN if you have an ADN and a Bachelor's degree in another field.

Mijourney · May 27, 2005

Hi! I'm considering a career in nursing, but my background is a BS in English Literature and a MS in women's studies. I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for years. Would this background help or hinder me in any way when it comes to being accepted to a program or finding an actual job?
Thanks!

I know of a research nurse who works in the pharmaceutical industry and makes $60-$70/hour as a contract nurse. If you are interested in staying in the pharmaceutical industry, check out the requirements and pay for research nurses. You may find that that alone is worth going to nursing school for. The fact that you have successfully gone through and completed college shows you have discipline and initiative. That works in your favor for nursing school.

SusanJean · May 27, 2005

Your present situation will not help or hinder... if you are interested in nursing, ck out the schools available to you and go for it!

How long have you been out of school?

SJ

isnursing4me · May 27, 2005

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GrnHonu99, RN · May 28, 2005

I'm young- I finished my BS in 2002 and I'm just finishing my MS now. Thank you for replying, it helps to hear about those who have built a successful nursing career with a diverse educational background. There is not a lot of job security where I'm working now and I'm looking at law school and nursing- I'm attracted to nursing for a few reason- but the biggest one being the current demand! Thank you all for your help! :balloons:

Just wanted to say go for it!! If it is what you really want. I have a BA in Psychology and Sociology, I graduated last year in 2004 and am now in a direct entry masters program for nursing!:) While I won't go into adv practice or management right away, it was the best choice for me. My program is heavy in the clincal part but it also places quite a bit of emphasis in research and leadership/critical thinking skills. I have found that my background in liberal arts has put me ahead of a lot of my other classmates (we all have non related bachelors) when it comes to structuring an argument, putting together a research paper, critical thinking skills etc. Im not saying i'm smarter just trained differently lol...Everyday that I go to class I am soo thankful I went the way I did! Im not saying everyone should go that route, but for those of us who do have other degrees and want to be nurses, dont look at nursing and your undergrad/other degrees as being unrelated, they will help you in more ways than you know!! Good Luck!

isnursing4me · Jun 3, 2005

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rogramjet · Jun 3, 2005

Even with my BA, I had to take BIO, Micro, A&P, Med Term, Psych, Nutrition...I spent a year taking the pre reqs and then 2 years in Nursing school. That was to get my ADN. It will probably take the same amount of time. Cost is the big factor. If you decide on a Master's some U's don't require a BSN if you have an ADN and a BA/BS in another field. I am in a small rural area and most of the nurses I work with graduated with an ADN in the same small town we live in. So, I guess it depends on where you live, how far that ADN goes. In the big city, maybe not as far.

isnursing4me · Jun 3, 2005

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Blondie26 · Jun 3, 2005

i just graduated with a degree in history in 2004. i am really excited to start nursing school (accelerated bsn) soon! i think that having a bachelor's degree in another area will maybe help, i suppose it depends on the person and their degree.

SusanJean · Jun 3, 2005

Thanks again for your help.
Do you guys think that I should just go for an ADN? I believe that there is more availability in the ADN programs in my area, and it is a lot less time and $$ than a BSN. (I've taken a&p, gross anatomy and a lot of other science so I bet I'd waive a handfull of the required courses.) Would an ADN be enough (along with my other degrees) to "move up" in the nursing profession?
~isnursing4me~

I think it depends on what you mean by "moving up." Most NP programs require a BSN (not all, but most) so you would need to get one if you want to go that route.

While I have a bach degree, I've opted for the BSN route because I would like to pursue an NP someday. If not that, a masters so I can teach in nursing (probably a BSN is less likely needed, tho. ) My main reason for getting BSN is that the school I am attending has a great philosophy and program - and they do not offer a lesser degree. But, having said that, I would probably still go for a BSN.

Good luck w/ your decision.