Continuing education after ADN

[2bNurseCai]

I posted this on the student forum as well, but I wanted to post this here too to see if I could get some different answers from those already in the field. This is premature, but I always love thinking ahead, soooo...

I'm starting nursing this fall in a two year community college program. After that, I know I want to continue my education but I'm not sure which would be more beneficial- doing an RN to BSN bridge program (I already have one BA but it's in theater) or, because I already have a BA and will have the Associates in Nursing, if I should/could go straight into an MSN program.

Thing is, I'm not even sure what my options are career wise. Other than being a nurse, in the most basic sense of the word, I'm not sure where I want to run with that. I know the next two years in school will help with that, but what are the choices? What does a DON do? What does a NP do? Where could I go where I'd still be involved in patient care without spending all my time behind a desk, but be more than just a regular floor nurse (no offense to anyone on that front.)

Ideas?

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I would just finish your first goal for now. See if you can get a job as a nurse to begin with. This will be, if things remain as they are now, extremely difficult.

Once you have a job, then, reassess and plan then. You may decide that taking on the additional debt is not wise, if you end up in LTC or somewhere other than a good residency program. Remember these programs are few and far between. You are wise to avoid the debt and just see if someone will allow you to enter the pool - so to speak.