Dietetics to BSN

[LookingForward2016]

Hi! I am a (very) recent grad with my BS in Dietetics. I have been interested in nursing along the way and applied and was waitlisted at my school. It went to the back burner for a while as I focused on my dietetics degree. Now I am in the position to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life! I have always been interested in the NICU, even with dietetics, but there are few NICU dietitian opportunities as far as I can tell. I am in the unique position where I currently could have a lot of options. I am taking this year off to figure out what is best and would like some advice. I can apply to dietetic internships in September and complete one (assuming I am matched) next January-July and then begin an Accelerated BSN in August. I was wondering if anyone else had any career switches RD to RN or any experience having both credentials? Is paying for the internship and going through it worth if ultimately I'd rather work as an RN, possibly NNP?

My other question is about direct-entry MSN. After talking to a few nurses I already know, they do not seem to respect direct-entry MSNs very much. Some have discussed the phasing out of the MSN but I know that is not mandated as of right now. Is it possible to go into a DE-MSN, get the RN and work for a while before deciding on the graduate portion? I'm not sure if it is silly to get two bachelor's degrees when I could get a Masters. I know for NNP that 2 years is required in the NICU before starting graduate classes. Have any current nurses encountered any direct-entry students or had experiences with them, good or bad? What route would you recommend?

Thanks!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

In my part of the country, ELM (entry-level MSN) degrees are not well received by employers unless the candidate is coming in from a relevant (hands-on) clinical profession such as EMT, RT, PTA, etc. With the heightened competition for new grad jobs, ABSNs are also losing out to generic BSNs because they don't have as much time for clinical acclimation due to their more abbreviated program length.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

I would talk to recruiters in your area and see what they are looking for in candidates. There is no shortage so employers can be very specific in who (and how) they hire. Then do what will make you competitive in the market.