Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing VS Physician Assistant School.

allnurses Guide · Mar 24, 2010

Hi,

I'm a Direct Entry grad (May 2009). Personally, I had no trouble getting a job nor did my classmates. Employers seemed to be more concerned with our lack of NP experience vs. lack of RN experience. There are those who take a dim view of DE programs. Some of the biggest naysayers are other nurses, which I found to be very disappointing. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, but on the whole, I found it didn't matter to most prospective employers I dealt with. I need to qualify this by saying I am an FNP (highly marketable in my area) and only applied to positions in outpatient settings. I think having RN experience becomes more important and desirable for inpatient settings, particularly in a high acuity setting.

I chose NP vs PA because I really like the holistic approach nursing brings to the table. NP intuitively felt like a better fit for me.

aurora155 · Mar 24, 2010

Hey guys. I'm a undergraduate economics major considering a career in the health field. I'm just curious about something. Are people who get Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing degrees seen in a negative light. I've been hearing a lot lately that those who get get a DEMN won't be able to get jobs. If that this true would PA school be a better alternative for those who want to enter the health field fresh.

If it makes a difference to you, I think one can begin a Direct Entry nursing program with less healthcare experience than a PA program. I am beginning a direct entry nursing master's program soon and my classmates have a wide range of healthcare experience--some with very little, some with a lot. I have a friend trying to get into a PA program, and this particular program requires a minimum of 4000 hours of paid healthcare experience (direct patient care). I don't know if that is typical of PA programs. He has been getting his experience working as a CNA and EMT. Of course, clinical experience also looks good on your nursing application (either paid or volunteer). If you want to start building up those hours, you can get your CNA while in college (I took an evening course for about $600 and got my CNA in less than 3 months), and work part-time. On the other hand, this PA program requires less academic preparation (fewer college prerequisites) than the nursing programs.