Direct entry Msn for non-nursing BA?

[notyetnurse]

Hello everyone! I'm hoping to get some outside perspective on this question and possibly some options as well. Just a brief on my background: I hold a liberal arts Bachelors degree and just finished my LPN schooling. I stumbled upon the concept of direct entry msn programs and wonder if this might work well in my situation.

Both schools I contacted in my local area require the student to have an RN license which wouldn't do me much good. Any thoughts on good programs which require only a non-nursing BA and *might* look favorably at my having completed Lpn?

I heard Marquette might be an option but would love to know of any others you might have had success in!

Thanks as always,

Heather

[Britmum]

I am applying for a direct-entry MSN in at Georgia Heath Sciences University. It is for people that have a degree in a non-nursing field. The program is only 16 months long but it's very intensive (15 credit hours each semester) and they have a huge amount of clinical hours...much more than the 2 year BSN program. I hear the concerns over direct-entry MSN and accelerated programs but I'm not sure why it is so looked down on. I considered going the ADN route but I just can't justify it. It does concern me though when I hear people saying that direct-entry, accelerated nurses are not as good somehow. I guess it also confuses me. Is it really that hard to get employed with a direcy-entry MSN? Why?

[lalopop86]

"I considered going the ADN route but I just can't justify it. It does concern me though when I hear people saying that direct-entry, accelerated nurses are not as good somehow. I guess it also confuses me. Is it really that hard to get employed with a direcy-entry MSN? Why?"

I am guessing that it has to do with lack of experience. May I ask what reservations you have regarding going the ADN route?

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm a direct entry grad from a very well known and respected school. My classmates and I had no trouble getting jobs. Prospective employers were more concerned about a lack of NP experience than lack of bedside nursing experience. Reputable DE programs are extremely selective and competitive, and only accept students who have proven they are successful academically, professionally, and have life experience and skills that can translate well to nursing. In many cases, less than 10% of applicants are accepted.

I have precepted both DE and traditional NP students. Neither group was better than the other, clincally and academically. I had experienced RNs struggle as they had to shift their mindset to that of a provider. I've had experienced RNs become frustrated because they thought NP clinicals would utilize their bedside skills, and they found that it was a whole different skill set. I've also had DE students flounder because they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work they had to do to meet expectations. I've also had students from both backgrounds excel. Point is, success was much more influenced by the individual, rather than by nursing experience.

Yes, there are a lot of DE "haters" out there. Sadly, most of them are fellow nurses. There are many reasons for this, which I don't want to get into, because that's not what this thread is about. Just be prepared for this should you enter a DE program.

I would recommend an established "bricks and mortar" program should you go the DE route. I think it's better to have face to face support from faculty and staff who know you, and it's good to be able to utilize the resources of the school (library, writing lab, etc) in person. I also found the friendship and support of my classmates to be invaluable. I'd recommend applying to a program that finds your preceptors for you, and doesn't leave you hanging in the wind trying to find your own. A good DE program will most likely be the hardest thing you've ever done, but I have no regrets at all. I love being an NP, my patients and supervisors are happy with me, and that's all that matters.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

My experience has been the same as the previous poster. The role socialization in the first year of practice for NPs is very stressful, regardless of previous experience.

Rich, E.R. (2005). Does RN experience relate to NP clinical skills? The Nurse Practitioner, 30(12), 53-56.

[myelin]

Wow, uh, the direct entry grads in my area all find jobs as NPs, unless they choose to work as RNs since it sometimes pays better. Also, their licenses are completely transferable state-to-state. Of course these programs teach nursing. The entire first portion is completely dedicated to RN training, with the MSN training following once the student is a licensed RN. Lots of people work as RNs during the MSN portion. Direct entry programs exist at many of the elite nursing schools (Penn, UCSF, Yale, etc). These are the best schools in the country and these programs are extremely competitive. The idea that direct entry grads are any "less" than other grads is completely unfounded, and honestly, it seems that other nurses just don't like the idea that people have taken a different pathway from what they did. It's silly.

[Britmum]

lalopop,My reservations about an ASN program versus a direct-entry MSN is primarily that I already have a BA degree so yes I do feel that an ASN would be a step backwards for me. I'm also 32 years old and I don't want to spend the next 10 years at school, I want to work. Also my husband is in the army and we move frequently so it isn't easy for me to go to school so when I have a choice between ASN and MSN it's a no-brainer really.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Marquette is very expensive, last I heard $900 a credit. By now its probably more!

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Do some serious investigation before plunking down mega-bucks on a direct-entry MSN program. There are a lot of pitfalls.

First of all, employers are just not hiring these grads due to negative experiences. Employers in my area are very wary of accelerated programs due to the fact that grads do not get sufficient clinical exposure and sufficient time to become enculturated into the nursing profession. The 'advanced degree' does not make any difference in salary since it does signify any clinical expertise. Grads from these programs may also run into real problems if they want to relocate to another state unless they were awarded a BSN along the way.

Interesting. A little googling, for Houston, TX the avg RN salary is 76k and NP 93k (Indeed.com). Does a fresh NP make as much as a seasoned RN in most locales, probably not at the start, but over a career they will fill out. I don't think most NPs are in it for the money anyways as most choose NP over MD/DO for reasons other than cash.

[mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I]

You should look into Vanderbilt. They love non-nurses who want to become Nurse Practitioners. I personally know of a chef and a mechanic who both woke up one day and decided to be a Nurse Practitioner (without even being a nurse). Vanderbilt school of nursing has a program that is well respected if this sounds like you.

[lovedijah]

I am in your situation as well. I live in Georgia. I graduate from LPN school next year and have a bachelors already. Ideally, I would have gotten a BSN from the gate- but it didn't work out that way, so I went into an LPN program.

I haven't decided exactly what I'm doing, but ideally I would go with the MSN. To me, it doesn't make sense to get two bachelors degrees and then a masters. That's time and money. I don't mind so much putting the time in (although I don't want to be in school forever), but the extra money? I'll pass.

People will say employers don't want to hire MSN's. People are barely getting hired now anyway, so I don't really think the BSN is the safe route for everyone. I would say do whatever feels good for your pockets. If you know without a doubt you want a masters degree and you can get into this program, why go through the expensive voyage of getting a second bachelors (you'll probably max out on federal aid) and then enter an expensive Masters program. That seems excessive to me, if you can just do the MSN from the start. Some programs even award you a BSN a year into the program. Winner winner!

[Stephalump]

Personally, I think I'd do an LVN-RN and then do an RN-MSN.

At least looking at the programs in my area, it would take the same amount of time, but cost a lot less and is way less hectic. But that's just me. :)

When I was looking I to DENP programs I talked to a ton of people in the field around here to get a feel for their feel for that type of program, but there just wasn't that great of an opinion I'm sure it varies by area, and even then, it doesn't mean you can't find a job. However, I believe there's only 1 DENP program in the entire state of Texas...shows you how not in demand it is here.

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

There are 5 DE programs in the Boston area, all at well known schools that also offer traditional MSN programs.