Direct Entry MSN Program Opinion

TransplantRN3 · Nov 19, 2015

Hi there! Good luck in your change of career! It seems to me that you have a BS in psych already... right? I understand you want to save as much time and money as possible on schooling, but to get your MSN, you will need your BS in nursing first (unless you're talking about a combined BSN/MSN program). For this reason, an accelerated BSN is a good option because it allows people with BS/BA degrees in other fields to save time in obtaining the BSN. Or were you talking about a combined BSN/MSN program? As for the other questions that you have, the topic of working as RN before becoming NP has been discussed many times on this site, so I'm sure if you search the topic you can pull up the threads. Good luck!

allnurses Guide · Nov 20, 2015

I went to a Direct Entry NP program. It was tough, but worth it. I've been working as a NP for 6.5 years now and have been very successful. I never had a problem finding a job due to my lack of RN experience, nor did anyone in my cohort. Everyone has their own opinion about these programs, but if you work very hard and take every opportunity to learn, you will do well. Go to a good reputable program that is well established and helps you find your clinical preceptors.

Birthday_Girl · Nov 20, 2015

I've come across a few programs that have direct entry MSN programs. Many do not offer a BSN program.

Psychcns · Nov 20, 2015

There are threads on "all nurses" about this issue. From what I gather the direct entry programs are very rigorous and I have only heard good things about people who graduated from these programs.

twozer0, NP · Nov 20, 2015

I'm a strong advocate of "be a nurse first" and I will explain why. Now in my MSN program I have worked as a nurse for the past 8 years. I graduated with an ASN and subsequently did my BSN about 5-6 years in. I remember we had a speaker in my ASN courses that asked our class who wanted to do advanced practice nursing, either CRNA or NP. Over half the class raised their hands for CRNA (myself included) and we only had a few students raise for NP (which im sure is totally different now!). Of about 40 students, I know of only 1 who went on to become an advanced practice nurse. Most were content with being a staff nurse, some left the field, others went on to management or some other nursing related occupation. I would really just hit up a two year degree program and get your feet wet in nursing before diving head first into a MSN. I'm all about the slow approach because it gives you options to change and it gives you more of a feel that the field is right for you. So if you want my advice, be a nurse first, you might be content with that. Some staff nurses make just as much as an NP and are perfectly happy with their job (and low overhead). 500 hours in healthcare really isnt that much, its basically 3 months FTE, my NP program requires double that for clincial time. Best of luck in your decision. I feel this method I described is really the best practice for you and your future.

nursemel326 · Nov 20, 2015

From personal experience while interviewing for my first NP job, prospective employers were not as concerned with my RN experience as with what I gained during NP clinical rotations. That being said, I can say with certainty that grad school would have been a completely different (and much more difficult) ballgame without 10 yrs ICU experience under my belt. Classmates with little or no bedside experience constantly struggled with content that was second-nature to me. Likewise, my physician preceptors were thankful they did not have to teach me "assessment 101", which enabled us to move on to more advanced content/ procedures fairly quickly. This "extra" training definitely gave me an edge during interviews.

I say this not to discourage you from considering this program, nor do I think you need 10+ years of bedside experience prior to becoming a NP. I just think it's important to realize you may be at a disadvantage during clinical rotations and therefore, have to work quite a bit harder to keep up.

KimHFNP · Nov 21, 2015

I went to a Master's Entry Program. We, of course, were in our final classes with the NP students who were RNs first. I felt that there was no difference in ability, or understanding in the students who were master's entry vs the students who were RNs first at the end of the program. That being said, you will likely work a little harder up front to learn some basics that RN students are already going to know. Remember, there are plenty of RNs who go straight to an NP program right out of their RN program. Being a nurse practitioner is a COMPLETELY different job than being an RN. (I did work as an RN in a hospital prior to finishing my Masters). You do completely different things. Both jobs are hard, and both require intelligence and organization: they are just different. I will say that because of our lack of mandatory residencies, you may find that in your first job as an NP you will get "baptized by fire" a little. In your first job, look for a doc (or experienced NP) who is willing to teach. That is way more important than salary. Worry about salary on your second job.

Trauma Columnist · Nov 21, 2015

You've gotten some good advice.

For myself, I had 12 years RN experience before I became an APN - all of it ER/ICU. I feel that my nursing experienced helped tremendously in clinicals and in getting contacts to get a job. At the time, the job market in my area was saturated with APNs which might be one aspect to consider. I do not feel I do a completely different job now as an APN (for almost 10 years) then what I did as an RN.

That said, I can totally see myself doing a direct entry MSN program if the opportunity had presented itself.

There are no direct entry programs in my area, only the traditional RN to MSN so employers in my area have been leery of direct-entry APNs.

I think you are very wise to seek opinions of those in the field already and you've shown initiative by asking experienced APNs what they think of the idea.

Best wishes.

greygooseuria · Nov 21, 2015

I went to a school that had a direct entry cohort and my cohort, who were people with a BSN already. I entered having one year of RN experience, did the program part time and worked "full time" (aka 60+ hours a week) and graduated with 4 years of RN experience.

There was a huge difference between people that had worked as an RN before and the direct entry students once we were in NP classes. Some of the comments they would make made it obvious that many did not get IT at all. There were also those that had majored in things like exercise science, biology, athletic training who DID get it and didn't lag behind clinically. Now, 2 years out, there isn't as much difference between us. I think it was far easier for me to get a job than my classmates as well as the other people that had worked as an RN beforehand. I have found my RN experience has been invaluable to my practice as an NP simply due to the EXPOSURE I got: acute MI presenting as GERD in a post-op knee patient, acute hypokalemia due to a provider being an idiot and diuresing someone too much and d/cing their potassium replacement, acute hyperkalemia because new residents can be idiots, acute on chronic COPD exacerbations, diabetic foot ulcers, etc. My experience as an ortho nurse has helped a lot with all the sports med injuries I see. It's not essential to have RN experience before becoming an NP, but the exposure alone helps a lot.

I work with a direct entry grad right now who worked as an RN full time for 2 years while she did the NP portion of her program and she doesn't function like a direct entry grad with no experience at all. Her assessments are spot on, she gets it and she moves and learns fast. So it could also possibly be individual.

Ggraf · Nov 22, 2015

Is there a list somewhere in the forum for Direct Admit programs?

Trauma Columnist · Nov 23, 2015

So many programs are springing up so quickly, your best bet might be to contact colleges you are interested in to ask them about it.