Direct Entry MSN Programs

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Hi Everyone,

I am interested in a career shift to nursing with the ultimate goal of becoming a CRNA or NP (still early in the research process). I am in my early 30s and have a non-nursing master's degree and career path to date. I have a few questions regarding Direct Entry MSN Programs that I am hoping to receive some insight on.

First, is there a comprehensive list anywhere of all the direct entry MSN or similar programs that exist? I found the AACN webpage with various programs and their location, and I believe it only named 10 programs in the country. Is that all of them? I think part of the problem is there may be direct- entry MSN equivalents by a different name, such as CNL (although I could be wrong about that). I am from Michigan originally and would love to move back while pursuing this education, however it does not look like the any school in the state of Michigan has a direct-entry MSN program.

Second, what education path would you recommend for someone in my shoes? I've also looked into accelerated BSN programs, but it seemed that getting the MSN would cut down on the length of time required for a DNP ( 6 years for BSN, 3-4 years for MSN-- at least for U of Michigan Flint's program). Is that true is most cases? Is a direct entry MSN competitive for CRNA school?

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Which BSN program requires 6 years????? I will be doing ABSN. I was advised against doing direct entry MSN, since, even though it is MSN, I will still be a generalist nurse. As far as direct entry programs, there is one, as far as I know, in NYC offered by Columbia. However, it is sooooooooo expensive.

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So first off there are basically three different types of Direct Entry MSN programs; some lead to CNL, others lead to a RN and then directly to Nurse Practitioner, and some are just a entry level RN where you end up with a MSN versus a BSN. And there are way more than 10 in the nation; most states seem to have a couple of universities that offer them. It leads to more $$$$$ for the schools so they are popping up more and more. You will hear a lot of different opinions on them and I think to decide what is best for you that you should do some research and understand the programs and have some knowledge of the position it leads to.

So first off, I will just say that I graduated this summer from a Entry Level MSN that solely leads to being a entry level RN -- no advanced degree such as NP. For me it was a logistical decision -- I didn't have to worry about costs because I was using my GI Bill and it was much faster for me to get my RN by going the MEPN route. I did not have to retake any of my pre-requisites for the program ( I would have for my University's BSN program). That saved me at least a year and the program was 4 straight semesters with no break so that shaved off another year. And the school gave me in state tuition. If I had went the BSN route I probably would just be getting ready to start the program now. Instead I am a RN and I just completed my orientation for my new grad position. For me it was a no brainer. But honesty, if I had been paying for the program I wouldn't have done it because of the cost -- they are typically much more expensive than a BSN degree, even from the same school. Graduate degree tuition is always more expensive than undergraduate tuition. My program the tuition was 15,000 a semester out of state and it went up this year. This did not include books. I believe the BSN program was half that cost.

Another thing to consider is if you do want the CNL or NP -- do you really think you'll be ready for that position without a lot of bedside experience?? Say for example you do a CNL program. You will be expected to be an expert and guide others (with experience) when you have no practical experience. How employable will you be?? What is the reputation of your program?? How do employers in your area feel about people who go through these programs??? Do your research! I am in Washington and a local university has a entry level program with a good reputation so I have found that it was actually considered a plus when I was job hunting. But this is often not the case. A lot depends on your attitude too. Yes, I have a MSN but in reality a RN is an RN is an RN. A new graduate RN is no different regardless of whether they went the ADN route, the BSN route, or the MSN route. More important is how many clinical hours did you get? Again -- research.

As far as it cutting down on the time for a DNP -- again, do your research. In my programs case it only would transfer 1 or 2 classes over to the DNP so it wouldn't be a significant difference (University of Arizona). Other programs may vary. And if you want to go CRNA -- it won't matter. What will matter is that you will need good grades in whatever program you do. then you will need to get a ICU job and work that for a few years. Very competitive to get into.

Personally I really recommend that you go the RN route and work for a while before you commit yourself to becoming a NP, CRNA, ect. Once you get into nursing you may fall in love with another route. A great example -- I met a guy who graduated from my program a few years before me. I was with him during clinicals for a few days. he told me that he was set on being a CRNA and got an ICU job to get ready for it. But, as he worked and had exposure to the field and got to see CRNAs in action he decided it wasn't what he wanted to do. So he changed directions and was working towards becoming a NP. And personally, I discovered in school that I loved oncology. Nursing is a stressful job and more so if you bite off more than you can chew. I cannot imagine being a new nurse and also taking DNP classes at this point....... Way to much in my opinion.

I recommend that you start doing some research -- start in your state first. Go to the university websites and see what programs are out there. Expand the search if you are OK with going out of state. And do some budget research. If you are wiling to go into debt for it -- be aware of what you're getting into. I know people that have 6 figure debt coming out of school. They basically signed to pay a mortgage worth of payments monthly for the next 20 years..... 100,000 in debt -- count on just to make minimum payments on 1,000 a month. That's a ton -- not worth it for me personally. And it sounds like you want to go onto an advanced degree -- more debt.....

Other research. What is their NCLEX pass rate?? How many people actually finish their program??? Do they weed people out excessively to get high NCLEX rates?? Do they let anyone with a pulse graduate so they get the $$$$$ but their NCLEX rate is not so great??? Good things to know. Honestly, bottom line is that these type of programs exist because the schools get more $$$$$$. In my case -- totally worth it. But I realize that I would be just as effective of an RN if I had gone through my University's BSN program. It just worked out that doing the MEPN program was a much better deal for me personally both monetarily and in time saved.

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Some of the schools I know of are University of Arizona, Pacific Lutheran University, Yale, Emory, Columbia, Vanderbilt, George Washington University, Augusta University in Georgia, DePaul, Case Western, Ohio State, John Hopkins, U of Hawaii. Several of the University of California and Cal State campuses have programs. There are more -- these just come to mind now.

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Thanks for the thoughtful response. Can I ask what school you went to?

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Thanks for the thoughtful response. Can I ask what school you went to?

The University of Arizona. No complaints here, but happy I didn't have to pay!! I feel I graduated well prepared to work as a RN.

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I am not sure how much help I will be, however I was just accepted into a Direct Entry MSN program in Cincinnati, Oh. I also have a non-nursing Bachelor degree, and found it to be the best option given my experience trying to get accepted into a Accelerated BSN. Some people have tried to talk me out of it, or against it, but I personally think it's because they are not familiar with these types of programs. I am from Michigan as well, and there are plenty of programs here but no DENP. I found the accelerated BSN route to be very lengthy and costly. Being that I already have a Bachelor's it didn't make sense for me to take another Bachelor program, especially since I will be given some financial aid for a Masters.

I would def look at the reviews on each school, their NCLEX pass rate, and employment rate post graduation. Although my program prepares me to be an advanced generalist ( regular/traditional RN) it doesn't mean you won't get the experience you need. I'm hoping when we pick our preferred areas for preceptorship that I will be in the OR, ED, or ICU , as I think it'll be helpful in finding a job when I graduate. Not all schools have OR/ED has an option though, so I would also take that into consideration.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

I'm not sure where you are getting some of your information. An ABSN takes 13 months to 16 months. That's what I did. Then a regular MSN leading to an Advanced Practice role is 16 to 24 months, depending on the specialty and the school.

In a direct entry master's that leads to an NP, the first year is the equivalent of a BSN - after the first year, you must sit for and pass the NCLEX to earn your RN or you will not be allowed to continue the program. So the most a direct entry master's program is going to save in time is 1 to 4 months. The direct entry master's programs are very grueling and I think it would be very difficult to cram a BSN-equivalent into 1 year.

However, an important factor is financing. Depending on when you did your original under grad and how much you borrowed, you may not be eligible for some loans for the ABSN.

Graduate level education is more expensive than undergrad. An MSN RN does not earn any more money than an ADN or BSN RN. Most direct entry master's do lead to a CNL.

If you want to be a CRNA, check the requirements for CRNA programs. A lot of them do require working as an RN.

Good luck.

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Graduate level education is more expensive than undergrad. An MSN RN does not earn any more money than an ADN or BSN RN. Most direct entry master's do lead to a CNL.

Good luck.

Yes yes yes!! This is something so important to think about. You are getting a ridiculously higher amount of student debt, but you will not enter the workforce making more money BSN vs MSN. I know a handful of people who have done an MSN and get so upset when their first job is the same as the rest of the new grads with BSNs. They won't care about that degree and that you got leadership training when this will be your first nursing job and you will be no where near a leadership role yet! Definitely something to think about!

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Yeah, that confused me about the MSN. I went to an open house for a direct-entry MSN program recently and when I asked what the difference was between that and an accelerated BSN, they told me that it was the leadership skills the program would teach, which seemed a little bit like baloney to me. If I went the nursing route, I would want to move beyond RN to either a NP or CRNA. I was looking at U of M Flints program and for the NP programs, having a MSN cut off a year or two for the program. The MSN didn't make a difference in the amount of time required for the CRNA. I'm not sure that it common for other DPN programs, or only U of M Flint.

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