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Discussion

Direct Entry Program for New Nursing Career?

Hello! I'm a new AN member, and it's my first time posting. I'm a 2011 college graduate who has been working in HR information systems for the last 4+ years (I definitely don't want to continue). I'm serious about pursing a new career in nursing but want to make sure my steps towards education make sense. My ultimate goals are (1) to become an NP and (2) get a master's degree. I've read a lot about the"direct entry" degree programs that enable a college grad with a non-nursing degree the opportunity to earn their BSN and MSN, prepping them to take the NCLEX and become an RN after graduation. At first glance, this sounds like the right option for me, since ideally I want a master's degree. However, since most nursing jobs want RNs with nursing experience, should I approach this pursuit a different way? I'm about to start my pre-req classes this summer ;these classes are needed before I even try to apply to a degree program. I need to unfortunately keep working at my current job since my husband is in grad school for another year, and I support us financially. I'd love to get your advice! I know there are different paths that can be taken.

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    Hi there. Just to clarify - in order to become an NP, you have to have an MSN or DNP, so your two goals are not mutually exclusive. If you need to continue to work while pursuing your nursing education, it's unlikely that you would be able to meet the time commitment demands of an accelerated program. Have you already completed all of your pre-requisites? If not, that's where you need to begin. Contact the schools in which you are interested to find out their pre-req requirements. Don't be shocked if you have to repeat some of them because math & science courses begin to 'age out' after 5 years.

    Your second biggest challenge (#1 just getting admission to a nursing program) will be launching your career. In most larger metro areas, hospitals will only hire BSN grads, but there is a surplus of new grads in many areas of the country. If you have the ability to network with other HR professionals, you may want to see if colleagues in healthcare can provide you with any inside information about which nursing programs are preferred in your area.

    There are many different sorts of NP programs, but most require a certain amount of clinical experience as a criteria for admission. Again, careful investigation will pay off in the long run.

    Best of luck on your educational goals.

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    A lot of programs, including my BSN program, "pre-admit" you to their MSN program but give you a couple of years to get experience before you start the second leg of the program. I would look for something like that.

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