Do I need a BSN or will a MSN do?

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I need your opinions! I am in my last semester of an AD program in Massachusetts. I am 46 years old with a bachelor's in psychology.! Here in Massachusetts there are many hospitals that will only hire a new grad if they have their BSN and after you have experience many would still prefer that you have one. I want to have a game plan after I graduate to continue right away with my education while I still have my student mojo! It seems ridiculous to me to get another Bachelor's degree as it will not mean a higher salary and I plan on a Master's anyway with a goal of teaching and nursing informatics. It also seems to me that the courses required by me to get another bachelor's are crazy. It should be only a couple of nursing courses, but each college seems to add like eight or so I need to take( I have all the gen eds already done). At my age it makes sense to me to just continue with a master's and be done with it. My question is will I be looked at differently by hospitals that prefer BSN's if I have only have an MSN? Logic would suggest that would be crazy, but the fact that a bachelor's in another field means nothing in nursing is crazy to me when you compare the number of credit hours of nursing classes I have had as an ADN vs the number of nursing credits in a BSN. It shouldn't be that long to convert to a BSN! And don't get me started on the fact that we take the same test for licensing ! I know I am digressing! I just need to know if I really have to get another Bachelor's to make myself marketable. I need to know what programs to look at as I am not getting any younger!

I am questioning the post saying that you do not need a BSN to get a MSN. I would be very interested in getting information regarding the program that offers a MSN without a BSN and doesn't inlcude the BSN in the program. If you have another degree, or ADN, they usually do a bridge BSN-MSN.

Both Gonzaga and Excelsior offer a MSN with no BSN, but one must have a BA or BS in another major. Gonzaga is about 2x the cost of Excelsior, but is a real B&M school based in Spokane, WA. The shortest bridge I have found is UOP (3 courses), but you exit with a MSN and no BSN.

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.
*** The hospital where I work has a 7 month nurse residency program for new grads going into SICU, MICU, PACU, PICU, NICU & ER. They do not hire new grad BSNs into the residency for the SICU. ADNs only.

I do not understand the rationale for this.. I can understand offering the program to both BSN and ADN new grads but why ONLY ADNs? I am not trying to make this a BSN vs ADN argument I am just wondering if there is a reason behind it.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I am questioning the post saying that you do not need a BSN to get a MSN. I would be very interested in getting information regarding the program that offers a MSN without a BSN and doesn't inlcude the BSN in the program. If you have another degree, or ADN, they usually do a bridge BSN-MSN.

*** There are lots of RN to MSN programs with no BSN or other bachelors degree involved. I found them by searching for "RN to MSN' on google. Here are a couple links to programs for nurse practitioners. There are many more for non-practitioners.

http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/msn/prespecrn.html

http://www.frontierschool.edu/academics/adn-msn-bridge

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I do not understand the rationale for this.. I can understand offering the program to both BSN and ADN new grads but why ONLY ADNs? I am not trying to make this a BSN vs ADN argument I am just wondering if there is a reason behind it.

For the first 6 classes (2 per year) both where accepted. Not enough new grad BSNs who completed the residency went on to finish their 2 year contracts vs 100% of ADN prepared RNs finished their contract. In my class of 9 there 7 BSNs and 2 ADNs (including me). Six of those BSNs went to CRNA school before their contract was up and one had a baby and became a stay at home mom. Other classes had similar results. I don't agree with it and it is not official policy. It doesn't say anyplace that new grad BSNs are not going to be hired but out unit manager did tell us at a unit meeting, in responce to complaints of experienced staff where who tired of teaching residents only to have them be gone in a year, that no more BSNs would be hired and they haven't been.

For years each class accepted 4-9 new nurses. Now they only accept 1 per class so it's not like a bunch of new ADN RNs can head to that hospital hoping to recieve great ICU training.

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Both Gonzaga and Excelsior offer a MSN with no BSN, but one must have a BA or BS in another major. Gonzaga is about 2x the cost of Excelsior, but is a real B&M school based in Spokane, WA. The shortest bridge I have found is UOP (3 courses), but you exit with a MSN and no BSN.

I forgot to add that one must have an ADN with a non-nursing BS or BA. Excelsior's program is 39 hours and I believe Gonzaga is 36 hours, but I might be off slightly.

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For the first 6 classes (2 per year) both where accepted. Not enough new grad BSNs who completed the residency went on to finish their 2 year contracts vs 100% of ADN prepared RNs finished their contract. In my class of 9 there 7 BSNs and 2 ADNs (including me). Six of those BSNs went to CRNA school before their contract was up and one had a baby and became a stay at home mom. Other classes had similar results. I don't agree with it and it is not official policy. It doesn't say anyplace that new grad BSNs are not going to be hired but out unit manager did tell us at a unit meeting, in responce to complaints of experienced staff where who tired of teaching residents only to have them be gone in a year, that no more BSNs would be hired and they haven't been.

For years each class accepted 4-9 new nurses. Now they only accept 1 per class so it's not like a bunch of new ADN RNs can head to that hospital hoping to recieve great ICU training.

Wow that's quite interesting. I didn't know so many BSN's weren't completing their contracts. Thanks for sharing!

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I am questioning the post saying that you do not need a BSN to get a MSN. I would be very interested in getting information regarding the program that offers a MSN without a BSN and doesn't inlcude the BSN in the program. If you have another degree, or ADN, they usually do a bridge BSN-MSN.

I found a school in Boca Raton Florida (Florida Atlantic University) that has a bridge program ADN-MSN (more specifically ADN with non-nursing bachelors (you have to have a bachelors in something) to MSN in Nursing...I still have to call the school to find out the length of program etc...etc..., but I am relieved to see that that option exists...

I still have to finish schooling and get my RN and the ADN seems like a more financially feasible option

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http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/pdf/GENMAS.pdf

This link lists many schools that offer a Masters in Nursing if a person already has a Bachelors in a non-nursing field :) Goodluck Friends !

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*** Not at all. You don't need any sort of bachelors degree to get an MSN. You can go from non-nursing bachelors degree to MSN, or from ADN to MSN without ever having or earning a BSN or any other bachelors degree. Depends on the school.

OP,

There are several programs that allow people to move from a non-nursing bachelor's straight into a master's in nursing - even without an RN first. One such program is an accelerated 12 month program at the University of AZ in Tucson. Since you already have an RN and AD, your options will be even wider than that. Quite frankly, I'd go for the MSN if you can get it. Shop around. Check GetEducated.com. It's a pretty good resource for checking out various educational opportunities based on criteria you select (type of program, online/in person, cost, etc).

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Specializes in informatics.

Thanks for all your replies! I think that I will just go for the master's if I can find the right program. I think it makes the most financial sense for me, not to mention time. Western Governor's seems to have an interesting program, and I have recently been in touch with Gonzaga that does not require any bridge classes if you are an RN with a bachelor's in another field. It is gonna come down to an issue of cost and time for me. I am so glad so many are offered online.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
For the first 6 classes (2 per year) both where accepted. Not enough new grad BSNs who completed the residency went on to finish their 2 year contracts vs 100% of ADN prepared RNs finished their contract. In my class of 9 there 7 BSNs and 2 ADNs (including me). Six of those BSNs went to CRNA school before their contract was up and one had a baby and became a stay at home mom. Other classes had similar results. I don't agree with it and it is not official policy. It doesn't say anyplace that new grad BSNs are not going to be hired but out unit manager did tell us at a unit meeting, in responce to complaints of experienced staff where who tired of teaching residents only to have them be gone in a year, that no more BSNs would be hired and they haven't been.

For years each class accepted 4-9 new nurses. Now they only accept 1 per class so it's not like a bunch of new ADN RNs can head to that hospital hoping to recieve great ICU training.

That is interesting... but an ADN prepared nurse in your program could have just as easily got pregnant and your 100% retention rate would have dropped to 50 right there. It makes you wonder if BSNs are likely to seek higher degrees quicker while ADNs are more likely to jump in and stay working for a while. It's curious.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
That is interesting... but an ADN prepared nurse in your program could have just as easily got pregnant and your 100% retention rate would have dropped to 50 right there. It makes you wonder if BSNs are likely to seek higher degrees quicker while ADNs are more likely to jump in and stay working for a while. It's curious.

*** Well as it happens the ADNs where men but I wasn't trying to imply that having a BSN made on more or less likely to become a stay at home mom. I have no idea. When I say 100% of ADNs finish their contract I mean all the ADNs from all the classes so far, not just the two in my class. Lot's of them have also gone on to CRNA school, but it took them two or three years to get their BSNs so by the time they went on thier contracts where up.

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