Earning a Degree

[couchdogs]

Hi All,

I have a Bachelors in Health Science and am currently going through an ADN program. I want to keep my education options open for me down the road but am not sure what path to pursue. At first I thought I might get my BSN which would take about 1 1/2 - 2 more years after the DN, but I already have a Bachelors Degree. I have learned about some programs aout there that allow you to earn your Masters in Nursing (if you have a non-nursing BS degree) by taking a few bridge classes. This sound more appealling to me and it's something I could wait to do after I've been working in the field awhile. Can anyone answer these questions:

1)Are there any Masters programs, besides Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, that would be beneficial when working in NICU?

2) Has anyone been in the same situation as me and gone from a BS to a MSN. If so, where did you attend and how did it work out?

3)Does anyone have any opinions about online MSN programs offered or have any recommendations (the ones I've checked out seem well-rounded but are usually very expensive)

Any suggestions would be great

Thanks,

Couchdogs in IOWA

[couchdogs]

Please, I'd love a response!

[llg, PhD, RN]

The degree that you choose to pursue should depend on what type of work you want to do. If you want to be an NNP, then that is the degree you should pursue. However, there are other options.

Are you interested in staff education? If so, you could get your MSN with a focus as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or in staff development or nursing education. Are you interested in becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist? ... then, obviously, a Master's focused on the CNS role would be most appropriate for you.

Are you interested in a management or administrative role? (Do you want to run the place?) In that case, a Master's focusing on Nursing Administration or leadership would be most suitable for you.

Before you pick a Master's program, you need to figure out what type of work you want to do ... what types of advanced roles might interest you in the future ... etc. Then, pick the type of Master's program that will prepare you for those types of roles.

What types of roles do you think will interest you in the future?

llg (a former NICU nurse and NICU CNS... who has a Master's in perinatal nursing with a minor in Nursing Administration, and extra coursework in Nursing Education ... and a PhD in nursing ... who has been a staff nurse in a NICU for 2 years, a NICU CNS for 14 years, and who still does some NICU staff development and consultation ... but now does more hospital-wide staff development and a little management.)