did you pursue a higher degree? If so, did you go to an RN to BSN program or Masters? Even though I hate the idea of going back to school, I'm thinking of furthering my education as I see that most employers prefer that you have a BSN. I have noticed that New Grads have a hard time finding a job, because of the lack of experience. I already have two years of nursing experience working at a clinic and I am also finding a difficult time finding a job in a non-hospital environment. I'm interested in Public Health, Clinic Research, Pharmaceutical companies, maybe case management, etc... Since I already have a Bachelors and an ADN, I have the option of getting a Masters, but I am not interested in Management or becoming a teacher and I am looking at something that it is not that expensive either. I appreciate your advice and opinion.
have you looked to see if any school offer a 2nd degree program? i have a BS and the school i'm going to has a BSN program specifically for people who have another degree. i will have a BSN in less time than it would take me to get an ADN.
I'm in the process of checking into another university. How much do you have to pay?
One element in this is the difficulty of finding a job as an ADN-RN. In my area, southeastern PA, there are very few job openings that do not specifiy the BSN as the minimum educational credential (an aside: From what I've seen, this is a trend that is gaining momentum in many parts of the country). Another element, and one that came as a surprise to me, is that many institutions do not recognize 2nd degree MSN-RNs. Put another way, these institutions require the BSN as their minimum credential regardless and do not view the MSN as an acceptable substitute.
I have now revised my plans and hope to begin the RN-BSN program at a local state college in the Fall. Since I have all of the prerequisite classes, I am down to only 30 credits/6 classes needed, the minimum required at this particular college. I still plan to continue on for my MSN and while this is a bit of a detour, it really equates to only 2 or 3 additional classes over going the the RN-MSN route (most RN-MSN programs require 3 or 4 "bridge" classes of non-BSNs). Hopefully, having the BSN will open some doors reguarding nursing employment because I really can't imagine how you can get your MSN, much less become an NP without at least a modicum of nursing experience.
Even though I have the option of going straight to MSN, my concern is that employers will view me as "overqualified" if I want to continue working as an RN. Does that mean that I will have to go back to school to get a BSN?
I'm in the process of checking into another university. How much do you have to pay?
i'm actually going to be having it paid for through a scholarship at the hospital - they pay and i sign a contract to work for them for 3 years. that's good for me bc i wanted to work there after graduating anyhow.
if you pay out of pocket though the price is the same as regular tuition at whatever school you go to. instead of paying for 4 traditional semesters, you would pay for 5 semesters (summer, fall, spring, summer, fall) if it's an 18 month program. i've heard there are some 1 year programs though. but it's not like you pay extra to do the accelerated program.
Black Jade, BSN, RN
282 Posts
I'm in the process of checking into another university. How much do you have to pay?