Get the Bsn or leave nursing?

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Does it make sense to stay a nurse if there is a predicted glut in 2025?

We already know plenty of people are trying to become nurses.

I see on Allnurses where many do not think these people cannot handle the schoolwork,

but i know for a fact that many of them are actually succeeding.

I would say 90% of the people i know who wanted to become nurses in the last 5 years have succeeded.

I will only be 43 in 2025. I have been a nurse since 2004,and have never really worked outside of nursing(besides being a Cna)

I will also have 21 years in nursing if i stay in 2025.

Of course,i can get a Bsn to stay competitive,but i do wonder if that will be enough.

It might get so competitive that employers might ask for something else or they might have even more stringent requirements(such as 1 year med surg experience) that i do not have.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Its really competitive now,so i can imagine what it would be 10 yrs from now.

I really feel for nurses that will be near retirement age at that time,but not quite 65.

The 50+ age range.

I also do not want to spend $$$ getting a Bsn,and still be out of a job.

They are already having nurses at or near retirement get their BSN to stay employed. If you plan on working for the next 10 years....Sadly, you need to get the BSN.
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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.
Its really competitive now,so i can imagine what it would be 10 yrs from now.

I really feel for nurses that will be near retirement age at that time,but not quite 65.

The 50+ age range.

I also do not want to spend $$$ getting a Bsn,and still be out of a job.

I will be 53 and I absolutely intend to be out of the work force by then!

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

AND my school nursing position doesn't require a BSN. I plan to stay here a good 10 years and retire when I hit 50 or so.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

By that time, assuming you are a nurse now, you will be in a much better spot than many young nurses. You will have years of experience, and in nursing that is what matters. I am trying to tailor my career to get good experience when I am still relatively young (I am about your age I think). I am being more aggressive about my job experience and education and certification now so that I can have more options in the future. Also, I get bored easily :). Remember they were saying there was going to be a mass shortage of nurses this past decade, and it hasn't been as drastic as they predicted.

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If I wanted to remain a nurse and had marketable experience, I would get my BSN. In 10 years I am guessing that a BSN would meet criteria to continue to provide patient care. If I wanted to work behind patient care, I would obtain the education required.

I'm curious what other fields, that would also require further education on your part, you can bet will have abundant jobs in 2025?

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I'm 47 and getting my BSN now. I plan on working on some level as a nurse until I'm 65-70. I already have almost 22 years of experience. Between that and my BSN, why would I not stay a relevant nurse?

I'm not being sarcastic, I don't really get what you are asking, OP.

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I think many of the people going into nursing are doing it for the money. I don't think a lot of them will stay in nursing once they discover what it really is and what the job entails after school is over and they are a real licensed nurse.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
I will be 53 and I absolutely intend to be out of the work force by then!

Retired by 53? My goodness I hope you have a great retirement plan or a rich spouse! I will be working until I'm 80. *sigh*

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muesli, My mom left nursing at age 62. Her mind turned to oatmeal. Not really, but I tell her that just to bust her chops.

Nursing, working in general, kept her sharp.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I would get all the certs I could and all the competencies I could and be as flexible as possible. Hospitals will always prefer the dependable, EXPERIENCED nurse over a new grad.

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Specializes in Women Services-L/D.

I have been a nurse for over 30 years. There is an ebb and flow to nursing. When I started school they were screaming for nurses, when I got out there was an abundance of nurses and not many open positions. In other words....been there, done that a few times over.

If you are a nurse because it is in your heart and your calling, you will still be doing it at age 50 and beyond.

btw....50 isn't a bad age to be either!

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This links to Bureau of Labor Statistics projected (2022) demand for RNs and LPNs: BLS statistics. Here's another to the HRSA 2012-2025 report. From these, the outlook for RNs and LPNs is not great.

Projections for NPs, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists (particularly NPs), is much better, presumably because they are being asked to pick up the slack resulting from the primary care physician shortage: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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