Get the Bsn or leave nursing?

[smartnurse1982]

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.

[Rbeck911, BSN, RN]

This is such a bizarre and uninformed comment, considering there is nothing socialist about the ACA.

There is nothing bizarre about that comment, nor uninformed, if you followed the bill from it's inception. The original draft for healthcare reform did involve a public option. Although, they could not pass it through the house in it's current state so the public option became a mandate of private coverage. There are only two possible outcomes from this point. 1. The bill is disassembled slowly by the republican party until it was as if never existed, which is being attempted as I type this. 2. Progression through healthcare reform continues to evolve the bill until it includes the public option that it was initially intended to be, and "continues to progress toward socialist medicine". This has been attempted by 2 presidents now, and neither have succeeded. The more you know....

[Rbeck911, BSN, RN]

I actually foresee a NP glut, especially for FNPs. It seems as if everyone and their mamas has jumped onto the FNP bandwagon.

With the proliferation of investor-owned online FNP programs that accept any applicant with a 2.5 GPA and no appreciable nursing experience, the labor market conditions are screaming "GLUT!"

There will always be a need for FNPs due to the shift from inpatient care to outpatient care and primary prevention, but I predict wages will deflate due to a nursing marketplace that is overly saturated.

When I look at community paramedicine and telemedicine, assuming that the the ACA continues along the same path it is on, I see a very high demand for NP's in the community and mobile.

[muesli]

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.

My grandmother just retired and she is 83. My husband's grandmother works and is 88! I anticipate working a while although probably not in something so physically demanding. That's part of why I want to expand my skills now. I want to have more opportunities available to me in the future.

[VANurse2010]

There is nothing bizarre about that comment, nor uninformed, if you followed the bill from it's inception. The original draft for healthcare reform did involve a public option. Although, they could not pass it through the house in it's current state so the public option became a mandate of private coverage. There are only two possible outcomes from this point. 1. The bill is disassembled slowly by the republican party until it was as if never existed, which is being attempted as I type this. 2. Progression through healthcare reform continues to evolve the bill until it includes the public option that it was initially intended to be, and "continues to progress toward socialist medicine". This has been attempted by 2 presidents now, and neither have succeeded. The more you know....

Public option does not equal socialism. At no point was the abolition of private insurers or employer-based health insurance seriously considered.

[OldDude]

So....if you don't stay in nursing what are you going to do? I might go there too if you've come up with a lucrative alternative!!!

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Get the BSN. Seriously. Most hospitals, at least in my area, are requiring a BSN minimum.

If nothing else, having a four-year degree will open doors in other professions and non-clinical nursing positions.

[zzbxdo]

So.. By 2025 you don't have the confidence that you'll be competitive with all that experience. Every other field is the same, you're gonna start from the bottom and competing for a job. If you realistically can't get your BSN by 2015 then maybe your issue is you don't wanna work or be in the field and that's fine.

[VANurse2010]

So.. By 2025 you don't have the confidence that you'll be competitive with all that experience. Every other field is the same, you're gonna start from the bottom and competing for a job. If you realistically can't get your BSN by 2015 then maybe your issue is you don't wanna work or be in the field and that's fine.

I'm working on an RN-to-BSN program now. I'd drop out and do something else in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. The BSN push is one of the most wasteful economic rackets I've ever encountered.

[NanaPoo]

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*

I have a great husband whose job has allowed me to choose whether or not I want to work or not for many years. I supported him through college so he is good to me now!

His job now allows me to choose work as a school nurse. The job is enjoyable, the hours are great, but the pay could never, ever support me financially. If and when I'm ready to stop (probably when dd graduates from high school) it won't harm us financially to take away my tiny amount of wages.

[zzbxdo]

I'm working on an RN-to-BSN program now. I'd drop out and do something else in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. The BSN push is one of the most wasteful economic rackets I've ever encountered.

So why don't you? Be an entrepreneur and do what you want to do. Money? Ditch that RN to BSN and go into computer science! But don't expect to get into Google or the likes, the majority of the big earners are ms/PhDs. OPs discussion points to competition with current titles extrapolated a decade from now. I personally think if you really only see yourself doing the same job 10 years from now, there is certainly a lack of ambition and drive.

[VANurse2010]

So why don't you? Be an entrepreneur and do what you want to do. Money? Ditch that RN to BSN and go into computer science! But don't expect to get into Google or the likes, the majority of the big earners are ms/PhDs. OPs discussion points to competition with current titles extrapolated a decade from now. I personally think if you really only see yourself doing the same job 10 years from now, there is certainly a lack of ambition and drive.

Not everyone wants to be an APRN or nurse manager. That doesn't mean they aren't ambitious or lacking drive - it means they prioritize different things. Don't confuse the two.

As for myself, I have been looking for something else, but I have no interest in starting my own business or working in IT.

[klone, MSN, RN]

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*

I plan to retire around then as well. Not a rich spouse but a decent retirement plan, and we've both made investing in it a priority. Plus, our house will be paid off in 8 years.