Getting a masters or NP w/o working as an RN first!

Nurses General Nursing

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Two friends of mine are doing this exact thing. One is currently working on her Masters in Nursing, her bachelor's is a health science degree and apparently you can get your RN in this masters program. She is not currently a nurse, and has zero experience in healthcare. I really don't understand this, how on earth can anyone know they want a masters degree in something without ever doing it first! Another friend of mine has decided that she is going to be an NP, she too has a bachelor's degree in health science, but is not currently an RN and has never worked in healthcare.

A few co-workers and I were discussing this today and it seems to be becoming more and more common. It really just blows my mind.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

How can you sit for the NCLEX without a nursing degree?

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I don't think they're doing that, but they are both entering these programs without prior nursing experience. It amazes me that this is even possible!

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Thing is, you can't be an "RN", Registered Nurse, without sitting the NCLEX. You can have a degree that says anything the diploma says on it, so unless you can sit the boards with a masters but never a bachelors/assoc in nursing, they can't get their "RN" with these programs.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Made me curious, so I went to my BON's site. It only says "an approved nursing program", doesn't specify level of degree.

But I know that the classes I took in the Master's program, would never have taught me what I needed for boards. It was assumed we were all already RNs, in fact, a current license was required just to apply.

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A lot of us don't think this is a good idea, but the "direct entry" MSN programs, which incorporate a minimal basic nursing education (adequate to qualify graduates for licensure) into a graduate level nursing program, have been around for many years and are v. popular. (Just look around at all the threads on this site about interest in DE programs, applying to DE programs, attending DE programs, etc.) The graduate program I attended many years ago (as a traditional, experienced-RN student) offered a "direct entry" program for non-nurses with a BA/BS in something else, and the majority of the students (my classmates) were the DE students. Their program was three years -- a full calendar year (full-time including the summer) of basic nursing eduation, and then they completed the two years of the "regular" MSN program with the rest of us.

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IMO these "direct entry" programs are just an up-sell from regular ASN, BSN, or ABSN programs. If there are people willing to borrow a ton of money to pay for master's credits to become an NP without being a nurse first, why wouldn't some schools create that program (or rather, product) and sell it to those students? They're going to be competing for the same entry-level floor nursing jobs when they graduate with that expensive master's and a ton of debt that the ASN, BSN, and ABSN students are competing for, as they will not be qualified for an NP position with zero nursing experience. But the schools probably figure hey, as long as somebody is willing to pay big money for these degrees, who cares if they're useless degrees at least for the first few years of that person's career?

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Even if they can legitimately become NPs without becoming RNs or having any bedside experience, i would suppose they will will have a hard time marketing themselves to join practices with no real experience beyond clinicals. It's a tough job market out there and in some parts of the country the NP job market is fairly saturated.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Thing is, you can't be an "RN", Registered Nurse, without sitting the NCLEX. You can have a degree that says anything the diploma says on it, so unless you can sit the boards with a masters but never a bachelors/assoc in nursing, they can't get their "RN" with these programs.

In these "direct-entry masters" programs, candidates DO sit for their NCLEX. They rush through everything in a traditional BSN program and earn their BSN/RN in something like 12-18 months and then continue on for their MSN.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
In these "direct-entry masters" programs, candidates DO sit for their NCLEX. They rush through everything in a traditional BSN program and earn their BSN/RN in something like 12-18 months and then continue on for their MSN.

ouch.

thanks, that's also why I looked at my BON's site.

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

I almost punched a lady who was in my BSN program and eventually accepted into a direct-entry MSN program. (She wanted a direct access to management and, I quote, "I'm an older, second-degree student. I shouldn't have to do my time as a bedside nurse.")

True story.

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In these "direct-entry masters" programs, candidates DO sit for their NCLEX. They rush through everything in a traditional BSN program and earn their BSN/RN in something like 12-18 months and then continue on for their MSN.

I've never agreed with accelerated BSN's. Local schools offer an accelerated 1 year BSN for persons with a bachelor's in another field. I can't get an Art History bachelor's in the same amount of time...but sure no problem I can provide you medical care :)

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