Going back to study nursing-is it worth it?

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I just graduated with a bachelors in business management and am working in a job not related in my field. This is only a temporary job until I find a management position.

Lately I've been thinking of entering the nursing program, which means I have to go through a year of the prerequisite (some credits will transfer tho). And then another year for the actual nursing program. I am 24 right now and I don't know if going through all this trouble for an RN associates is worth it. The thing is thoughts of nursing have always been flooding my mind, even as I was completing the bachelor program. And 5 years before that I flirted with the idea of nursing but chose not to because chemistry sounded intimidating. I guess part of wanting it is job security, even though now hospitals are becoming stricter with RN hiring. I really don't know why nursing keeps coming in my head. What do you think? Any nurses out there what do you advise? I

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Nursing is a great profession and I couldn't imagine doing anything else, but if you are looking for job security you had better look before you leap.

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Yeah, my aunt has been a nurse for over 25 years and she told me even nurses aren't secure. I mean security wouldn't be my sole reason. Perhaps I'm romanticizing the idea of becoming a nurse- I know the grass always looks greener on the other side. I'm also over protective of my family and I feel that nursing skills could help if god forbid a loved one was ill. Gosh I don't know why this profession is haunting my mind constantly. I had my chance 5 years ago to become an RN, but decided it was too demanding with all those science classes. =(

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It sounds like nursing is what you want to do! A bachelors in business is a cool background to have in healthcare and you could build on it with a masters in health admin or an MBA with your nursing degree; as you know there are all kinds of routes to go with advanced degrees in nursing for later on. I hated the thought of Chem too but my program only required the general intro to chemistry class. My BSN didn't require me to expand on it either so it wasn't too much of a 'hardship' at all. I've never regretted becoming a nurse and have never had difficulty finding a job. For the majority of my 5 years as a nurse I've held onto two jobs at a time, in fact. I've worked on both coasts and been able to work and go to school simultaneously. I feel that the ability to be flexible is a major plus in this profession. I think you should go for it! I can't imagine doing anything else.

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If your considering nursing, look into the BSN not ADN. Here in Texas at least the trend is to encourage all RN's to get BSN within the next few years. Oh, I was 37 when I got my degree, best move I've every made professionally. Peace

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If you do decide to pursue a nursing degree, you may want to consider a direct-entry MSN. I had a Bachelor's and Master's in other fields, and my only regret is that I did not go that route when I returned to school for my nursing degree. In my particular case, I felt it was not really do-able due to other commitments/responsibilities, but in hindsight, I should have just made it happen. And, by the way, I think perhaps this whole idea is haunting you because it is just what you want to do. The science classes can be intimidating, especially if they aren't your strongest subjects, but it can be done. If you take many of them as prereqs, you can do one or two at a time, and it would be much easier. I did that with A&P, which was my difficult subject. Got C and D first time around in undergrad and and A each semester when taking on its own later on. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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If these nursing fantasies are speaking to you, why not do a little career exploration? Some shadowing, and talking about nursing costs you nothing.

What are your thoughts about the degree you studied for? You say you are in a temporary job. What comes next?

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Hi friends, thank you for all your replies. I thought about doing a direct BSN program, however the only colleges near me that offer it are private ones. I actually graduated from a private university and my expenses were around $31K. I don't really want to take out loans again to continue my education at a private university. Commuting long distances is a problem for me, as of right now we only have one car and everyone needs it. Also at the private university they want me to do clinicals at a hospital which is far away.

So the only thing that is closest and more affordable is the community college which offers the RN program.

Right now I took one online BIS prerequisite, originally I was going to take Human development and growth along with it, but my work schedule is kind of crazy and i really want to take my time earning an A. Besides this entire year I will have to complete.

The plan now is to do the online prerequisite and familiarize myself with medical terminology and even NCLEX questions so I know what to expect. I already hold a Pharmacy tech certificate and have been acquainted with terms.

Also I'm not just going to abandon my business degree. If a job offer related to my field comes my way I will accept. Maybe even put off the rest of the nursing prerequisites until the summer, but will take whatever is offered online.

I just know something good will come out of this. I feel in my heart.

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Specializes in CVICU.

you should definitely do the MSN route... it's for someone who holds any bachelor degree. I think all you need is a couple prereqs, but only the ones required for the nursing program and not all the fluff like math or philosophy (unless those are direct requirements for your particular program). Having a MSN can open you up to a whole bunch of areas of nursing like being a nurse practitioner.

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I think to become admitted to the MSN program I have to get an RN certificate along with the bachelor degree that I hold. At least that is what I am read on many websites.

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In my area the MSN programs for people who hold a BA/BS in any area other than nursing (and meet the course requirments) are called "direct entry masters in nursing" programs - I'm sure you're seeing the "RN to MSN" bridge programs.. I'm not sure where you are from but the University of New Hampshire, Northeastern, and UMass Medical School offer these programs if you wanted to get an idea of what the courses are like!

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