Healthcare MBA thinking of going back to get AAS in Nursing

[BLNT]

Hello All,

I am new to this forum. I am thankful for all of the responses and information posted here.

I have extensive experiences in care giving for children and elderly parents. I do have experiences with hospice work including end of life support. I so admire the nurses that I have encountered.

I am have an MBA with Healthcare Administration. I am thinking of going back to school to get my AAS in Nursing. Does anyone think that this is worth doing? Please help.

Thank you in advance for all/any advice...BLNT

[klone, MSN, RN]

Personally, I wouldn't. In this current market, a healthcare admin or MBA degree is more valuable than an associate's in nursing.

[Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN]

I've known at least 3 people that have gone a similar route, a girl I was in school with had a bach in community health but wasn't a nurse and could't find a job so she went to nursing school with me. I think it's a little misleading when universities confer and advertise these kind of degrees without also telling you that those degrees are much more valuable when paired with a nursing license.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

PP is right. MBA+AAS = AAS. From an new grad employment standpoint, a previous non-nursing degree does not add value unless it is associated with some form of (licensed) direct care clinical experience - such as RT or ORT. If you're interested in a clinical profession, have you taken a look at all the other fields? They will probably have a much better payoff than nursing right now.

[BLNT]

Thank you all for such insightful information. Do you all know of any other professions in hospice/geriatric besides Chaplain, Medical Social Work, or nursing? I so enjoy spending time and helping people before they move on to a different place.

Thank you so much in advance again...

[klone, MSN, RN]

CNA..

[BadMoonOnTheRise]

Have you looked into physician's assistant or direct entry nurse practitioner programs? That seems to be a better match for your educational level. You would get to do some patient care, although obviously not as much as an RN.

Also, there was a women in my ADN program who had an MBA. It's not an unheard of career path. And while of course you would not be favored over an experienced nurse, your previous work experience would very much be beneficial when comes to new grad job hunting.

[BLNT]

Thank you so very much for this tip. Let me look into the Physician Assistant and the Direct Entry Nurse Practitioner Programs.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Hi, BLNT.

Can you elaborate a bit on your reasons for thinking about nursing now? Might help in getting additional responses.

Thanks.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

... From an new grad employment standpoint, a previous non-nursing degree does not add value unless it is associated with some form of (licensed) direct care clinical experience...

With respect, I can't agree with the above at all.

As a hiring manager, I would certainly value the learning / experiences from the prior study and employment mentioned by the OP here.

[BLNT]

I have been volunteering at a Hospice while taking care of elderly parents and kids. I recently had a health scare/Severe Septic Shock/Chronic Kidney Failure, etc with one of my elderly parents. I spent almost a month staying in the hospital room with her. Since she doesn't know much English I had to be there by her side. I slept on one of those pull out chairs. It really made me appreciate all of the angels/nurses that took care of her. It made me realized how wonderful these people are in doing what they do. I learned to administer medicine/antibiotics through a PICC Line when my elderly parent finally came home. I actually really enjoyed doing this. That is why I am considering going the nursing route.

Thank you so much again ...BLNT

[sistasoul]

Hi,

Have you used your MBA in healthcare in your career? I am curious as to what positions you had. Also, I think it is a fantastic idea to get your RN license even though the field is not to giving at the moment right now. I think anyone who works in healthcare administration should have spent time on the floor as a nurse or MD to see just how stressful these positions are. Anyone who makes policies and enforces rules of any job should have worked in those jobs (trenches) to begin with to understand that a lot of what we are expected to do is not feasible and takes time away from patient care in reality. I applaud you if you go this route and take this experience as an RN to become a fabulous health care administrator. I have thought about doing this route as I have a Bachelor's in Finance but do not have the personality for it.