Help Please, Career Advise Needed Here.

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Hello all. I'm wanting to get information and advise on which career path to take and also if anyone knows of a specific "online" or "traditional" program.

I currently have a BS and would like to ultimately end up with my Family Nurse Practitioner. A local university, UT, offered in the past a bridge program which would take you directly from a BS (non nursing) to your FNP in two years. I met with a counselor a couple of days ago and they've discontinued the program due to lack of funding. I have checked with most of the local private and state funded and community colleges and there are a lot of programs for LPN or ADN or BSN available and I have found a couple of programs out there that say they're offered "online" to go from BS to FNP but I was wanting to know if anyone has any advise on what they did or a particular program that they read into or took to finish this goal. Any advise would be helpful. Thank-you in advance. C

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

Well,

An FNP is of course an advanced practice nurse and usually requires at least a master's degree. One must complete a RN program TADN or BSN) and pass the NCLEX and be licensed as an RN before they can go straight on into a NP program.

Now you could do an A.D.N to MSN program which would take about 2 years or a little more. Most graduate nursing programs (both online and campus based) that I've seen require one or two years of experience in certain setting such as ICU or CCU experience etc.... So I have bever seen one that is continous, which is what it seems you want.

Since you already have a BS in Chemistry maybe you should try an accelerated bsn program and then apply for graduate school.

Hope this helps.

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One must complete a RN program TADN or BSN) and pass the NCLEX and be licensed as an RN before they can go straight on into a NP program.

Actually, no, there are now lots of programs all over the country for people who are not RNs but have a BA/BS in another area -- the programs are basically an acclerated BSN program + an MSN program, and you come out the other end as a Master's-prepared nurse (lots of advanced practice specialties available).

OP, are you able to relocate? There are still plenty of programs like the one UT is no longer offering at other schools around the country. Or go a more traditional route, as you note. You may want to check out the Distance Learning forum here -- lots of discussion there about distance/on-line educational opportunities in nursing. One of the good things about nursing, IMO, is that there are usually several different paths to get to where you want to go -- I'm sure that, if you look around, you can find a way to achieve your goal.

Best wishes for your journey!

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Actually, no, there are now lots of programs all over the country for people who are not RN's but have a BA/BS in another area -- the programs are basically an accelerated BSN program + an MSN program, and you come out the other end as a Master's-prepared nurse (lots of advanced practice specialties available).

Oh, really? I never knew that. So it is basically like an ABSN but after you finish your BSN level course work you automatically matriculate into the MSN program/ Course work. Thanks! I've never heard of such programs.

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Oh, really? I never knew that. So it is basically like an ABSN but after you finish your BSN level course work you automatically matriculate into the MSN program/ Course work. Thanks! I've never heard of such programs.

The programs are usually three years long (although some are shorter) -- the first year is a v. intense, fast-paced "basic" nursing education, and then you go into the MSN program. Some of these programs have been around for a few decades, although there has been a big increase in recent years. They are usually referred to (generically) as "direct entry" programs (although most of the schools have a specific "brand name" for their program to distinguish it from a traditional MSN program). Some programs award a BSN degree along with the MSN, some don't.

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Thank-you for your responses so far.

I have been reading a lot of articles online for the past few weeks and since I do not have the ability to relocate (2 in high school now) it sounds like I may not get to "participate" in a direct entry program here in east Tennessee.

It sounds like to reach this goal for me and my family the least expensive and quickest way possible, the local LPN program which is a year long at the cost of about $5000 for the entire year from a Tennessee Board of Regents College would be an easy solution and then after gaining some experience in that hospital setting, hopefully in CCU or ICU take one of the following options:

Accelerated BSN then Nurse Practitioner -or-

LPN to ADN (RN) then Nurse Practitioner -or-

LPN to Nurse Practitioner (direct entry).

It seems like an easy solution to simply take 2 years to a traditional BSN from my BS.

It seems also like an easy solution to simply take 2 years to a ADN from my BS.

I think the responsible thing to do is to get the LPN acquired first, then work and get familiar with Nursing, earn money, then pay for the education as it's being taken.

I think as I enroll and participate in this LPN class, a world that I'm not familiar with will be revealed and a lot of these questions and local available programs will be revealed as well.

All advise is welcomed, and thank-you again in advance. C

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I agree... there are many programs out there that if you have a bachelor's in any field you can receive your bachelor's in nursing... I know a friend who had his bachelors in I don't know what but is now receiving his BSN in nursing from UCLA. But you live in the east. You would most likely look into universities that offer these programs. No community college will offer that. online schools as well. You have to go onto your board of registered nursing website... and from there look up schools in your state and call up those schools individually and ask. This is what I did when I first started with nursing to find out what pre-requisites all the schools required so that way I can apply to all. Good luck!!

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