Help-what to do about nursing school?

[honeybee23]

I'm a high school senior and I'm going to Beloit College in Wisconsin starting in the fall. I will most likely major in creative writing or possibly psychology. My plan was to get my BA and then complete my MEPN and become a pediatric nurse. I have wanted to be a nurse for years--I can really see myself as a nurse, it just feels right and I love children.

But it seems like this might not be the best idea in terms of my path of education. It hadn't occurred to me until recently, but it might be difficult for me to get a job from a program like this when my BA has nothing to do with health services and I have no prior experience as an RN (I would like to work in a children's hospital, ultimately). Will I be looked down upon my the medical community? I don't know what to do. My college does not offer nursing so I can't really get my BA in nursing, so my only option is MEPN. What are your thoughts on this (as I don't have much experience with the field)?

Thank you so much for reading this, I'm kind of stressing now!

[jennafezz]

Why do you need to go to that school?

What about taking prerequisites/general ed at a community college and then transferring to a college that has a BSN program?

[happy2learn]

There are plenty of Master's program's set up for this situation. It's considered an accelerated program. You will get your RN(BSN) and then proceed to the Master's program. You will not be looked down upon. There are probably ten people in my A&P class that are doing this. It's not a big deal. Go for it.

This is the excerpt from the school they are going to:

Accelerated Program (MSN) Plan

This program is meant for people who hold a degree in an area outside of Nursing and are interested in becoming a registered nurse, then moving through one of our master’s programs. In obtaining the MSN, students progress through three phases of the program.

Phase 1 is prelicensure

Phase 2 is where you get your Bachelor's and become an RN

Phase 3 is the Master's program

Just as an example of how some programs are set up.

[Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN]

If your ultimate goal is nursing, then find a BA program in nursing. If you had the grades to get into Beloit, you can get into a BN program. Then after graduating, you have choices. You can go right into nursing (that's what I would do to see if I REALY like it) or you can spend more time in grad school. Suggestion: see if you can shadow a peds nurse at your local hospital and get a taste of nursing. Maybe do some volunteering work as well and see the real world. This might help crystalize your goals.

Good luck!