How are RNs with Entry-Level MSN degrees received?

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Hi there,

I'm a marketing/pr professional, hoping to start an entry-level MSN program in the fall (God willing). I know these types of programs are relatively new. My question is for those of you who have completed such a program or you nurses who have coworkers from these programs, how are the nurses received in the work environment? I guess what I'm trying to see is if there's any type of tension or animosity directed toward those who enter into the field with an entry to nursing MSN degree. I know the "Clinical Nurse Leader" role has yet to fully materialize in hospitals and all of us will start off as entry-level RNs due to he lack of experience, regardless of the degree behind us, but I'm wondering how other nurses view those that have taken this route.

My ultimate goal is to become a neonatal NP, but I know I have to (and I want to) pay my dues first and get all of the experience I can as an RN. Other than allowing me to go back in a few years to get a post-masters certificate in neonatal NP, I have yet to fully comprehend what the MSN Clinical Nurse Leader degree will mean to my career starting off, and how I will be accepted and viewed by other nurses and administrators. But this is the best option available to career changers with ba/bs degrees in other fields, so I'm going with it.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

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You will find that you will interview and start with all other new grads. You will be grateful of this, because you really will not learn how to be a nurse at all in college. But you will have glimmers of it at the end. I think that many here would agree on this point. You will understand this quickly as you work clinically as a student. I am also a second career person. Understand that in nursing, your degree matters NOT, without much hands on experience. It's not like the corporate world, where you can go on to your masters immediately and expect weight in interviews as a newbie for the most part.

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Thanks 2ndwind, that's pretty much what I was figuring, and I'm ok with that because it makes the most sense. I just wish that this Clinical Nurse Leader role was a tad bit more defined in the clinical world. I guess it's too new of a role to yet have a distinct presence, but I'm wondering if it will ever really have a vital place amongst RNS, CNS, NP, etc. Everything I've read on it and what the schools have sold, sounds all fine and dandy, but for some reason, I feel that once I get on the floor as an RN, I'm going to feel as though I "drank the kool-aid" :p!

Luckily, I've done a ton of research and have a clear direction of where I want to go (although I know things change), but I have a feeling that there will be some entering the field as CNLs thinking that the degree and role will automatically grant them some type of autonomy, and that will not be the case.

There seems to be a lot more that needs to be worked out amongst schools, AACN and the actual medical field, pertaining to this role.

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Things are changing. There seems to be a lot of "new roles" put out there in nursing and people begin to flock to those and find that nobody really is ready for them once they're done. Tool around on Allnurses, and you can get a little of that impression from some threads. It's harder to turn the boat around when it is a big boat! I think all this new stuff was full ahead until the economy tanked. Now it seems new ideas, new roles can be irritating to some. More power to you to get to where you wanna be in the end. But keep your eyes open because nursing is never what ya thought it'd be -- you might do a complete turnaround once you get in it and set a different course to follow. Plus, I'd keep details under your hat for a while to help you get that first job. You might test the waters before you do the big throw-down :smokin:

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But keep your eyes open because nursing is never what ya thought it'd be -- you might do a complete turnaround once you get in it and set a different course to follow. Plus, I'd keep details under your hat for a while to help you get that first job. You might test the waters before you do the big throw-down :smokin:

;)

Good advice!

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Over the last three years we have had several of these MSN as entry nurses come to work in our SICU. All of them from University of MN. They are just lumped with the new grads from other programs. They are new nurses and nobody expects them to know anything more about nursing than grads from other types of programs (and they don't).

At first there was some mild curiosity about them as the direct entry masters is a new thing in this area and there where some questions as to why somebody with qualification to get into the U of M program would choose nursing when there are so many better paying fields they could have trained for. However now that the newness has worn off they are just new grads, that's all.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I'm not a big fan of these programs based on the grads that I have worked with and/or had to precept. As others have pointed out they are just new grads and again, just my experience, the ones I know are heavy on the book smarts and extremely light on practical skills compared to other new graduates. It just seems to me that the 4 or so years a nurse would be doing floor work while getting their MSN makes more sense. You asked. :D Here is a thread on the topic: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/skill-set-new-447630.html

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I recently completed such a program.

Here are a few thoughts:

1) The quality of the programs seems highly variable. My program definitely pushed the clinical skills and our clinical hours were similar to those of the local ADN and BSN programs. We were performing selective full-patient care by the end of the first semester.

2) Our program required that we come in as CNAs so we had some basic comfort level when we started.

3) The NCLEX pass rate through our program is 100%.

4) A lot of the CNL curriculum is valuable for any nurse irrespective of whether they're going to step into a CNL role or any other leadership position. Our program was not heavy on nursing theory (thankfully). It was there but none of the faculty were really bought into it so it was pretty perfunctory.

5) There is some definite bias against higher education levels as an entry-level nurse. However, it's not universal. Some people see it for what it is and value the additional education (provided you're not deluded into thinking that you're anything but a neophyte nurse).

6) As a group we received very positive feedback from the staff nurses at our clinical sites and from our preceptors. Those of us who've found jobs (and the graduates who preceded us in better times) have felt well prepared for the floor and our graduates have been successful.

Honestly, because of the bias, I'm not sure I'd choose that route if I were doing it over again. It worked for me but I think I'd be more marketable as a BSN or ADN nurse.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I recently completed such a program.

Here are a few thoughts:

1) The quality of the programs seems highly variable. My program definitely pushed the clinical skills and our clinical hours were similar to those of the local ADN and BSN programs. We were performing selective full-patient care by the end of the first semester.

2) Our program required that we come in as CNAs so we had some basic comfort level when we started.

I'd think this would definitely put out better quality new grads. Sounds like a good program.

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Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

personally, imho, a lot of these masters programs were really designed more to sell themselves and not nursing. they make all sorts of wild predictions about nursing "leadership" roles when frankly, you'll probably end up functioning like any other bedside grunt. if you do like the advanced clinical aspects of bedside nursing, then either work in the icu environment or become a nurse practitioner (np) like you stated.

that said, having a masters degree (regardless of stripe) on the other hand, does provide you with the academic credentials to advance into nursing or hospital administration. as for how advanced degree bedside caregivers are received by their co-workers? "welcome aboard; now go take care of your patients while i take care of mine" lol...

good luck, and remember to...

support your nursing unions! :up:

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If your long-term goal is to become an NNP, why do a different MSN first? You'll have to complete nearly all of an additional MSN (or DNP, depending on how that proposal shakes out) later on in order to become an NNP; why put the time, effort and money into a Master's with a specialty you don't particularly want (and doesn't seem to be particularly marketable so far) when there are quicker and cheaper ways to achieve RN licensure, which is what you really need?

Why not do an ADN or BSN (accelerated or traditional), either of which would probably be quite a bit cheaper, get licensed, and start working on getting the NICU experience you need to qualify for an NNP program?

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Some may choose this route because it is the only school that they are accepted into especially if you already have a bachelor's. Some schools are not allowing second bachelors in any major so it only makes sense to get a Master's and be eligible for Financial Aid. A girl I used to go to school with had a bachelors already and she couldnt get into a ADN program but she applied for the masters and got in.

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