I need a advice....Big time on pursuing a career in Nursing

[chanise718]

I am recent college grad. I majored in Sociology while in my undergrad yrs. Currently, I am in a masters program in Counseling. I enjoy the program but I am passionate about pursuing a career in Nursing. Well my dreams are to become a Nurse Midwife. With my bachelors degree and masters, I worry about getting a professional job once I graduate. I have no relevant experience to obtain the job I want. I know pursuing a career in nursing, there is a high demand and the salary is awesome. But I am more worried about the job market once I graduate from my masters program since even with a BS, I was unable to find a good job. This is my first semester so I'm not far into the program. But anyway, I am in need to know about the nursing pathway. I've heard of Accelerated BSN programs but I don't have any of the pre-reqs required to get into the program. I live in NYC and I am looking to obtain a degree in Nursing which will lead to a MSN..... My question is what should I do first in order to know if this is the right career move for me?? What options should I chose in the Nursing pathway; example, should I first pursue CNA>>>LPN>>BSN>> or CNA>>RN>>MSN.

I thought about acquiring a training program in Patient care technician or Nursing Assistant. I dont know the right route to go... But I do want a bachelors in Nursing. or if I can chose to become a RN, then enrolled in the MSN program. Which is the best route for me??? Nursing is a great career opportunity that I would like to partake in. Is the Nursing program challenging?

[leenak]

Right now, nurses aren't having the easiest time getting jobs. If you want to get your feet wet, you could look at a CNA program or even look into becoming a doula. You don't need to be a CNA or LPN prior to being an RN. You could also look into some direct entry Masters programs that would allow you to become a Midwife in 3 years.

Nursing programs are also very competitive so you'll want to get good grades in your pre-reqs and if your undergrad GPA is less than 3.0, you may be limited in your options.

[Tutz926]

Best route is to knock out those Pre Reqs. I'm in your situation a little bit also being that I have my BA already, but there's no need to go through CNA, LPN blah blah blah.

Knock out those pre req's at a local CC so its affordable and you can still work then apply to a BSN program (accelerated or regular) its up to you. alot of schools have BSN-MSN programs, midwifery programs so def look into that its very much on the rise in NYC.

Hope this was helpful and no worries there are tonssss of people in a situation similar to yours so your not alone.

=)

[Cherry02]

I also have a degree in sociology (and minor in psychology), and with that degree I had completed all prereqs except A&P, microbio, and nutrition. I think you probably have more prereqs done than you think!

I know you are very concerned about job outlook upon graduation. It is definitely an important thing to consider. But if counseling is something you enjoy, maybe you shouldn't give up on it just yet.

However, if your heart is truly set on nursing, I would start with an accelerated BSN program and then grad school after that. If you are like me and can only do prereqs part-time, then I think working as a CNA before nursing school is a great idea. I wish I was doing that myself right now (haven't had time to take the class!).

Good luck!