Right now I am a pre-nursing at my local Nashville community college, but I am making great grades, a high A (98) in my A & P, A in my First Aid & CPR, A in my chemistry, A in psychology, and a high C in math (I suck I know). I plan on studying my butt off and doing whatever it takes short of killing a man to make the grades and impress the schools so that I will hopefully have a choice of nursing school to choose from, knock on wood we'll see!
Anyways, to my point:
A relative of mine (who shall remain nameless out of respect) thinks it is okay to go to ANY college, the cheaper the better and the quicker the better. He says the degree doesn't really matter so long as it says RN, the college you go to doesn't make a difference so long as it's accredited, and really the grades don't even matter so much so long as you pass with decent ones.
I feel like I am going to be the one taking out the student loan, so I obviously have to make the final call...but I am leaning more towards a full college experience (academically speaking) at a state university, MTSU if you really wanna know. I know it will cost me a lot more in student loans because I would want to live on campus, the drive from Nashville to Murfreesboro would cost too much in gas. Plus I would be getting a BSN in the SAME amount of time it would take me to get an ASN (I already have previous college experience)!
In all I would be looking at taking out around 21k in student loans to finish out my last two years and get a BSN, that includes room and board, utilities, gas money, a meal plan, tuition, and estimated book cost.
If I chose to keep living at mom and dad's for free and try for an ASN, it would still take me two years but it would only cost about 10 to 12k.
Why do nurses want a doctorate degree? I think the only time you could really use a PhD would be for teaching, because all you need in management in nursing is a MSN. There is a crisis at the colleges because there is not enough instructors or professors in the nursing department. They are either getting their doctorate and working part time at hospitals and creating difficulties for the students because they too have to study, or so many instructors teach and work part time at the hospitals for better pay. This is a problem in my eyes and I think it's hurting the students. Plus a lot of students don't cut the mustard and are weeded out and that seems to be popular now. Less students to teach = easier job for the insturctor. That' my 0.02 cents.
I live in northwest Indiana and currently working as a paramedic (10 + years, 29 total in pre-hospital). I am in my last semester of an ADN program at a CC. I chose this option so that I could begin working quicker and I would have some form of tuition assistance or re-embursment (hopefully) where I will be working to help in completing my BSN. I am still working full time and driving 44 miles each way three days a week to campus. One day for classes and two days for clinicals. Did you take clinicals into account on your driving and gas figures? One other thing, a private 4 year university has partnered with our CC offering an ADN to MSN program, earning your BSN along the way, at the CC tuition rate!
It's been a long road. I will graduate in May, 2 months before my 50th birthday and will have taken me 3 years and 5 months to complete my pre-recrequsites and the two year ADN program. In the end it is what works for you. You are the one that has to do the work. Good luck whatever you decide.
Why do nurses want a doctorate degree? I think the only time you could really use a PhD would be for teaching, because all you need in management in nursing is a MSN. There is a crisis at the colleges because there is not enough instructors or professors in the nursing department. They are either getting their doctorate and working part time at hospitals and creating difficulties for the students because they too have to study, or so many instructors teach and work part time at the hospitals for better pay. This is a problem in my eyes and I think it's hurting the students. Plus a lot of students don't cut the mustard and are weeded out and that seems to be popular now. Less students to teach = easier job for the insturctor. That' my 0.02 cents.
Many nurses with their PhD in nursing, do research (really that's what a PhD degree is, it's a research degree). So, they're looking at how best to meet different population's needs, what nursing interventions are most effective, that kind of stuff. So, we need folks with PhD's.....they help us to know how to do what we do more efficiently.
Nursing salaries are either stagnant or dropping. like any industry today the corporations are looking to cut costs. The best personal advice is to try to keep your debt zero or at the very least very low. Colleges are making a killing now with the job shortages and unemployment. The nursing shortage now is a misnomer, since the majority of decent hospital and facilitie sare keeping low staffing in a cost saving effort.
The 'bridge' programs do not mention all the pre reqs they are now piling on to make money.you find that out later. Most people today have become professional studentsgoing deeper in debt for the same jobs that were paying higher with less edu requirements.
The Bilderburg Group met in Canada several years ago and what came out of that meeting was that healthcare workers in the USA made disproportianatly higher salaries as compared to their global counterparts. the new Healthcare bill and the loss of Medicare funds projected by the year 2017 is going to fix that disparity.Now just figure out where you will be financially in seven more years as far as your debt vs the healthcare job market. If you think that just because the baby boomers will flood the healthcare system they plan on paying you more and increasing the jobs ,think again . The second half od the Boomers have lost their pensions to IRAs in the nineties, then the stock market crashed and many of the higher paid techies lost their jobs and lived off thier iRAs and savings . Now they approach retirement age with nothing but a failing ssi system to rely on.The guy who flew into the IRS office was just one of many and his six page diatribe attested to that......difference was that he fell into dispair,while many others continue are struggling to survive....even without health insurance.
Never buy into the lie that there is a real nursing shortage because there are not enough nurses. They are out there , some only working p/t. Thousands of Active Licenses not working in the field. Ask yourself why....get a job at a hospital or LTC Facility before you go deeper into debt and see who has what in what nursing position.I wonder where people running back for higher degrees in healthcare think the money is going to come from to pay for all the Boomers who will need their care?
I agree with the "cheaper the better" approach. I don't think it matters where you go to school - what matters is how you perform once you get a job. The only exception to this if if you just want to be an academic person and only do teaching. Young people often think they need a well known or big school behind them. If you have good grades and are a good interview - the job will be yours. You'll find that once you are working - soon, nobody cares about what you did in school - it's past history.
A lot of good advise here already, but I'll add my 2 cents. I am an ADN nurse and have never felt the need to move on to a BSN as I would not make any more money, already had a job before I graduated, and have no desire to work in higher management or public health. If you have aspirations toward a position that will require BSN or higher [or even think you might someday], by all means go for the BSN now, it is not so easy to go back to school once you are out of student mode. I've been out of school for 9 years and the thought of going back now would just fry my poor brain! Don't just look at short term cost compared to long term earning potential. You need to research the quality of education you will receive, the current and projected job opportunities for each degree in your area...also ask yourself if you are willing to relocate to get a job post-graduation because in some areas it is easy to find a position with an ADN and in some areas, especially metropolitan areas with larger hospitals, prospective employers won't even consider you without a BSN. Final thought...unless you are certain that you want to work in a nursing environment that will not require a BSN, go ahead and get it now. You may find you have more options for employment with your BSN.
Go for the BSN! I was struggling over the decision to go Associates or BSN....and I ended up choosing BSN. I'm happy I did:cool:. I'm graduating in May and have a job interview in a week for my dream job and they will only take new grads with a BSN. A lot more hospitals are requiring BSNs for internship programs and you don't want to miss out on an opportunity just because you don't have a certain degree.
I will say that even though I am getting my ADN, hospitals around here put that they prefer BSN grads in their employment listings. The only way you can find a job as a new grad in a hospital is to go through a nursing internship program. Because there are so many applicants they only interview the ones with some type of experience (CNA, LVN, paramedic) and a BSN.
I may have to work in a rehab center or nursing home when I graduate (my mom has connections at her hospital and assures me she'll get me an interview but I'm not counting on it). It all depends on your area and what's going on. I've heard some people say that hiring managers will not ask you your GPA on this thread. Not here. You have to have at least a 3.0 and the higher your gpa, more experience, higher degree, and likability determines whether you get one of the coveted internships. Like I said, it all depends on where you live.
The reality is that nurses don't get paid a whole lot. I was making more at my previous job than I'll make as a nurse. I could not imagine having that kind of debt because the salary does not warrant it.
I surveyed ALL hospitals in the western part of the state prior to submitting any applications to nursing schools. They ALL assured me that the location of schooling did not matter as long as it was accredited. I went to a technical college and received my ADN. I was hired straight into the 2nd busiest ER in the state without a blink of an eye. I was also offered ICU positions and 4 other med/surg positions at other hospitals in the area.... point being, I feel strongly that your license stating "Registered Nurse" is sufficient. That being said... always emphasize with employers your desire to continuing your education, after all, that's a very important part of our job, to keep learning and growing!
I surveyed ALL hospitals in the western part of the state prior to submitting any applications to nursing schools. They ALL assured me that the location of schooling did not matter as long as it was accredited. I went to a technical college and received my ADN. I was hired straight into the 2nd busiest ER in the state without a blink of an eye. I was also offered ICU positions and 4 other med/surg positions at other hospitals in the area.... point being, I feel strongly that your license stating "Registered Nurse" is sufficient. That being said... always emphasize with employers your desire to continuing your education, after all, that's a very important part of our job, to keep learning and growing!
oakbourne
93 Posts
Why do nurses want a doctorate degree? I think the only time you could really use a PhD would be for teaching, because all you need in management in nursing is a MSN. There is a crisis at the colleges because there is not enough instructors or professors in the nursing department. They are either getting their doctorate and working part time at hospitals and creating difficulties for the students because they too have to study, or so many instructors teach and work part time at the hospitals for better pay. This is a problem in my eyes and I think it's hurting the students. Plus a lot of students don't cut the mustard and are weeded out and that seems to be popular now. Less students to teach = easier job for the insturctor. That' my 0.02 cents.