Is it better to do an entry MSN or BSN if you do not have an RN yet?

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Do you think it's better to try to get an entry MSN and take the Nclex, than a BSN? Still would have no work experience when finished and looking for that new grad job, so would it be harder to find one with a Masters RN and no experience? or better to have it completed. Thanks

To be honest, I am not totally sure about the CNL Masters, as opposed to others down the line in a speciality area. I was thinking of it as spending two more years after I graduate now with a BA, to end up with another Bachelors vs the same time length and ending up with a Masters. I may or may not work as a CNL, right away , but still do direct patient care nursing a year or so first. But would I be hired to do that if I have the CNL Masters? or will I only be employed as a new grad CNL, not s a "regular" RN? All this info helps so,

Thanks!!

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Why don't you try to shadow a CNL for a day?

If you are not 100% sure, I personally wouldn't do it, but that's just me. The way I see it is the opposite of you. What if you do the 2 year CNL, then don't like it at all? Then you would've wasted a year and tons of money on the program. Whereas if you do the BSN, you will feel more confident in your Master's decision and it really wouldn't be a waste since you will be getting experience.

You should be hired as a CNL, not an RN (unless you wanted to) but you would be considered a new grad, because you would be a new grad. Keep in mind that the CNL's average salary is lower than all the other Master's programs, not sure if that matter's to you or not.

But good luck in whatever you do. I'm sure you will succeed.

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I would love to find the 70 programs you mentioned that goes from bachelors in another field to NP in 3 years or so. I know there is Yale, JHopkins, Univ of Il in chicago but I have not found a list for those. Can you help me where I could find those? Also, it seems like you are high on those programs, correct? Thank you in advance.

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I am know expert but from the research I've done if you can get the CNL in 2 years or less (and there are programs that do it for less) you should do it. You are still trained as an RN yet have a bit more experience on the admin side and right now, when it's so hard to find a job, that might be useful. If I do not get into a direct entry NP program (I do not have a nursing degree but work in a hospital) I'll go from the CNL. Also, once you have a masters degree you do not need to take the GRE if you go onto NP.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

I'm doing a master's-entry program, but not one that incorporates the CNL. My reason for this is two-fold: first, my understanding of the CNL is that it is a certification searching for a purpose. My academic time can be better spent elsewhere. Second, my current program has us do a research project (which can be expanded slightly into a full thesis) as well as most of the core classes required for an APN certification. If we come back to the same school for our APN, we'll be a year ahead of the students who are starting off with their BSNs.

As an aside, it seems to me that due to the educational history of nursing in the US, there's a lot of hand-wringing over levels of entry (which I really don't want to get into right now, as it's the best way to start a flame-war on this site). What you, the OP, need to consider is not what letters you get after your name once you graduate, but how happy you'll be in the various programs you have available to yourself. That means talking to people in the programs, seeing how they like it, and seeing how the schedules, attitudes, and philosophies of the programs match up with your own.

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squire, i hope you don't mind me asking what program you go to as it sounds like you are in one of the 3 year program (or so) where you from from bachelor's in another field through np? that is really what i want! or if you konw of any other good programs like that do let me know. i know there is yale, an jhopkins and vanderbilt. any others would be appreciated that you know of. thanks!
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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

I'm in DePaul's program - it's a 2 year program, which includes the RN coursework, a research project that can be expanded slightly into a thesis at the student's option, and the APN core coursework. We don't get our APN certifications upon graduation - we still have a year's worth of classes to go. Most of those are the various practicums, though, since most of the classes that are didactic-only are included in our degree.

I do live near a Direct-Entry APN program, which is at UIC. They have a heavy prereq load and the application deadline is in spring for a winter start the next year.

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Hi squire. So with Depaul's program you can go from bachelor's in another field through NP or are you getting a clinic masters to just be an RN? Thanks. And if it is NP, how many years would it take?

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

Because I don't think you understand what I said, here's a brief explanation: APN stands for Advanced Practice Nurse (Sometimes abbreviated APRN for Advanced Practice RN). APN is the generic term for Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Nurse Practitioners (NP) of all flavors (PNP, ANP, FNP, WHNP, ACNP, etc). With that in mind, you can reread my previous post and find that DePaul's program does not include NP certification right off the bat - after graduation one has at least a year's worth of coursework left before being qualified to sit for certification.

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Anyone think the CNL Masters is worth the time and energy instead of a BSN? Or better to get the BSN, work a while and then go back to get a Master's in a speciality area, if life permits? Just thought a Masters in itself is better than a BSN, but maybe in nursing that's not the case? Thanks for the inout.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

In nursing, it's what you get with the masters that matters. One of the things you get from a masters is the ability to take out Federal GradPLUS loans, which will cover the full cost of attendance. In most cases, those with bachelors going to get ADNs or ABSNs get piddling Federal assistance - though since the federal government is now going to be running the entire student loan business, who knows how that'll change.

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Specializes in Pediatric Oncology/BMT.

I'm in an accelerated direct-entry CNL program & it's great! The program is highly regarded (both amongst academics and local hospitals admins), excellent NCLEX pass-rates, good graduate job placement, etc. The material is challenging and my classmates are all amazing individuals from an exceptional variety of backgrounds.

That being said, one of the biggest factors for me was time and money. I got into the accelerated master's first, and was wait-listed for the compacted ADN program at our local community college. Also cost was big for me. I got into an couple Accelerated BSN programs but they were private and pricey $$$$. My current program is at a state school, and is a fraction of the price of ANY direct-entry BSN or MSN programs I researched.

Lastly, by getting a master's degree I was eligible for more federal subsidized student loans. A student getting a second bachelor's degree has a lot of limitations on how much they can borrow & it's usually not subsidized. A lot of direct-entry BSN students are having trouble securing the loans they need against any debt they already carry from their previous bachelor's degree. But if you're moving on to a master's, that whole loan process is re-set for graduate level coursework. So that's definitely something to consider.

So to narrow it down I looked for the following:

Quality: good program reputation, high NCLEX pass-rates, job-opportunities after graduation, happy graduates

Cost: The cheaper the better. Private nursing programs are exorbitant & charging way to much in my opinion

Time: Which program will have me graduated and on the floor working fastest (my programs takes 1.5 years; 5 semesters non-stop including 2 summers)

The pace is difficult, but I'm confident about my decision. These types of programs aren't for everyone, mainly b/c of the pace & you have to 100% committed to school & nothing else! Good luck on your search. No one else can make this decision for you. You have to do the research on each program, and really take a good look at what you want out of them. Having a general understanding of how you learn is really important to consider too.

All the best!

:twocents:

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