Is a bsn degree viewed the same as any other college degree if seeking unrelated jobs

ms_sgr, BSN, NP · Sep 22, 2011

A nursing degree would be considered a specialty degree in which you can use to work in a health care facility on the informatics dept or a case manager, but why would you go to school to get your BSN just to do something that's not related to your degree?

dghon · Sep 23, 2011

I have a question kind of in the same ball park. I have a B.S. in Psy and an M.S. in H.R. They were opportunistic degrees and took about 15 years to complete. I took classes here and there, some inside the military. All were as I had the opportunity & as I could afford them.

In short, they have been worthless degrees. Now I am working on an associates in nursing (and really hoping I can find a job afterwards). Question is, will the other degrees help after I graduate OR will I have to get a BSN or MSN to progress later in my new career???

Really tired of starting jobs at $8/hr, working my way into $20/hr, and then having to start all over again (3 such job experiences in past 12 years)

ms_sgr, BSN, NP · Sep 23, 2011

The other degrees only show that you are able to complete a task. They will not help you to advance your career in nursing. With that being said, if you want to go into management then you will have to get your bsn, and your msn if tou want to become a NP, nurse anesthesis, CNS, or FNP

Ambitiouz · Sep 23, 2011

This is something I've questioned as well. I don't have a previous BS degree. I'll be finishing my RN-BSN degree in December and really one of the major reasons I went back for the BSN was so that I could have a bachelor's degree and apply for jobs that just require any BS degree. I know it's specific to one industry but I'm wondering why it wouldnt be seen as equal as any other degree in the social sciences, etc. I don't see a reason to get a generic BS degree in another field just to be able to apply to non-nursing jobs.

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2011

I have difficulty in understanding why you would go through the trouble of getting your BSN.... it is an extremely immersive program where you'll spend so much time in the hospital that if you don't like it, you likely won't finish. Here's where your degree would be useful in another completely or somewhat unrelated career. Once you become a nurse, you should get a job as a nurse and get the kind of experience that it useful to a business. You could be a sales rep for a medical supply company - that's where the big money is. You could do consulting work for an insurance company. You could get into human resources at a hospital. You will be a more valuable commodity if you can get actual nursing experience. The only human resource jobs available (and especially during a recession) as a new grad are going to pay a third of the wages you'd get as a nurse. I remember when I was a claims adjuster for a large insurance company and all of human resources were laid off due to lack of hiring. These were the most professional and experienced people that the company had and their skills simply weren't needed during a year-long hiring freeze. So my answer is no, your BSN will be most valuable as a nurse and not worth much as a just a bachelor's degree.

Ambitiouz · Sep 23, 2011

Going through the trouble of getting a BSN doesn't mean that one wouldn't work as a nurse for awhile. Nursing is okay but if one gets tired of nursing then whats the big deal of doing those non-hospital nursing jobs with the BSN? I'm just saying.

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2011

There's nothing wrong with moving onto a non-hospital job. In fact your options are wide open after a few years of nursing under your belt. I've worked with nurses in the business world who spend zero time with patients but have a deep understanding of the nursing process and so many other areas of understanding. Experience with patients is the key though.

AgentBeast, MSN, RN · Sep 23, 2011

There are many community health related jobs in the government.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2011

I am considering getting a bachelor's of science in nursing degree and have completed the prereqs. I don't really like hospital or nursing home nursing. I am wondering, if I did decide to do a career change and apply for a business or human resources job job that is completely unrelated to healthcare and only requires a four year degree, would a specific degree like a BSN be viewed the same or worse (since it is so specific to one industry) as any other college degree, or will it set you apart for applying to other business or unrelated jobs, since it is a hard degree to obtain?

#1. LOL! why would u go for a BSN then?

#2. If you still have the chance maybe get a business degree instead?

caliotter3 · Sep 25, 2011

When seeking unrelated work in the past, I have had my nursing education and nursing license and nursing work history thrown up to me. With the economy being the way it is today, I would think that employers could afford to be a little more courteous in their attitudes toward the unemployed.