MSW -> RN? advice wanted

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I have a Masters in a lower-paying field (Social Work) and am considering enrolling in a community college to get pre-reqs such as chemistry and biology for an eventual RN program.

I love working with people (currently I work in a psychiatric setting), and this would be a way for me to earn more money.

I'm wondering if anybody on earth has ever taken this path before. I currently work with nurses (two RNs and two ARNPs) and they have all told me that I'm stupid for wanting to "go backward" and get a BA-level license when I already have a Masters-level license (in a non-nursing field).

My primary goal is to earn more money, while still working in my current setting. My family situation has recently changed and I need to earn about $60,000 per year at least and I am currently not doing that.

How would you advise me?

Have any of you had a Masters (or higher) in another field and then switched to nursing?

Specializes in nursing education.

I'd research the CNL carefully before you commit (time, money and self) to a direct entry MSN program. CNL is not advanced practice- you would graduate with the same job prospects as any other new RN grad in your area. There are some places, the VA hospitals in particular, who are committed to hiring CNLs. CNL looks good on paper but if you can accomplish the same wages and scope of practice with an associates in nursing or a BSN as with a Masters degree in nursing? That's the question you need to answer.

Those are good questions.

Honestly (you're going to think I'm not very bright) I didn't realize today that the ADN was even an option. For some reason, I thought the ADN led only to the LPN.

I'm really glad I asked these questions now.

I have to disagree with hey_suz. Where I live, BSNs and MSNs are preference. MSNs do get paid more. But Maryland is one of the better paying states for nurses.

But yes, research carefully! Master's degrees are pretty pricey. Good luck.

Specializes in nursing education.
I have to disagree with hey_suz. Where I live, BSNs and MSNs are preference. MSNs do get paid more. But Maryland is one of the better paying states for nurses.

It does vary by area...we're a little provincial here! Good to hear that some places value higher education. Yes, check your own area (or the areas where you'd like to relocate)! :)

Just out of curiosity, you guys (or gals) are nurses, right?

Based on the response I got at work, I thought I'd encounter resistance here, too, but I'm glad I haven't.

Specializes in nursing education.
Just out of curiosity, you guys (or gals) are nurses, right?

Based on the response I got at work, I thought I'd encounter resistance here, too, but I'm glad I haven't.

I'm a BSN from traditional route, MSN student.

The resistance from your workplace may stem from what they perceive as a conflict of interest. ("Oh no, if the MSW is in school, she'll cut down her hours and then we'll lose her! Or she will want my job!") I see this all the time at work.

Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

Hi RTay64,

I am a graduate of an Accelerated BSN program (12 months) and have a PhD in a different field (Chemistry). No one ever suggested to me that getting a bachelors degree in a new field was "going backward", and I think it's silly to suggest that it would be. How is going on to a completely different field a move "backward"? In fact, when I graduated, a friend asked me if it felt "anticlimactic" to get a bachelors degree when I already had a PhD in another field, and I responded that graduating with my BSN was way more meaningful to me, because it was going to allow me to work in a field that I really wanted to work in.

As for entry level MSN programs, these might be a good choice for you if you know you want to be a nurse practitioner or some other kind of advanced practice nurse. However, it sounds like your interest is in becoming an RN. In that case, an accelerated BSN program may be a better choice for you. If there are no accelerated BSN programs in your area, you might be able to transfer into a traditional 4 year BSN program and complete it in 2-3 years if they give you credit for your previous course work from your previous bachelor's degree. I know someone who did this and completed a traditional BSN program in just 2 years. Talk to the admissions departments in local schools of nursing or look up their requirements online to find out what their prerequisites are. Also, some have a "recency" requirement for prereqs (i.e., they'll only count courses you've taken in the last 5 years, or 7 years, or whatever their limit is), and others don't (the school I went to had no recency requirement and I was able to satisfy prereqs with courses I took as many as 25 years ago). So, find out about the recency requirements too.

Another thing you should know -- you can get an RN with an ADN, but having a BS or even MS in another field plus an ADN is NOT the equivalent of having a BSN. Depending on what area you live in, many employers these days prefer RNs with BSNs, so having the BSN may help you in the job market. There are also some types of RN positions where a BSN is required -- in my state (California) you must have a BSN to be a public health nurse, or a school nurse. So, although you could also apply to ADN programs, there are some advantages to having a BSN.

The reason I said RN is because I didn't realize that MSN was a possibility. Are the salaries vastly different from an RN with a BSN and an MSN?

From a theoretical standpoint, it looks like I could possibly go the ADN, BSN, or MSN route, though each would come with different obstacles...

Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
The reason I said RN is because I didn't realize that MSN was a possibility. Are the salaries vastly different from an RN with a BSN and an MSN?

From a theoretical standpoint, it looks like I could possibly go the ADN, BSN, or MSN route, though each would come with different obstacles...

Most people with MSNs work as nurse practitioners (NP), which is different from working as a nurse (RN). NPs can diagnose illnesses and prescribe medications, RNs cannot. They're generally paid more than RNs too.

If you have an MSN but you are working as an RN, not an NP, the salary is generally going to be the same as any other RN. At the hospital where I was hired as a new grad, nurses got paid the exact same amount regardless of degree type, and I think that's the norm at most facilities. If there's a difference in pay based solely on your nursing degree type, it's generally small.

Hi there -

I am (was) an MSW social worker with an LCSW who worked quite a bit in psych - I also became frustrated with the ridiculously low pay and decided to make the switch to nursing (for the record, in some jobs and in some parts of the country, you could actually manage to make LESS as an RN than as a social worker...but not usually). I attended a community college for my prerequisites and checked out their ADN program. I also did a lot of research on direct-entry MSN programs and applied to a couple big ones; though I was accepted and I'm pretty sure an MSN is in my future, I decided that in my situation it made sense to get a BSN and some work experience first. So I'm enrolled in an Accelerated BSN program now, and I don't feel like I'm going backwards at all.

Social work skills definitely seem to come in handy for nursing training, and (I hope) for nursing practice later on. You'll bumble as much as anyone else learning to take blood pressures or start IV's, but you'll have a big advantage in taking health histories, establishing rapport, setting limits, and understanding the psychosocial factors that affect patients' health. Also, in my experience the most-feared clinical rotation is psych....which will be a cinch for you.

Feel free to message me here if you want to discuss further - I was semi-obsessive about researching options when I was in your shoes, and I'm glad to share anything I know.

It won't allow me to PM you because it says I'm new to the site.

Do you know which parts of the country have social workers earning more than nurses? Is it because social work pays more or nursing pays less (or both)?

Do you plan to keep your LCSW license current after getting your RN? The reason I ask is that I know a woman who has her LMFT and ARNP and she keeps only the nursing license current even though if she kept the LMFT billiable she could bill as either one.

Sorry if these are too personal. I know you said to PM you...

And for anyone (just because I'm curious): what do Nurse Practitioners do/have different than MSNs who are RNs?

Also for anyone: as an MSW I have the authority to diagnose, assess, and treat mental illnesses (I actually do it all the time). Would that authority somehow go away if I went for the RN? That seems confusing for me. I know the roles would be different, but the actual ability itself would still be the same, right?

I ask that last question because I wonder in what context I would be hired...

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