MSW (social work) to RN/BSN..advice, tips?

[TajaSmith]

Hi,

I'm currently enrolled in a MSW program, and will graduate this May. I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology, which I received May 2009. Sadly, I have come to realization SW is not the career for me. I don't want to waste any more time trying to advance myself in such a dry field. I literally hate going to my internship each day, and I'm so tired of hearing the horror stories of licensed social workers with years of experience complain of how they can't obtain full time jobs, decent salaries, or respect in their workplace. I'm currently interning at medical setting now, and I so wish I was a nurse. So I plan to take some pre-req's this summer/upcoming year and enroll in a RN/BSN program..still debating. I will admit that I started off as a Biology major when I first started college...but I wasn't focused like I should have been ( I was busy working alot instead hitting the books)...and I never even thought of any other medical careers besides being an MD (I really wish someone would have told/advised me back then ). Fast forward..I will graduate with roughly 100,000 of student loan debt ( I went to private undergrad/grad universities---another dumb mistake). I would like to eventually become a psychiatric NP or CRNA-still debating. Any advice, tips? BTW, I'm 25 years old.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Did you notice the other thread similar to this? I think if you moved to Arkansas you'd find work suitable to your MSW. I see an ad just in my local paper about twice a month wanting a social worker of that level for somewhere albeit SW's will never get paid "a lot."

If you're interested in being a psych NP you'd do well here too. I was talking to a clinical psychologist and director of a regional health center a while back who told me he was paying one of his social workers to go to nursing school and then to a psych NP program just because of the shortage. He couldn't find one nor a psychiatrist for his clinic. I believe he said he was contracting a family practitioner to manage the psychopharmacologic component of therapy.

On another note, I know the MSW grads can go to a 30 semester hour progam at UALR and become a LMFT upon completion of their SW program.

[bc1234]

I feel your pain. I've worked in Michigan the past 10 years, 6 years with my MSW and nothing has really come of my career. I'm applying to nursing programs now after alot deliberating. I should have done this years ago. Most recently, I was working in a community health agency doing long term care social work getting paid 36 000/year (!!??). The associates level RNs were getting paid more to do the same case management paperwork type job. There are so few well paying social work jobs I think you'd have better luck winning the lottery than finding one. Good for you for realizing this now. Good luck!