non-nursing BS to MSN/CNP programs??

[foreverLaur]

I am currently a junior microbiology majoring deciding between medicine and nursing, but leaning more towards nursing because of my very maternal side.

I know Ohio State has a program where, in 3 years, you become an RN, get your Masters of Science in Nursing, and are eligible to become a Nurse Practitioner in your chosen area of specialization.

I really like this program because it allows me to become a CNP in 3 years. I know a ton of programs that are accelerated BSN programs, but I already have a bachelors, I don't want to do another in 1-1.5 years and then do a 3 year traditional masters program where I can become an RN and CNP in 3 years.

Does anyone know of any other such programs where you can become a CNP and get your MSN in 3 years with a non-nursing bachelors degree?

Thank you!!! :)

[pug540]

Are you only looking in the Ohio area? California has several schools with that type of degree plan. Check the state schools.

[elkpark]

There are scads of those programs all over the country now. They are usually referred to generically as "direct entry" programs.

Little helpful tip for the future -- you may want to avoid going around telling nurses that you're interested in nursing because of your "very maternal side." There are plenty of nurses who couldn't be less "maternal," and most of us are sick of the stereotypes about motherly nurses soothing fevered brows, selfless angels of mercy, etc. We're educated professionals who do v. tough jobs that most people wouldn't be able to do. Maternal qualities or tendencies have nothing to do with it -- in fact, in many settings, they are a drawback.

Best wishes for your studies and career -- :)

[HealthyRN]

I thought the same thing when I read that you are interested in nursing because of your "maternal side". I understand that you didn't mean anything offensive by it and you are probably just relying on stereotypes of the nursing profession. That is why I would highly recommend that you spend some time shadowing nurses to get a better idea of what we really do. Trust me, maternal qualities have absolutely nothing to do with my job.

I would recommend spending time shadowing nurses that work in hospitals and outside of acute care, and also advanced practice nurses since you are interested in the direct entry programs. I believe that the direct entry programs are a good choice for some people. However, what some of these programs fail to communicate is that it can be difficult to get an NP job if you have never worked as an RN. So, I would recommend the program only if you are planning on working as an RN for at least a year before getting an advanced practice job. These programs are known to be very challenging, so I don't know if it would be possible to work while in school. I know some people choose to take a year off to practice before starting the master's coursework. The programs are usually set up so that you can sit for the NCLEX after the first year.

There are direct entry programs all over the country. I am familiar with the Ohio State program because I went to Ohio State for my undergrad. Great school! I miss it there...

Go Bucks!:balloons:

[elkpark]

I strongly second HealthyRN's recommendation that you shadow a variety of nurses (in a variety of roles) to get a better idea of what nurses do -- and spend a significant amount of time with each of them.

Direct entry programs are, in general, very intensive and very expensive, and I've known several people who went into direct entry MSN programs thinking that they wanted to become a CNM, NP, etc., with little or no background or experience on which to base that decision. They invested quite a lot of time, effort, and $$$ into their program only to find, after they graduated and started working, that they didn't like being an (NP, CNM, whatever) after all and they chose to start looking (again!) for another line of work. (I've yet to meet anyone who went to grad school as an experienced RN who had that experience.)

I understand your reluctance to take an accelerated BSN, but it would be much quicker and cheaper than a direct entry graduate program and working as a generalist ("regular") RN for a while would give you an opportunity to see the nursing world close up, from the inside, and take some time to decide if you really want to pursue an advanced practice role. If you then decided that you did want to become a nurse practitioner (or other advanced practice role), MSN programs for people who already have BSNs are only two years, not three (the extra year for direct entry programs is the year that you spend learning basic nursing) -- so, the difference in the amount of time actually spent in school would only be a semester, at most.

Frankly, if you think that you're interested in nursing because the "maternal" aspects of it appeal to you, you're likely to prefer generalist, bedside nursing of some type to being a nurse practitioner, which is really more like being a physician than being a nurse in actual practice.

[illinipeds]

I was in your shoes about a year ago, so I definitely understand where you are coming from. I am currently attending a Master's Entry program at DePaul in Chicago. The program is a two year's MSN program for people with a BS in another subject and you can easily bridge to the NP certificate program after finishing this. UIC in Chicago also as a similar program which I would definitely recommend. If you aren't set on Ohio then check these out, but there are Master's Entry programs all over the place.

Good Luck!