RN to MSN? Can you skip the BSN?

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Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.

HI all,

I am a nursing student graduating in April. I am a very non traditional student as I am 46 years old and have two bachelor's degrees under my belt (Long story of indecisiveness when I was younger!).

Prior to nursing school, I was teaching mental health and suicide prevention classes at different college campuses around my city, specifically, ironically, in nursing programs. I really enjoyed teaching.

When I graduate, I plan to start working right away...hopefully at our women's hospital. I am thinking ahead to when I'm older and may not want to be a bedside nurse any longer. Older for me is not all that far away! (15 years?).

I am trying to decide between getting my BSN right away and then either going for a MSN in education later, or not and just working my way up as far as I can get with a BSN...

OR going straight to an RN-MSN program now - but not use my education degree until later. The RN-MSN will be less credits. However, many programs do not include a BSN along the way and that concerns me.

From your experience, is an MSN (without a BSN) in education with nursing experience enough to get a teaching or education job? Or do you need to have a BSN and an MSN?

I don't want to waste my time, but I also have two bachelors degrees and have no interest in getting a third unless I have to.

Thoughts?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I would do a program that includes a BSN on the way to MSN, just in case something happens and you can't finish the MSN immediately. At least you'd get a BSN out of the deal. BSN education is pretty specific, so much so that anyone who requires a BSN will not be satisfied by any other Bachelors degree + RN. I feel like I have seen some job descriptions that require a BSN and an MSN, though I could be misremembering!

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The answer to that question may depend on where you live. Some states require a BSN on the way to the MSN, but most consider the achievement of an MSN to mean that you also met BSN requirements (although you did not get the degree, per se). I am a graduate of the Aspen University RN to MSN program and have never needed the BSN. Most of the times I have said I earned a MSN that has been sufficient for doing what I needed to do. For example, I needed an MSN to teach in a nursing program. So, it would have just been more expensive and taking me longer to get the BSN and then the MSN. I hope this helps!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

If it were me, I would prefer to get the BSN along the way to the MSN -- mostly in case you get delayed and don't finish the MSN right away. Once you get the BSN, you would be eligible for more jobs that you might want ... and you could work at one of those jobs while you finish the courses for your MSN.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Education.

I had a bachelors degree in Economics when I pursued my ADN to become an RN. I went right to an RN-to-MSN program because I was in my 50s and looked ahead to a non-bedside-nursing position in 10 years or so. The cost savings of the RN-MSN program were not insignificant compared to going the RN-BSN and then MSN route. Not having a BSN did not hinder my job search at all and I am teaching nursing now (my back thanks me).

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I did an RN to MSN program that earned me my BSN on the way.

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I did RN to MSN program, and currently am in DNP program with educational leadership emphasis (nursing education classes account for about half of a program). When looking for a DNP program with education emphasis, noted different requirements what included an option BSN to DNP. Just my 2 cents...

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Great question... I went ASN to MSN, no BSN and it hasn't hurt me a bit. I have a Bachelor from before in an unrelated field. "Just in case" doesn't seem like a good reason to me. The curriculum of the MSN overlaps a lot with the BSN. In fact, when I got my MSN the school (Excelsior) told me I could go back and get my BSN with only two additional classes.

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Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.

I know I posted this many months ago, but I thought I'd just thought I'd come back and update! I graduated in April and passed my NCLEX a week later. I will start my job in a level III NICU in June. So far, everything is going according to plan!

I spoke to the hiring manager for the hospital where I will be working and asked if it would be a hindrance not having a BSN if I do earn an MSN - and she assured me that the MSN is all they would need to transition to a unit educator or even an educator in their hospital based diploma program. So that sort of sealed the deal for me since I *really* didn't want to get another bachelors degree.

I will start in Sacred Heart's MSN in nursing education program in august. It should take me about two years all told and then I hope I'll have some options to educate within my NICU unit.

Thanks for all of the replies!

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