Passed Excelsior CPNE - AS to MS Without BSN?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 30, 2011

I'm pretty sure having an MSN will be "good enough" for Magnet. :) However, a bit of advice .... I think with EC you can opt to get a BSN en route to the MSN, and that's not a bad idea. You never know when life might get in the way!

There are a ton of ADN-to-MSN NP programs out there ... a friend of mine did his at Graceland via distance learning (graceland.edu).

Congrats on passing the CPNE -- not an easy feat! I am military, and I can work in California if I end up there; my license is from Virginia. I know a few EC grads that are working in Cali, but they had maintained continuous enrollment since the rules changed in 2003.

PMFB-RN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

just got asn from excelsior college. had ba in liberal arts from another university. an ec masters degree is actually less credits for me than a bsn! added bonus, i can enroll in the masters program before i take nclex (not so for bs).

*** congratulations!

what i'm wondering is: will magnet hospitals still hire me? i'd think having an ms trumps having a bs. but not sure what rules hospitals must follow to maintain magnet accreditation. usually all nurses have to be bsn...

*** first it is a myth that a hospital must hire bsns for magnet. the ancc makes no comments on staff rn degrees at all. as of this year 75% of nurse leaders (nurse manager and up) must have a bachelors degree or higher in nursing. as of 2013 all nurse leaders must have a bachelors degree in nursing or higher. in addition the cno must have a masters or higher in nursing. there are no requirements at all that staff nurses have a bsn. on their faq page the ancc addresses your question specifically and states that a masters in nursing meets their requirements for nurse leaders, regardless of what the bachelors degree is in, if there is even a bachelors degree.

what is true is that some (more all the time) only hire nurses with bsn or ban. some of these hospitals are magnet and some are not. in these cases the msn is just as acceptable. i have noticed some discrimination against direct entry msn grads due to a perception that they have too much entitlement attitude and not enough critical thinking and clinical skills. you however are not in that situation.

i am very suprised you have waited this long to begin looking for a position.

also, looking for hospitals with good preceptor programs. suggestions?

*** yes, many. they are called nurse residency programs. i suggest you search here on allnurses for "nurse residency".

anyone know of nurse practitioner programs that are online or part time?

*** there are lots of those. just do a google search.

too bad ec grads can't work in ca. anyone doing this at a federal facility?

*** federal hospital accept a license from any state so yes you can work at a federal hospital in california. fyi ec nurses are also not eligible for licensure in maryland.