Please hear me out...confused on the right steps in my nursing career!

Nurses New Nurse

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Oh, Brother! Where do I start?

I just have a BA in Psych. I want to be a NURSE PRACTITIONER (not exactly sure what concentration)..

SO, I will soon start my prereqs to get into a BSN program.

My question is this...

Should I try to get into a BA-MSN program (it's designed for those who have a BA/BS in another field to get an MSN and their RN along the way.

Or do it the traditional way...get my BSN, work a year or two, AND THEN go into an MSN program?

Money is an issue for me. I am also wondering if my potential future employer can do loan forgiveness? to help pay for my loans from the BSN...

I am also afraid that the BA-MSN program will be TOO intense. I have also heard it is best to get some hands on experience working as a nurse first and then get into an MSN program.

What do you guys think?

Thank you..and sorry for my ranting :(:redbeathe

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Hi there, I myself was in a similar situation (I had a BA in Psych and wanted to become an NP). I made the decision to complete a 2 year, ADN program (which is much less expensive than a BSN or Direct entry program), work for a few years as an RN (so I can make a little money and gain experience) and am planning to apply for masters programs in a year or two. This enables me to work while I get my masters, have tuition assistance from the hospital I currently work for, as well as get my feet wet and fully understand the role of an RN before working towards my NP. So far it's working for me. I graduated this past May with my RN and love my job! It's everything I hoped it would be and has already made me rethink the direction I want my master's education to take. Best of luck to you, one great thing about nursing is the flexibility, which exists both on the job & in the education options available.

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Yep -- I agree with Kat & have a similar background. Get your ADN, work for awhile ($ & experience), then apply to an RN - MSN program. There are many bridging programs for RN's with a BS in another field.

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Thanks guys! However I heard there is a huge waiting list to get into ADN programs, so I am scared I have to wait a really long time. Is this true?

Also, don't a lot of programs require a BSN to get into an MSN program?

And one last question, how do you get a hospital to do tuition reimbursement?

Thanks!

Oh and should I volunteer now at a local hospital to get to know the staff, and perhaps this is kinda get my "foot in the door" for when I do actually graduate (with whatever it happens to be) and become an RN?

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Hhmmm....good questions! I don't know what the wait is like in Chicago, so I would probably just call around and ask. For me, it was well worth going the ADN route. Even though I needed to take a few bio courses and wait a semester while I applied, it still only took 3 years. Call different schools in your area, and try to set up a time to discuss their programs. They can guide you through the process.

When you have a BS in another area, you can enter an RN to MSN bridging program. Programs I looked at required three bridging courses, & then I would have been able to enter the MSN program.

As for tuition reimbursement, every facility has their policy on what is required. Where I work, tuition would have been reimbursed if I had signed on full-time & made an 18 month commitment. Again, call hospitals in your area and ask what they require.

If you want good experience now, you might want to consider working as an aide. You will learn far more this way than volunteering. It will probably help you to get tuition reimbursement, too. Just a thought....

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Whatever you do, check with the nursing program/s for any university you are considering applying. The university I attend offers a BA/S-to-MSN or RN-to-BSN program. I'm not aware of an ADN-to-MSN program.

Granted, I'm working on my BSN and I'm not an expert of advanced nursing degrees, so there may well be that option at the university you are wanting to attend.

Also, I would talk to the director of the BS-to-MSN program. S/he would be able to tell you how the program compares to other graduate programs. Try and talk to students currently in the program. That's where you will get the paydirt on professors, clinicals, etc.

Good luck to you.

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Okay guys, I definitely decided to go to a local community college for my ADN as it will only cost like 5k for the whole 2 year program...as opposed to a 2 year BSN which will cost me like 40k around here.

And later hope that the hospital I work for will help with tuition reimbursement for my Master's..which I believe most do around here.

Thanks for your advice! I just hope I will get in right away to the community college!!!!!

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Whatever you do, check with the nursing program/s for any university you are considering applying. The university I attend offers a BA/S-to-MSN or RN-to-BSN program. I'm not aware of an ADN-to-MSN program.

Yep -- there are RN (ADN) to MSN programs, but only for those who already have a BS/A degree in another field. Here's one program:

http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/nursing-degrees/rn-msn-bridge/index.aspx

...but, there are many others out there. In fact, many of these type programs have online options.

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Also worth checking into - local accelerated BSN programs. That's how I went into nursing with my BS in psych. Check out the admissions process for the ADN programs near you and see if they do wait lists. If they're going to make you wait around for >1year, then it might be worth the extra money to get a BSN. It's often cheaper to do an accelerated program (only open to those who already have a bachelor's in something else) than a traditional BSN because there are fewer semesters/credit hours - but still usually costs more than a CC.

Especially since you aren't sure what type of NP you'd like to be, working as an RN before going for an MSN is a very good idea. I went to NS planning on becoming a Psych NP, hated my psych rotation, and loving ICU. I start in critical care in a few weeks and am hoping to eventually become a CRNA - glad I didn't lock myself into an NP program before I had any experience.

All the hospitals near me offer tuition reimbursement after you've worked for a certain amount of time (3-6 mo. usually). It's capped at $3-4K a year around here, and there's a lifetime max at the local hospitals as well. Also, according to my employee handbook, they only pay for courses for "degree-seeking" students, and your degree must be in a field that they use. There's no agreement to work for them after the fact, but you can't pay for exploratory classes or art class. If for some reason your hospital system doesn't use a certain type of NP (say, neonatal if they're adult only), they may not pay for you to go into that specialty. Your area may do things differently, this is just how it is where I work. What I'm planning on using is their loan payback program - for each year that I work there, they'll pay back $4K of my student loans. Since I only borrowed $13K, I'll still have some education money left to start work on my master's. I'd rather use the free money to pay off the loans I'm paying interest on now, and start putting cash in the bank to pay for my eventual MS.

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Specializes in medical/oncology.

I'm in a similar situation--B.A.in English and I want to be an APRN. I went the same route as Kat0430. I just completed my associates in May and am currently working as an R.N. I plan on going back within 2 years. I absolutely LOVE my job right now and I've completely changed my mind about what concentration I want for my masters. I'd highly recommend working as an R.N. first, but I'm sure you could do very well going straight for your masters too. Good luck to you either way!!

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