I want to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practioner. I am missing a bunch of prerequisites courses for the programs (anatomy and physiology 1 and 2, chemistry, microbiology). I have been trying to take the courses. I have been accepted to a community college as a non-degree seeking student. However, I was told I am not eligible for any financial aid, not even student loans as a non-degree seeking student. I tried picking a major, but the community college does not have any applicable science or health majors.
Also, I have to take all my prerequisites 16 credits during the Spring. The college does anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 in one semester. Which also means I will not be able to work, which means I cannot pay rent on a room.
For those of you who are supporting yourself, how did you go about taking prerequisites courses? Which major did you pick? How did you obtain loans to pay for it and housing?
Wow I have to say, after EVERYONE telling me not to rush, I am starting to think may you are right. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Psychology. My masters is meant to prepare you for a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. And I have decided not to pursue a PhD (I have lots of reasons for it). I have been unemployed since I graduated in May. I applied to hundreds of jobs, been scammed a few times and still struggling very much living from couch to couch. A lot of the positions I was interested in were for psychiatric nurses. And if you are not familiar with the field of psychology and mental health, nurses and psychiatrists take a lot of the jobs.
I think I will take two classes per semester instead while still working full-time. Or would that still be too difficult? I think maybe I should apply for an accelerated BSN then, since those usually dont start until Fall. I can take prerequisites in the Spring and Summer, and be ready by then. Then hopefully after becoming RN I can work in psychiatric and mental health settings and then apply to be MSN. Or should I just wait take one course per semester and then apply for MSN programs when the time is right? I am pretty certain psychiatric nurse practitioner is what I want to do and I want to be in the advanced level of nursing where I can also be a researcher and a leader.
Now I do understand nursing is pretty different from psychology. I have been doing lots of research and I am confident I can succeed and be great at it. It also has lots of similarities with psychology. Both professions are about helping others and require similar skills of empathy, direct care, science driven, etc.
As far as paying for nursing schools, I was going to take off loans. Since I will be seeking a degree at that point, I didnt think I would have problems taking out student loans. Also, I would be applying to every scholarship I can find. I don't have any understanding loans, as I worked very hard to pay them off as they were coming in at schools. I understand how time consuming nursing schools are and I have begun to accept the idea of not being to work at all while in nursing school.
An Accelerated BSN program which would prepare you to work as an RN and potentially be reimbursed for your advanced practice studies by an employer, as well as make a good wage while continuing your education at a less break-neck pace, sounds like a better plan to me- especially since you haven't worked in direct patient care yet and it's not certain that you will enjoy the NP role. It will also serve you well later as a member of a healthcare team- as an advanced practice nurse, the assumption from most of your coworkers will be that you have prior nursing experience- I've only met a handful of advanced practice nurses who didn't spend at least a little time working as a bedside RN first, and all of them at least came from other direct patient care backgrounds. Starting a job with your MSN and an advanced practice license but not having any more real-world experience than an ADN new grad would be an awkward position to be in, I think.
As a BSN-RN, you will have enormous flexibility regarding where you work and what steps you take next, and can potentially continue your education without the stress of an accelerated program or taking out large loans to live on. It will also make you much more resilient against the kind of dilemma you find yourself in now, being qualified for a job that has been largely taken over by other roles. With actual bedside RN experience, you qualify for many more jobs than as an MSN with no bedside experience, and are unlikely to find yourself in a couch-surfing position, even if psychiatric NP jobs in your area happen to go through a slump or if the trends in mental healthcare go against NPs at some point. You'll always be able to work as an RN if your dream job is temporarily unavailable.
Accelerated specialization can be a fast track to your dream job, but it can also paint you in to a corner. Taking things a little more slowly could result in a large net savings (BSN program is likely cheaper, and will certainly allow you to work at a well-paying job while you undertake your MSN studies, avoiding loans and possibly earning employer reimbursement) and will also give you the time to really understand the role you're training for and the shape of the healthcare system before locking yourself in to a specialization that you may or may not enjoy or find employable. I know you said you feel like you're behind in your career, but you're really not- and taking an extra semester or year or even two to do this will be worth it if it helps you avoid finding yourself with a second advanced degree that isn't what you ultimately need to achieve your goals.
May I also point out that you have only been looking for a job since June. That's not a whole lot of time in the big scheme of things. Keep looking, you will eventually find something even if it's not huge paying right now. At least it's something. I'm also wondering why your school is seeing you as non degree seeking? You are seeking a degree in nursing. Many community colleges have switched it over to call it a pre-nursing degree or what mine does is classify you as Health Care Support, then you switch it over to nursing once accepted into the program. With your other degrees, you won't be eligible for grants, but if you haven't maxed out your federal loan amount, you should be able to get something for a little while while you are still looking for a job for income. Just some thoughts.
I'm going to advise against an entry level MSN program. Many people who are doing these programs are finding it difficult to find jobs because they have no bedside experience yet hold a master's in nursing. I fully believe doing the ABSN route if you can afford it will work for you, get a couple of years of bedside experience then go into the masters program and specialize in psychology. Then you will be a NP with psychology.
Please do not think you are getting old at 25. You are just beginning. I will be 40 in a few months and will be graduating in the spring with my ASN. Also, don't take so many classes at once, as you do not want to just get the classes done and end up with a crappy GPA. Nursing school is extremely competitive and only those with the top grades get in. Getting a C in a prereq will not cut it when applying to programs. It will be a complete waste of your time and money if your grades suck. Take a few at a time. I did take 5 my first semester, and 4 my second semester, but I did not have to work. Make sure you are managing your time well and good luck.
emmy27
454 Posts
An Accelerated BSN program which would prepare you to work as an RN and potentially be reimbursed for your advanced practice studies by an employer, as well as make a good wage while continuing your education at a less break-neck pace, sounds like a better plan to me- especially since you haven't worked in direct patient care yet and it's not certain that you will enjoy the NP role. It will also serve you well later as a member of a healthcare team- as an advanced practice nurse, the assumption from most of your coworkers will be that you have prior nursing experience- I've only met a handful of advanced practice nurses who didn't spend at least a little time working as a bedside RN first, and all of them at least came from other direct patient care backgrounds. Starting a job with your MSN and an advanced practice license but not having any more real-world experience than an ADN new grad would be an awkward position to be in, I think.
As a BSN-RN, you will have enormous flexibility regarding where you work and what steps you take next, and can potentially continue your education without the stress of an accelerated program or taking out large loans to live on. It will also make you much more resilient against the kind of dilemma you find yourself in now, being qualified for a job that has been largely taken over by other roles. With actual bedside RN experience, you qualify for many more jobs than as an MSN with no bedside experience, and are unlikely to find yourself in a couch-surfing position, even if psychiatric NP jobs in your area happen to go through a slump or if the trends in mental healthcare go against NPs at some point. You'll always be able to work as an RN if your dream job is temporarily unavailable.
Accelerated specialization can be a fast track to your dream job, but it can also paint you in to a corner. Taking things a little more slowly could result in a large net savings (BSN program is likely cheaper, and will certainly allow you to work at a well-paying job while you undertake your MSN studies, avoiding loans and possibly earning employer reimbursement) and will also give you the time to really understand the role you're training for and the shape of the healthcare system before locking yourself in to a specialization that you may or may not enjoy or find employable. I know you said you feel like you're behind in your career, but you're really not- and taking an extra semester or year or even two to do this will be worth it if it helps you avoid finding yourself with a second advanced degree that isn't what you ultimately need to achieve your goals.
Good luck!