VidyaNC

Just curious. I see that this thread was opened in 2011 and the last reply was in 2017. Now here I am in 2019! Since then, the direct entry-MSN may have been more acceptable?? I agree with the previous poster who stated that the direct entry route is relative based on your situation and your chances of getting a job is based on who you know (my paraphrasing). My question for you seasoned nurses out there. I am leaning more heavily onto the direct entry route due to time and money. I am midlife with young children so I do not have the luxury of time to go from ADN to BSN. BSN to MSN. My final goal is to become a nurse scientist (Ph.D.)! I do not want to do bedside nursing or be stuck in a clinical role for the rest of my life. I am not saying that that is bad, I have been a teacher for 15 years and a CNA for over 7 years and I am ready for a more hands-off approach. I have always wanted to become a nurse it is just that I am a late bloomer and now I feel that time is not on my side and I need to step things up to live my dream (and not by accident 'suggest' this profession on my kids because I didn't get to practice nursing) ? I married late, etc. you get the idea! I wanted to go to get my LPN but courses are not available in the evening in my neck of the woods. Nor are evening, weekend nor hybrid programs available for LPN, APN or BSN ? So with that being said, I investigated and did the pros and cons. I am finishing up my BS online shortly and am seriously thinking about the direct entry. My question(s) now after a little background into my decision. If I were to get my direct entry MSN, will my years of HUC and CNA help make up for lack of bedside nursing? I know it is not the same as RN experience. I'm just saying as opposed to not having any health care experience. Or Go and get my LPN (1 course for three terms) to get a step up from CNA then use my LPN to go into an MSN-PhD program? I have a feeling that the second option might grant me more opportunities but I just wanted to hear the verdict. Thanks :)

I am not there yet, a graduate nurse from school, but in my neck of the woods, NC, most hospitals have new graduate programs that hire new nursing graduates. Competitive? Sure. Impossible? No. I'd say if you are sure that you want to become an RN, go for it now while you are blessed with your parents' room and board. If I could go back to my younger self, I would have got my act together and would have been a licensed registered nurse a LONG TIME AGO. I now have to deal with life: husband and kids. I work part-time as a CNA with the hope of one day getting my RN license. I was going to go the LPN to RN route but time is no longer on my side so I am shooting for the RN to MSN route. That is a different topic. Don't take this wrong, but I think the hesitancy has a lot more to do with finding a job after graduating. The same time, more or less, that you would, ideally, spend going from LVN to ADN could economically be spent going from ADN to BSN or ADN to MSN. In short, go the ADN route, study, get those grades up. Use CLEP to place out of general education courses (check your school policy first and CLEP site for what courses your school will accept), roll up your sleeves and go for it. In the mean time, volunteer, or better yet, get on your CNA certificate and start building up your resume. When you finally graduate, apply to every place that hires nurses. Do not get hung up on trying to find "THE HOSPITAL" job because just about everyone is trying for that one. Again, apply to your university hospital (if you are in a college town/city) program for new nursing graduates, but do not give up on the SNFs, independent living, etc. Your goal right now should be on getting into nursing school, working in some kind of basic skilled nursing setting (CNA, as most nursing schools' will require this for all interested applicants), and make friends/ find a mentor from someone already in the profession who can vouch for you when it comes for references and character checks. Enough of my two cents. I just wanted to encourage you to move forward and not stop because of hearsays and, must I say, I smell some fear and hesitancy on your part. Thank your parents, accept their blessing and go for your dream of becoming an RN. Do not rush it.

I am sorry, one more option. Depending on your background and writing skills, you might want to take up writing or medical writing. Start a blog about your experience, etc. or in your specialty and monetarize the site. Just a thought. I am done for now :)

I agree with the first poster, Google, something along the lines of, "part-time remote nursing jobs" or "part-time remote nonclinical nursing jobs." You can join flex jobs, search Indeed, etc. If you want to stay in academia, try to see if the university you are working with offer remote options, or search univerisities in your state, or any university for that matter, if you can work remote or part time. Try to contract with SNF, Independent nursing facilities and see if they will hire you part time to find clients for them, do some work for them, coordinate CNAs for them from home, etc. Last, but not least, become an entrepreneur and tutor the next generation of nursing students. The options are limitless. I hope that you get the idea and hopefully others will join and reply to your question. Good luck and let us know of your process and results :)

I understand that CNA experience will qualify as "pre-nursing" and clinical experience once a nursing student wants to land a job and has passed the boards and put CNA work on their resume. Or at least get their resume looked at and possibly be considered because of the possible clinical experience. I am not going to go to war as to whether that experience is in a hospital setting, skilled nursing facility, nursing home, etc. just the fact that it is within the nursing sector and recruiters see that you are dedicated to the nursing profession. Does that make sense?! :) Now, with that being said, I am just as curious to know if, say, having experience as a medication tech, without any CNA experience, would merit the same "respect" in the same hypothetical scenario above when a said student moves out from nursing school, passing boards, etc. Does that make sense?! :) Have you transitioned from being a medication technician to a full time, OR part-time nurse after graduation without CNA experience? or did you get your first 'real' nursing job with a combination of skill sets: CNA I, CNA II, CNA+4, PNA, AND medication technician, with the emphasis being with any of the above with medication tech experience? Please share your experience and what nursing specialty your first "real" nursing job after schooling and boards were in, facility, etc. and where you are now. If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? And any other advice you may find beneficial to new and upcoming students coming into or thinking about becoming future nurses. Thank you for your input :)

I hear you and congratulations :) I have two young ones myself and have searched a while for when the time comes, I would like to have a work/life balance. I can feel the thread lends more towards hospital nursing (minus poster #3 advice) and my best advice for you would be to piggyback on that advice or do the following. Depending on your childcare goals and what specialty you want to go into, enlist the help of your significant other, if applicable, and childcare. Think outside of the box. Depending on your prior experience, you might be able to work from home, again, depending on your background experience and how you sell your self. That could be, but not limited to telenursing, medical/nurse writing, etc. Along the same path, depending on your background and experience, you might want to go into public health nursing (school nursing). If no experience in your background and you are not so stern about getting into hospital nursing (remember your priorities: children, and your dream specialty) then go into LTC, skilled nursing facillites, and the like. They tend to have shifts 24/7 (the same with hospitals, but you will get a job faster in the former to build experience for the later!) and are more likely to get you experience as a new student. These places also tend to have work-at-home options such as being an on-call coordinator, weekends, etc. I think you get the idea. [This is based on my search results as I was combing through work from home nursing options and flexible nursing jobs] You might want to become a member with Flexjobs.com or similar sites (like this one on allnurses.com) closer to graduation and once you pass the NCLEX. Start doing your research now before the second baby comes along! Don't sweat it. I can imagine the stress and the anxiety. Your babies will be school-age before you know it! Good luck! I am doing my research now while waiting for an answer for acceptance into nursing school and may plan for baby number three but am doing my 'homework' to prepare for my future :)

I will try to keep this short and sweet. I would like to know if it is possible or what ''avenues'' can one take to get 'nursing' experience without doing a job as a CNA. I have nothing against CNAs nor do I despise them, as I was one and got re-certified as a requirement to apply to nursing school, it's just that I want to do something else while I wait until I bet my nursing license. As stated, I am a CNA but would like to know what else can I do, job-wise, to gain 'pre-nursing' experience so that when I graduate as a new nurse, I will have some experience. I also have a certificate as a health unit coordinator and am actively seeking this position but would like to know what other avenues can I search to help build up my resume without being a CNA directly. Has anyone gained experience going an alternative route other than being a CNA? if so, what type of job/s did you have and after getting licensed, what nursing specialty did you end up getting? Was it hard to get your first or dream job without becoming a CNA first? As a side note, I am not looking for the following routes, as I do not have the license or certificates: LPN, medical assistant, occupational therapy, or any other allied health field. Thank you all for your support and advice :)

Thanks Just BeachyNurse! So far the last time I checked, NC state board of nursing accept some LPN to BSN program. ISU is one of them... I believe the skills will come once I get certified and start working as an LPN as I have some history as a CNA and phlemotomist, though I am currently reading LPN NCLEX and NCLEX for RNs prep material for the test to see what will be covered on both. Just wanted to know if other LPNs have "been there done that" so to speak.....!

Thanks JustBeachy for clearing that up as I have heard on here in some forums that some LPNs were able to pass the NCLEX for LPNs and then turn around and sit for the NCLEX to become RNs.

Long story short, has anyone completed an online LPN->BSN prgram? If so, where, tution, quality of program, pre-reqs, etc. So far, I have searched and have found Indiana state university and Walden ( I think I prefer Indiana State University). I have taking all of the pre-reqs at a local community college here in NC for a university transfer BSN program while enrolled as a pre-ADN student. My plan was to go from ADN -> Masters or BSN. Now with a baby on the way and my husband makes too much, at this time, for financial aide, not having family near by to help with the infant, etc. I have decided that the LPN option would be better for this phase of my time. Having my LPN would pay off economically b/c I am tired of near minimum wage as a CNA. Plus, taking one class in three semesters works out well time wise with raising a family as opposed to the three plus classes in the ADN program, not to mention the tuition. Please, honest and non biased opinions and experiences towards LPNs, or ADNs. We are ALL NURSES! One more last question: If I complete my LPN program and pass the NCPLEX, can I turn around and take the NCLEX on my own and pass to get my RN with out going through a BSN program? Thank you again!