Katie_dogluvr

Thank you for putting into words what I was thinking. And again, I put it in general nursing to cast a wider net. I've posted in specific boards and get little to no response.

yeah. Sorry I didn't word that correctly. I should have stated, "what would be the minimum years of bedside I would have to do? I certainly wouldn't be able to do it for more than 6 years, without getting an ankle fusion." But after that training I could go many routes with my NP certification. I also know many nurses who have bad backs from working at bedside for so many years, and younger nurses who must quit due to injuries sustained from patients falling on them or such.

Sorry you reacted to my post that way. I was not lecturing you. You just didn't fully seem to understand the post I made which you called naïve. And how many times have you said that last comment to people? Aren't nurses supposed to be caring? Now THAT'S naive of me.

First: did my previous post make sense to you? You hadn't commented on it. Second: Posting on the general nursing board instead of a specific one casts a wider net of more people to possibly get answers from - maybe people who are just starting down the path I want. Something I've learned in my time in human factors research. Yes there have to be exclusion criteria and I believe I stated that clearly in my initial post. I do understand you cannot control people's actions. Just as you cannot control what board I choose to post on :) I was hoping that on a nursing forum, I would find people who can read my original question and stay on topic. I understand people may say anything. But if a specific question is asked (to a specific type of person) why would others chime in with their opinions? It's not constructive, helpful nor polite. If you were with a group of friends and one asked another a specific question to her career path (which you didnt have the same path to that career) would you jump in and say "oh that's silly!" When we screen our subjects for studies a lot of the answers are yes/no. There is a red "terminate" next to one of those. So if they answer that way we exclude them. I thought the majority of nurses would understand that concept. And they would know if they have the type of background I was asking for. If I had only gotten two answers that's fine based on the population (and thanks to those people who were able to give constructive input!)

Yes....but a ton of people have gone completely off topic of my original question. So how is that constructive?

6 Big Benefits of Applying Automation to Healthcare I'll try to explain my thoughts better to you. No, floor nurses will not be replaced completely. And yes I know you use machines that dispense medicine - I worked on one at a previous company I was with. HOWEVER, with automation of certain tasks, it can allow 1 nurse to do the job of 2 or 3. Efficiently and effectively. How often have you thought to yourself that a task you do at work seems trivial and repetitive? And takes up a lot of your time? Well if that work could be done by an automated system it would mean less labor hours to go around. Correct? With all the changes in healthcare going on I am sure you are well aware that it has come down mostly to cost. The administrators are trying to come up with ways to cut costs and investing in research and engineering to make that happen. An example in the article talks about a situation with 3 nurses working 10 hour days, but with the automation there only needs to be 2 nurses working half days. That's quite a huge cut in labor expense. That's the point I'm trying to make. Not that ALL floor nurses will be replaced, but a possibility that a good number could be cut. The automation process has changed jobs in countless areas, but healthcare has been behind. I highly doubt a hospital administrator would choose to hire 3 full time over 2 half time nurses or just 1 full time per shift. Unfortunate that it comes down to cost. And yes, a doctor or an NP may just be expected to take over some of the duties of a nurse in order to cut costs in the future (even if they don't like it). No one can say how soon that will be, but technology is moving a lot faster than you believe (betcha didn't know that!) Doctors are able to write the prescriptions, so why couldn't they do the rest? And please don't say they don't have the compassion/bedside manner or knowledge of a nurse. I'd rather have a stern Doctor save my life than a "compassionate" doctor not do enough to help me. Does that make more sense?

Actually I WAS asking for people with NP experience to give opinions, not just any nurse who has an opinion. Specifically for people who have gone down the path I'm looking at. I'm sure some have had good experiences and some have had bad. And THAT is what I want to learn about. Have you personally gone that route? To talk about your opinions on it is quite different than doing it yourself. That's like saying: "I know a biomedical engineer so I know exactly how schoolin and afterwards job hunting went for all biomedical engineers". Doesn't really help to answer my original question at all. I'm sorry if that offends you, that's just my logical, observant, critical thinking, problem solving, engineering brain talking. Oh wait! Isn't that a MAJORITY of what nurses do day to day?! I'll be more specific with my inclusion and exclusion criteria of people I am trying to reach when I ask a question on the boards again.

that is certainly true. I also forgot to mention that there is technology being created to reduce nurse labor expense. A robot to dispense medicine is one. And yes a few human nurses on hand for iv starting. Other than that doctors and NPs will take on more. Some places are already phasing out the typical front desk with a kiosk.

why do nurses make snarky comments to one another and those they interact with who are trying to do good in the world? How do you know I wouldn't go into research and help invent something to extend your life? We all have something to bring to the table. Sadly my husband was right. I wouldn't want to work with other nurses due to the cat fighting that goes on. And it's called saving and investing enough money for school. Or taking out loans. Everything you do is a business. But thanks for the well wishes!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, I very much appreciate it. I've been MIA due to preparing for an FDA audit at work (I work for a medical device design company in the Quality and Human Factors Study departments). There have been lots of insights from this post - definitely got more interest than I thought it would! In my original question was trying to gather general information from people who have done a masters in nursing program without a bachelors in nursing. It seems to have gone off topic a little. One thing I have observed throughout this (and I believe someone may have mentioned it) is how much animosity can come between nurses. One thing I've learned in my engineering career is to work on being a team player, and not bring others down. Look for the good qualities everyone may bring to the table. Also, I found a page from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Accelerated Programs: The Fast Track to Careers in Nursing I encourage everyone to read it, however here are a few points: -with the projected need of nurses in the future, schools are looking at new ways to enroll new students (aka alternate bachelors degree to Nursing) -Yale started the first second degree Nursing program in the 1970s: 'We recognized that bright, committed people without a background in nursing could be prepared as advanced practice nurses.' -masters programs take about 3 years at times, some with a clinical internship 5 days a week for a 3 months. Some cons: Cost, returning to school when away for awhile, too faced paced - so some second degree leave the program to do a more traditional route Getting the Job "We know that employers love hiring accelerated graduates because they are bright, have a track record of success, and possess an understanding of the work world not always found in younger students," said Patricia Ladewig, PhD, RN, Dean of the School of Health Care Professions at Regis University in Denver. "We have found that second-degree students are readily accepted by employers who understand that these graduates lacked only vacation during their academic program," confirmed Sandra S. Angell, MLA, RN, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Support Services at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing." The last sentence to the article: [COLOR=#454545] [/COLOR] "The overwhelming response to our accelerated programs demonstrates the existence of a deep pool of career changers available to nursing," said Gloria F. Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University (PA). "We need to do more to remove barriers and attract more second-degree students to the nursing profession." I believe myself and countless others out there can bring amazing insight into the nursing sector. And if anything we are passionate (just like all of you!) about providing help and health to those in need.

Hello, just wanted to see if anyone has taken this path and how it worked out. My undergrad is Biomedical Engineering. I would have to take some of the prereqs. Once I have a masters, would I be able to bypass bedside nursing? Due to an old foot injury, I would be unable to be a bedside nurse safely-for myself. Thanks for for any input!

Yeah, I thought more about social services and thought it may be too emotionally draining on me. is there a market currently for Registered Dieticians? Also, how would one get into an Activities Department Coordinator role? I had also thought of the idea of healthcare management (mostly working in nursing homes). My previous degree is Biomedical Engineering. The math courses that tripped me up were Calculus 3 and Differential Equations. I doubt that type of math is used in the healthcare field with patient interactions? I'm great with algebra and statistics. Thanks for helping me look into some more avenues!

That could be an option! Do you know more about it? What people typically can do/where they can work?

Due to certain physical limitations I would not go into the nursing field, even though I have a strong passion to be in that field. Due to an ankle I broke 10 years ago, I can't do a physically demanding job, especially if I'm on my feet for more than an hour or two. I wouldn't be able to "put my time in" as a bedside nurse to eventually get a sitting type job -insurance, etc. Any ideas for careers I could pursue? Something a person with strong passion for health and well being of others. But not physically/emotionally too demanding. I am also 28 years old, with a previous bachelors degree. But the cumulative GPA was a 2.34 - mostly due to very difficult math classes. I love interacting with people and reading/writing. Thanks!