RDH to BSN (anyone??)

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Hi Everyone,

It's very hard to find Registered Dental Hygienists that have jumped ship into the field of nursing, but I have found some closed threads on the topic. I have been an RDH since 2001 and have gradually hit the burn-out phase. Doing the same thing day in and day out is becoming extremely boring, and the fact that we're not able to accelerate our career in any way is very frustrating.

Initially I planned on getting my masters and becoming a Physician Assistant, but that meant finishing my B.S. first and then hoping I could even get into a PA program. Then a friend told me about an accelerated BSN program that takes 15 months and I could become an RN and then look into becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Since many of these classes are online (and I have kids) it is VERY appealing!!! (Not to mention that as a hygienist I practically have all of the prerequisites already.) So that is where I am at now. I'm currently only working part time.

I feel like I'm taking a step back (salary wise) to become an RN first (I would say I'm in the top salary bracket that a hygienist can get into), but that would give me 2 steps forward in getting out of hygiene and becoming an NP/PA later. It's like I've hit a mid life crisis and realized I don't want to be doing hygiene the rest of my life.

Are there ANY RDHs out there who have been through this process, and are you glad you did it? I need some words of encouragement to say "i've been there, it's totally worth it!" before I look like the one insane hygienist that left a great salary just because I got bored.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I need to clarify something for you....the accelerated BSN programs are not "mostly online" You have a clinical requirement in order to sit for the NCLEX exam to be a RN. These programs are very intense and will require your attention.

The schooling for PA and nursing is very different. Many programs for nursing require your credits be no older than 5 years old. YOu might want to do some researching.

All the best!

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Hygiene school is very competitive to get in to, as is nursing, so I'm familiar with the process and the rigid requirements that each individual school holds to their applicants. I have done my research. I'm local to UTA, which has an academic partnership where courses are taught online and the clinicals are all typically over the weekend in area hospitals. The thing I'm looking for is whether or not other hygienists have similar experience and have entered the field from a similar background. Thanks!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

I know you are looking for advice from RDHs, but many people with previous career backgrounds have switched to nursing, which some taking a pay cut while others getting a pay increase. I was one who got a pay increase with my nursing salary compared to my previous profession. I also went through a 15-month ABSN program which was rigorous but all doable. When I first decided to make a career switch, becoming a dental hygienist was among my list, but as you stated there had to be the opportunity of professional growth and felt nursing would provide me with the most benefits. Besides, this was my second career and wanted it to be my last.

Starting out, the real world of nursing was tough, but I learned and continued to grow through the process. I work with great coworkers, love my job, and glad I made the career switch.

There is a plethora of avenues you can take once you have a few years of nursing experience under your belt. Good luck with your decision.

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In Minnesota, we have a graduate level program for dental hygienists like a PA program (I think you need a dentist to supervise). It's to address the dentist shortage in rural areas. Perhaps something like that exists where you are?

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In Minnesota, we have a graduate level program for dental hygienists like a PA program (I think you need a dentist to supervise). It's to address the dentist shortage in rural areas. Perhaps something like that exists where you are?

The advanced dental hygiene practitioner is still a very foreign concept in all but about 2 or 3 states. Hopefully the field will one day get there, but I'm currently living in one of the several states that still do not even allow hygienists to administer local anesthesia (even though we have to address it on the national board.) We have a lonnnnnnng way to go before it gets there, and I don't think it will happen anytime soon. It's being pushed, but so has local anesthesia in my 13 years of practice and that has gone nowhere.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

You mentioned that you'd have to finish your BS in order to apply for PA school. I'd like to point out that most accelerated BSN programs require a bachelor's degree, but I've also heard of some programs only requiring a certain number of hours.

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