RN to MSN vs. "the old fasioned way"

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I know it is generally the custom to get a bachelor's degree before going to NP school, but for those of you who know, is it better to the the bachelor's degree before applying for the NP, or are the bridge programs for ASN's as good?

I think the difference in most cases is +/- 1 year but I'm wanting to go back to school to be a NP and don't know which would be better in the long run.

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Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.

actually i just posted some of this info in another thread, but i went for the adn to msn (i am in the graduate phase at graceland). my program allowed me to complete the bsn portion in 1 year (i won't be eligible for my bsn though until i graduate with my msn). i saved about six months or so doing it this way, and i didn’t have to take the gre because my gpa was high enough (seeing that in more and more schools). i just didn't see the need for the bsn in terms of what it would do for my current job. with the msn i could move on to advanced practice.

the only reason i ever considered the bsn route was because at one point i considered other graduate options in non nursing fields like law school.

not knockin' the bsn. i just don't see that it would, in and of itself, advance my career. i know some hospitals want bsns (not really the case in my area of the country) and the pharmaceutical companies do to.

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Specializes in CTICU, Rapid Response Team, telemetry.

Are you currently working as an RN? My opinion is that you should have some experience before becoming an NP. I don't think I would be as prepared to be a CNS if I wasn't already an RN for a while. I feel ou can't be an advanced practice nurse if you have not practiced as a nurse.

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Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.
are you currently working as an rn? my opinion is that you should have some experience before becoming an np. i don't think i would be as prepared to be a cns if i wasn't already an rn for a while. i feel ou can't be an advanced practice nurse if you have not practiced as a nurse.

i think that depends on what kind of rn you are. nursing is so diversified. there are plenty of areas where the patient care (if there is any) will not translate into/toward advanced practice.

many programs/people just look at the number of years and not the quality of those years (although many crna programs want critical care experience).

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Are you currently working as an RN? My opinion is that you should have some experience before becoming an NP. I don't think I would be as prepared to be a CNS if I wasn't already an RN for a while. I feel ou can't be an advanced practice nurse if you have not practiced as a nurse.

I've been an RN since April 2006, before that I was an LPN since 2000.

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