which road to take

Published

I am currently getting ready to graduate with my Associates degree and am considering going on for a higher degree. Does anyone have any good information about schools or the route that they are taking BSN/MSN/PHD?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Completing a BSN is pretty straightforward. Pursuing a graduate degree in nursing involves knowing what specialty you want to be locked into going forward in your career. Any nursing graduate degree is going to cost you a lot of "blood, sweat, and tears" (not to mention $$$), so, IMO, it's worth investing time and effort up front to be sure that you're getting a degree that is going to get you where you want to be professionally.

Best wishes for your journey!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you that is good advice to know what direction I want to go before I being. Save a lot of time and heart ache if in the end I supposed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

My school, and yes it's an actual state university, has an option for associate's degree bearers to jump straight into a master's pathway, and in doing so you take select classes along the way that incidentally yield a bachelor's degree and then the final master's. I realize this may not sense by the way I articulated it, but consider it this way. You save time and money on classes rather than duplicating them. Whereas a BSN program would require a course in research methods and public/community health, a MSN program would require a course in research methods and public or community health as well. In the program I'm referring to, although I'm not in it as I already held two bachelor's degrees, one would take those courses only one time. Others would work similarly.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

A lot of schools offer an RN-MSN program. Most of them would get you a BSN and an MSN; others just an MSN. What do you want to do with a graduate degree? You can be a clinician (i.e. CRNA, NP, CNM), an educator, or get an MSN in Management. I would decide what you want to do with the degree first, and then look at programs. The great thing about nursing is that you have so many options! I have an MSN in nursing education and currently have 3 jobs! I work full time for an online university, teach NCLEX prep classes for new graduates for a large test prep company, and am currently editing a new nursing med-surg textbook for a large publishing company. And that's just with a Masters degree. With a doctorate, you can do even more. I am currently looking at doctorate programs but probably will not start until next year for that very reason: I don't know what I want to do yet (although I am leaning towards a DNP as a clinician, and will still teach). Good luck in your search!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What school is this? I have honestly thought of going thst route because then I wouldnt be duplicating parts of my education.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I do need to decide what I would want to do but I am leaning towards an NP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks everyone for the posts and the advise much appreciated

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion