SOS, questions about BSN & MSN.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 23, 2004

No one can give you "specifics" that apply everywhere because each school and each program is a little different. In general though ...

A bachelor's degree is a 4-year college degree. Because you already have a bachelor's degree, many of the courses you have already taken will apply towards a bachelor's degree in nursing. Exactly how many courses will apply depends on the exact courses you have taken in the past and the exact nursing program you enroll in. Most of the time, people in your situation can get a BSN in approximately 2 years.

As with other disciplines, a Master's Degree in nursing is a graduate degree that takes approximately 18 months of full time study beyond the bachelor's degree.

A lot of schools have special programs that allow students with bachelor's degrees in other fields to "combine" the BSN and MSN studies into one program that takes approximately 3 years to complete. That is not true for every program -- so, you need to explore the options by the schools in your area. Again, each program is a little different (locally run by the school itself) -- so, you have to explore the specific options at the schools that interest you. There is no "one size fits all" pattern or answer.

As far as jobs go, the BSN is an entry-level degree. A new graduate would be eligible for entry level jobs in the nursing profession, such as being a staff nurse in a hospital. The MSN is an advanced degree that prepares nurse leaders (clinical, managerial, educational, etc.). Some people think that they can bypass entry level jobs by going straight for an MSN. However, few employers would hire a new MSN for a leadership position who had no previous work experience in the field. Most people who get the MSN (or similar advanced degree) before they get their first work experience find that they must enter the nursing work force by getting an entry level job and then earn a promotion or seek a new job after getting some experience if they want to advance their careers.

I hope that helps clarify your thoughts a little. Good luck,

llg

spdn · Nov 24, 2004

thank you so much. your information really is very important for me.

thanks again.

spdn

EvePooh · Nov 24, 2004

Since u have a bachelor degree already, u can apply an accelerated BSN program usually takes about 12 to 15 months, depending on different schools. After u got the BSN, u can work as an RN. I would suggest u to work for a few years before getting ur Master so that u would have a better idea about which specialty u r interested. Maybe u can get a tuition reimburishment from the place u work for:)

I'll start a acc. BSN program in Rush University(Chicago) in Jan 2005 and I'll be done by Dec 2005, so I'll not a nurse yet. But I hope the above suggestion might work for u.

EvePooh

waves · Dec 4, 2004

HELLO EVERYONE,
now i have decided to be a nurse and I have got bachelor's degree of biology, so i can apply to both of BSN & MSN. I know i can apply the MSN program for students with no-nursing bachelor which requires 3 years. but not sure how long will it take to get BSN and how much money will it cost to get a BSN or MSN respectively. i have heard many different opinions about this and i was confused .
so is there anyone who can tell me exactly the difference between BSN and MSN on the issues of years needed, tuition, working condition, salary after graduation. This is very important for me to decide which ones should I apply. by the way, does the MSN have more chances of getting a job than BSN at present?
thank you so very much for every one reading this post!!

Hey there. I have a BA, not a BS, so I have a lot of science to take before I can get into a BSN program. One thing I discovered was that MSN is not the equivalent of a BSN. Meaning...that if you want to be a traveler and do nursing in other statea...a MSN may not qualify you by that state's rules. From all my research, it seems a lot of east coast schools have programs that are geared toward students like you...but you get a BSN and then an MSN in 2.5-3 years. I haven't found a school in California that is set up that way. Sort of depends on what you want to do, I guess.

holmespretty · Dec 5, 2006

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