Switching my major from nursing to FACS

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Okay, when I first started college I was majoring in mircobiology, then I decided I wanted to be a Nurse. I was attending University of Louisiana at Lafayette and then switched to Nicholls state. The first time I applied to clinicals I didn't get in because one of my sociology classes that I had taken at UL didn't transfer. Even though my advisor said it would. I am applying again for Spring 2012, and I'm scared I won't get in. Even though after this semester I will have a 3.1 GPA and the requirement is a 2.75, its probably not enough. Most people that get in have 3.5 and higher. And usually NSU doesn't like to pick people who transfer from other schools, they prefer people who started in nursing at NSU. So if I don't get in I'm planning on switching my major to General Family and Consumer Sciences (Child, Family and Social Services). My biggest career goal is to become a Nurse Case Worker. Do you guys think this will be a good move? Will getting a bachelor degree in Family Consumer Science, and then later working on becoming an RN elsewhere, will actually be a better move? I was planning on going to a two year college and getting an Associates Degree in Nursing, but I have been in school for so long, I really want a 4 year degree from Nicholls State. Any nurses or nurse case workers, can give me some tips?

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You'll have a harder job trying to find a job as a social worker/case worker than as a traditional RN, if that's what you're asking.

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Specializes in ER.

I may be completely wrong here, but my daughter has a BS in Family and Consumer Science and it is the same as the old Home Economics degree. She is an interior designer. Maybe some schools have social work as part of this, but that was not my understanding. So just make sure you do your research and find out exactly what the degree is.

As far a social work, I do know that almost all are required to have at least a Masters, so a BS may not be enough to get the position you want.

If you want to be a nurse, you may not be able to find any shortcuts, just keep applying to good programs, take all the prereqs you need and be persistent.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.

I agree, if you wish to do social work, you will really need a MSW. THe pay is very low and the work is unrelenting. It is also very different from pure nursing.

If you want to be a nurse, then just continue to pursue nursing school

I don't quite understand what you hope to accomplish with this plan.

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I beleive a nurse case worker must have a bachelors in nursing and bedside nursing experience. I dont think another bachelors will help you obtain that job. A Nurse case worker is very different than a social worker. You should research the two job descriptions carefully before making a decision.

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I agree, if you wish to do social work, you will really need a MSW. THe pay is very low and the work is unrelenting. It is also very different from pure nursing.

If you want to be a nurse, then just continue to pursue nursing school

I don't quite understand what you hope to accomplish with this plan.

Yes I understand, I reread my post it does sound unclear towards the end. I left alot of details out lol. Okay right now I am in school under a scholarship and financial aid. My scholarship actually ends next semester. The nursing program at the university I am going to now is a 3 year program. I did all the math, and I have enough funds to go into the program, IF I get in next semester. If I don't get in, I would have to retake classes I made B's and C's in, and try again in the Fall. I'm not financially stable to keep trying to reapply. I was considering if I didn't get in, that I was going to drop out of university and go to a community college to become an LPN and work my way up to an RN. There's a lot of hospitals and programs in my area that allow LPNS to become RNs. But I have been in college for about 3 1/2 years, and I will feel like all those years in college will be wasted. So I was thinking about changing my major to FACS just so I can have a 4 year degree in something. If I major in FACS I can graduate in about 1.5 years. And then I was thinking about working as a social worker, and then start going to school as an LPN on the side and then working my way up as an RN. I know you need 2 to 4 years of clinical experience as an RN to be a case manager. But do you think I would have a better opportunity of being hired as a case manager with a bachelor degree in FACS under my belt and having an associates ins Nursing ? Or am I wasting my time, and should drop out and start working my way up as an RN now? That is more of the question I wanted to ask, sorry if anyone was confused. lol

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Specializes in Oncology, OR.

Personally, I would start working towards my RN now.

I can't speak for all hospitals out there but know those in my area require RN Case Managers to have at least a BSN in addition to 2-3 years of experience. I understand that you don't want to waste the time you've already put in but I feel that pursuing a 4 year degree in a field that most likely won't help you get the job you really want, then going for LPN and then finally the RN...well, there's got to be a more straightforward way to reach your goal with less time and money spent!

If you don't get into the program at the university, I think your idea of transferring to community college is a good one but go for your ASN if possible. That way, you can get a job and start working as a RN out the gate and hopefully receive tuition help from your hospital to do the RN-to-BSN. By the time you get the BSN, you'll have a couple of years nursing experience under your belt and be a good candidate for a case manger position.

Just my :twocents:. Good luck whatever route you decide to take!

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I would not waste time if you want to be a nurse. The payback is not that great. You would do better for your future career if you became an LPN, then used the LPN license to assist you in getting into an LPN to RN program. Time and money better spent as I see it.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.

I am still not clear on one point. Do you wish to become a case manager in social work/nursing? as in family services? Or just case management in the hospital?

Case management in the hospital does not require any real special training-other than experience-so, if that is what you are speaking of, go for the nursing now.

Is there any chance that your university has a degree in Health Administration? If you just want to finish with a bachelors degree--that would serve you well. I don't know what your major was, or the status of your credits but that degree has advanced my career and can open a lot of doors in administration in the future for you. Just a thought. (assuming you will still pursue the nursing as well) I would steer away from social work/family services..very difficult, horribly overworked and horribly underpaid profession.

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Specializes in Government.

I'm a nurse case manager. A BSN and many years of clinical experience were required for my job. I don't see any way around that. I have screened applicants for my work team who thought that a generic bachelor's degree + CNA experience would suffice (No.)

If you want a career that requires nursing skills, you'll need to be a nurse.

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I would recommend against going the FACS route if you're certain that you want to be a nurse. You actually won't be able to get jobs titled "social worker" in most states without a social work license (which requires a degree in social work specifically, not FACS). Unless you have a master's degree in social work, and even maybe if you do, you make less money than you would as a waitress, and for waaaaaaay more stress/responsibility.

There are other social-service jobs titled 'case worker' or 'counselor' or 'social services worker' that might accept the FACS degree, but the pay/conditions in those jobs are even worse. A typical example might be working in a group home for people with developmental disabilities, or staffing the front desk of a shelter, maybe for something like $10/hour. In other words, you'd probably make the same money that a CNA makes after a six-week training class, and the CNA would at least be related to nursing.

Sorry to paint such a bleak picture, but I've been a social worker for almost 20 years (applying to nursing programs myself now) and I know the story too well....

If you want to be a nurse, go the nursing route!

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Thanks for all the replies, everyone has been so helpful. And I realized I misunderstood the definition of a nurse case manager an a nurse case worker, for some reason I thought it was the same thing. I just really want a four year degree in something. I am the first person in my family to go to a university, and everyone is expecting me to graduate. My family has supported me financially for so long, it feels like I owe it to them and myself. If I don't get in to clinicals I have to change my major. I know it seems like I'm wasting time majoring in FACS and then going to a community college to be a nurse. But its the only major I could think of that I would enjoy majoring in. FACS also requires alot of nursing electives that I already taken, so I would finish faster than the other majors. I was going to major in respiratory therapy or radiology but I recently discovered with budget cuts, that those programs are no longer available. Hopefully, I will get into clincials and stop stressing over all of this :/

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