Thinking of nursing; have kinesiology degree

pro-student · May 10, 2017

Nursing is a wonderful profession where you get to make a real difference in people's lives on a daily basis. It is also a very challenging profession where you are often seeing people at their absolute worst and are caught in the middle of a million things like trying to do the best for the patient in front of you, fighting a healthcare system that often makes that excessively difficult, various family members with strong opinions, and doctors and other health professionals with strong personalities.

A kinesiology degree probably included most, if not all, of the pre-reqs for nursing. If you have good grades, you might want to consider an accelerated BSN for people who already have a bachelors. They tend to have competitive admission and are usually one intense year of study and clinicals but are a great way to get into the field in a short amount of time. You could also do an ADN but be aware that, in the job market and most grad schools if you ever decide to go further, an ADN + bachelors is still an ADN nurse. You need an actually BSN to be considered a bachelors degree nurse which more and more employers are insisting on. In theory, nursing is all about health promotion, disease prevention, and educating patients so you will hear a lot about those things. The reality is that how much time you have to do those things is severely limited since they aren't generally funded and there a myriad other things (especially charting and paperwork) that will determine how much time you have to do them. The challenge is how you can fit them into spare moments and make them relevant to the person who may not give a damn about nutrition or smoking or exercise. You might really enjoy ortho or rehab where you can interact more with PT/OT and have a more ongoing relationship with patients (especially rehab). Your education could really be beneficial there. Despite the highs and lows, it is the best career out there. Best of luck!

Marriedaprince · May 10, 2017

Thank you so much, really helpful, especially the aspect on BSN; I actually have been to school for other things like massage therapy, and I wish I had had a more cumulative perspective on my schooling and how getting a job/pay/etc. ,I can't stand wasting time/schooling! :)

I've never heard of nurses in rehab or PT, I will have to look that up. Thanks so much.

lfb1173 · Oct 2, 2017

Hello! I know this was a few months ago but I too had a degree similar to yours and went in to nursing. I had a BS in Athletic Training and worked for a year in that field. I decided nursing was a better fit for me and began an accelerated BSN program after my first year of work. I found that my first degree helped me immensely in my first two semesters of nursing, definitely had a good base in how the body works and things like patient assessment and teaching. I think you will have a leg up when speaking to patients since you have personal training experience. Now that I am in the field as an RN I know I made the right choice. I absolutely love nursing and I love that I can use my athletic training skills at the same time which doesn't negate the time I spent on my first BS degree.

Sour Lemon · Oct 2, 2017

Find out what sort of market you're in before deciding how to spend your time and money. In some places, an ADN can move mountains ...in others, it may be difficult to get your foot in the door.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 3, 2017

Your kinesiology degree will be of great help in nursing. Since you already have a BS, I strongly recommend you obtain an ABSN - accelerated BSN. These take 13 to 16 months, depending on the program. However, they are intense.

Something else to think about - most nursing schools require prereqs to be no more than 5 years old. So you need to think about that versus when you plan to start school. If you need to take/retake prereqs, most can be done online, so plan to do that starting 1 to 3 years before you plan to start nursing school. Start research schools of interest now and look at their admissions requirements.

I also recommend CNA training for prospective nurses. You can take this through a CC or the Red Cross. This is the best way to see if nursing is for you, along with shadowing a nurse.

Good luck.