911, This Nurse Needs Help ASAP

[Jnateman]

Hello,

I need some career advice. I went to University of Florida and graduated as a BSN nurse in 1987. Then I went to ARNP school at Florida International University in 1990-1991. It was the last year you could sit for the ANCC Adult Nurse Certification test without having a MSN. Well I passed it and started working and took one more class towards finishing masters. Then my employer said they would not give me any more time off to finish schools and they would not pay anymore even if I did so I forgot about it. Now I am having a hard time even trying to get a job as an NP even though I have almost consistently worked since then. All the hospitals say I need to have a MSN to be considered. I went back to the university and they told me I would have to repeat the whole program over which means expensive tuition, lost wages and possibly hiring a baby sitter to take care of my kids. I only had 3-4 more classes to finish. What does anyone think? I really want to hear from nursing professors also.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

It is sure about money... that's why it is up to you to convince the program that it is better to take you for 4 courses only and get some of it, vs. seeing you walking through the door and getting nothing at all

[Jnateman]

What is the name of the school, maybe they have a NP program. Thanks

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Check PM!

[Jnateman]

I do not understand? What is PM?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Private Message

[Jnateman]

Thanks but I just signed up and that is not available to use when you are so new to the site according to a message they sent from allnurses

[Jnateman]

got it thanks. Never heard of it. I could receive PM's but can not send them yet.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Ok, good!

[klone, MSN, RN]

I was thinking if the university does not want to give me credit for my previous classes that I am going to ask them to give me my money back for what I paid to them if they think what I did was useless.

Good luck with that.

[klone, MSN, RN]

The one nursing recruiter said this happened to the PT's and pharmacists and she said they did not have to back to school and were grandfathered in.

Which is why the ANCC has grandfathered you in. But what they will allow has no bearing on what facilities allow. If all the facilities around say that you need an MSN to be an APN (which I completely agree with), then there you have it. It really is very little difference from what many associate's prepared RNs are dealing with all over the country.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Good luck with that.

Exactly. That statement made me chuckle.

[seaofclouds21, BSN, RN]

The issue has nothing to do with being a NP, just the specific job requirements for the jobs you are looking for. The job requirements state you must have a MSN, so either get a MSN or look for a different job. Do the job requirements state any specifics about the MSN? If not, get a general MSN. You don't have to get a MSN that is tied to becoming a NP, there are many other MSN options out there, many of which are online.