Trying to decide between accelerated BSN, entry-level MSN-NP, and ADN

[NorthBeach]

Hi everyone,

I am a 34yo male with a BA in psychology and am deciding on which programs to apply. My end goal is to eventually become a NP. I live in the Bay Area and am starting to look at programs outside California as well.

I am currently volunteering in a trauma center and just took an entry-level job with the Dept of Public Health. My GPA is 3.6 and I got Bs in Microbiology, Physiology, and Anatomy.

I started looking at entry-level masters that offer NP specialty such as UCSF, Seattle University, and Azuza. The UCSF program is super expensive, but I feel that the program at Seattle University and Azuza are pretty reasonable in comparison to UCSF and accelerated BSNs in other schools.

I am looking at ADN programs, which is attractive because of the cheap tuition in California, but I am afraid that the length of the programs and the degree itself will not make me a competitive nurse in the job market. I know nurses with good paying RN jobs in the Bay Area, but they also have over 15 years of experience. I hear that ADN graduates have a hard time finding jobs in hospitals.

Does anyone have experience with these entry-level masters leading to NP?

What's your experience getting into the job market as a RN without a BSN or MSN degree?

My main concern is to borrow a lot of money, however, I feel that an accelerated BSN will cost almost the same as a MSN.

Thank you!

[bvalerio23]

I'm in a very similar situation. I recently graduated with a BS in BioChem and am looking at a career in Trauma Nursing. I've worked at a few local hospitals (Truama Centers) in various roles and asked around about the accl. programs vs entry levels MSN. I've gotten a few mixed responses but here at the ones that have helped me out the most:

-From an RN BSN MSN TNS Administrater: any hospital no matter the size will soon require a BSN. In sooner rather than later they'll just require the BSN regardless of how it was obtained. Once the marke gets even more saturated with new BSN/RNs hospitals are going to require BSN aquired during the RN process (or RN acquired during the BSN program). Upity hospitals will start this process sooner than rural or less strict hospitals. The generalist entry MSN program is great for students in certain positions -such as us- but not ideal for hospitals or ICU/Truama work. The MSN degree will fast track you to management at a desperate hospital. With no clinical experience, you will be holding a very expensive piece of paper with no eperience to show for it. Only people in dire situations or people who want to work in primary care/family medicine as an NP should take this route.

(my addition): my hospital was very strict, always had the Magnet Status in mind. Something I saw a lot is the laying off of LPNs and only using RNs with experience. New grads were kind of up a creek and stuggle to find work in their desired areas. On average new grads took 2-3 years to get into their desired areas.

- From a doctor who uses lots of NPs and PAs: Physician Assts are favored over NPs because PAs go to a school that is more similar to med school and the curriculum is usually more similar than a nursing school (NP school). NPs are generally used more in family practice, primary medicine, small emergency departments. In my EDs the NPs are given the grunt work (toothaches, headaches, drug seekers, etc.) while the docs see the more interesting cases and traumas. Unless you are very intrusive and ask to be involved in Trauma cases (if you have time), you will get stuck in headache/toothache land.

I would say shadow, intern, work in truama centers to make sure that is what you want. PAs will see more action, but the nurses with full BSNs (and TNS) will see the most. The entry masters is very enticing but coming from professionals with experience, I am avoiding that path.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

If you are bent on getting your NP I would BSN first. This can get you a job and experience. You don't want to become an NP with little nursing experience (my opinion). Also, I would go with a good program, but the cheapest good one. No one cares what's behind your RN license, as long as it is accredited. (Avoid any unaccredited program like the plague.) You can also make some money before going back to school. The other issue is, what if you get into your NP program and you don't really like nursing, or don't want to be an NP? I thought I wanted to be an NP but have found I really like being an RN. NPs get worked to death and most NP jobs aren't worth it (again, just my opinion). Many jobs are working for physicians and doing the scut work they don't want to do. They also want to squeeze every drop of work out of you. Primary care puts you with all the responsibility of a physician for less pay. I just don't see the up side. Good luck.

[N_u_r_s_e]

I, too, am in the same situation. I also live in the Bay Area and have applied to several ELMSN programs (one for NP, one for CNL) and am having second thoughts about it. I volunteer at a hospital in the Telemetry unit and have started to really like the idea of working as a nurse generalist..at least until i gain more experience and know for sure if becoming a NP is what i want to do.

my dilemma is also whether going to school for a BSN is a better option than doing ADN, which would allow me to start working faster and maybe even go onto a rn-bsn program while working.

I wish the best of luck to all of you! hopefully you guys have figured out your dilemmas lol.. i know i havent yet