What Is The Deal With All The Highly Educated & Professionals Becoming RNs?

[PMFB-RN]

So I pretty much always have nursing students with me. I have senior BSN students who are doing a critical care class (six 12 hours shifts), ADN students from 2 different programs doing their preceptorships (eight 12 hour shifts), ABSN students doing clinical (six 12 hour shifts), and direct entry MSN students who shadow me for a shift. In addition I come into contact with a variety of other students who are being taught by my RN co-workers. My hospital also has a "student nurse technician" program where they hire nursing students to do CNA type work. So I regularly talk to 5-10 nursing students a week and nearly always have a student with me each shift.

What I am so shocked about is the level of education of these students who are in nursing school. I can't even remember the last time I had a ADN student who didn't already have a bachelors degree with me. Of course the MSN and ABSN students already have bachelors degrees, but what is surprising to me is that so many are already professionals in others areas. I had a student who already has a bachelors and masters in architecture and worked for a well known local firm, I have had lawyers, police officers, scads of teachers, and a few engineers among others. Even a guy who is an MD in Russia.

Why do all of these people want to be nurses? Have any of you experienced this?

Back when I was in nursing school there were plenty of 2nd career types in my class but they tended to be factory workers, truck drivers, farmers, military vets who were moving up to become RNs. A few had bachelors degrees but not like now.

I actually find it frightening and a little sad. Frightening cause I suspect this is a symptom of a very bad economy and terrible job market. Sad cause I know so many of the will struggle to find work after making huge sacrifices to get through nursing school.

Some of them are SHOCKED when I tell them it's a tough job market out there for RNs and they will have to work hard and keep on their toes to find any job. Some simply refuse to believe me (nearly all the direct entry MSN students, ironic since they will struggle in our local market more than the others). Others already have this figured out and are already bitter about it.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I think the professionals will really be in for a shock once they get a nursing job and experience the typical nursing conditions of short staffing, stress and inability to even take a break in most places. I don't think many will stay with nursing once the reality sets in!

[priorities2]

Interesting to hear all the comments about DE MSN students/grads!

I do some lecturing for a mix of DE and traditional

MSN students at my alma mater. The data from the DE students who graduated last year was 97% employment at 9-months out from graduation with a median salary of just about 90k. The data at graduation for the 2013 class was 34% having accepted offers at time of graduation (no data on salary for them).

That's kind of frightening. I think I want to be a psych NP no matter how bad the market is, but still that's kind of frightening.

[Munch]

I was one of those people. I have a bachelors from from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I had a great paying job with the ATF(Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms)...I wasn't an agent or a crime fighter or anything. It was an Admin job in one of the NY field offices. I became a nurse because I felt like I wanted to make more of a difference(trite..I know). Like I said..I wasn't an agent and protecting the public, responding to crime scenes/chasing and arresting suspected criminals. I worked for them for a year. I also developed health problems and after being cared for by many compassionate nurses that was like the double whammy...I wanted to be a nurse even more after that. I was lucky in the fact that it wasn't the economy that made me change careers...it was a personal choice..I never thought of nursing as a fallback career for me. Criminal Justice and the law will always be a passion of mine..At times I have thought of combining my two career backgrounds(also my two passions) and thought about doing correctional nursing...but all the state prisons are "up state" and too much of a commute for me.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

That's kind of frightening. I think I want to be a psych NP no matter how bad the market is, but still that's kind of frightening.

Those are pretty good/encouraging numbers!

[amoLucia]

Something that has me questioning - are many of these 2nd career folk being 'pushed' into nursing by their State Division of Unemployment program counselors???

I worked in a little private commercial business school that had healthcare career offerings for medial records, medical billing/coding, transcription, front office type jobs. I wasn't privy to their enrollment financial sponsorship info but so many used to share that they were taking the classes as a re-training option for continued unemployment benefits. My students were mostly 20-somethings. My little business school also had to cover basic math & English skills and had Dress-for-Success days to help students focus on appropriate work environment wardrobes.

Totally different student populations, worlds apart, but I really could see Unemployment counselors directing those applicants with higher educational/professional backgrounds into a professional nursing program milieu. I mean, there wouldn't be a Master's degree accountant in my type of program! The different backgrounds of the students could explain the different education approach, so I question if there is a 'push' by misinformed counselors.

The sad part of all this is that this just adds to the dismal job picture outcome for these students.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Something that has me questioning - are many of these 2nd career folk being 'pushed' into nursing by their State Division of Unemployment program counselors???

I worked in a little private commercial business school that had healthcare career offerings for medial records, medical billing/coding, transcription, front office type jobs. I wasn't privy to their enrollment financial sponsorship info but so many used to share that they were taking the classes as a re-training option for continued unemployment benefits. My students were mostly 20-somethings. My little business school also had to cover basic math & English skills and had Dress-for-Success days to help students focus on appropriate work environment wardrobes.

Totally different student populations, worlds apart, but I really could see Unemployment counselors directing those applicants with higher educational/professional backgrounds into a professional nursing program milieu. I mean, there wouldn't be a Master's degree accountant in my type of program! The different backgrounds of the students could explain the different education approach, so I question if there is a 'push' by misinformed counselors.

The sad part of all this is that this just adds to the dismal job picture outcome for these students.

I've heard that there was a program in Detroit for layed off auto workers to go back to school for RN. I don't know if this was funded by state or federal. In general I don't think there is support to send workers back for 2-4 years of schooling to get an RN degree. Vocational programs for unemployed tend to be quick classes like CNA or medical assistant and if you want to get a bachelors for nursing do it on your dime with student loans. I know a couple people laid off from their job that went back to school while on unemployment but they had to use student loans and went to a tech school for quick, relatively cheap training. Associates degree for event planning and dietary aide, phlebotomist ie relatively low paying jobs that will make it more difficult to pay back student loans.

Still for those professionals going back that already have student loans from prior degrees, they may be facing a six figure student loan, a mortgage without a house and that is very dangerous considering student loans have no consumer protections and only govt loans offer income based repayment. I know nurses who graduated with $100,000 debt because they went to a highly visible, marketed private college and others who;ve got 30-40,000+ in loans for a BA degree, making less than $15/hr and just keep putting it into deferment because they can't afford the payments and are maxed out at their current job. I think it is only a matter of time before they have their wages garnished, tax returns taken and eventually social security garnished. I think this is happening to alot of people in this country already, it is a very sad situation brought on by all the hype about education, combined with student loans with no bankruptcy option or consumer protections when anybody reading the news knows many people are being layed off or can't get a job in their field even engineering which is also constantly pitched as an in demand field. It is easier and more profitable for the powers to be to pitch education rather than fight for jobs with living wages and benefits and recognize we all need a job with living wages not just the people at the top! Anyone is just a job loss, accident or illness away from defaultiong on student loans and being trapped with debt for life. It is really scary. In fact the author of The Student Loan Debt Trap was an aerospace engineer who lost his job and found himself eventually in default and is now fighting for the many others caught in this same situation. See www.studentloanjustice.org to learn more! I've mentioned this before but feel it is important enough to repeat because once you are in too deep with student loans it is too late to fix! The student loan debt is also putting a damper on our economy and housing because people are too indebted to afford to even buy a house or spend money! Lastly if you default you may lose your license to practice and hundreds of jobs require a license not just RN, even beautician or realtor for example. People need to be informed to protect themselves and their financial future!

[DoGoodThenGo]

Displaced Auto Workers Nursing Program (DAWN) Nursing Program Offers Hope for Displaced Auto Workers on ADVANCE for Nurses

Ex-auto workers may fill gaps in Detroit nursing schools - www.hcpro.com

[priorities2]

Those are pretty good/encouraging numbers!

Oh. Reread it. I thought you were comparing apples to apples, saying 97% found jobs at a point last year and 34% did this year. Thanks for clarifying - those are good numbers!

[ebinbrooklyn]

As one of those overschooled people who is currently in an ABSN program (mostly because ADNs don't get hired as much in my area), I had worked in finance for years and having a desk job was misery. I was a Lehman person and after everything went down and I lost my life savings, I had to get out. I had pretty much done all I could do in my last career and there was zero room for flexibility--9-5, five days a week w/ blackberry and sometimes weekends too mostly for things that honestly were not the slightest bit important. I don't doubt that nurses work very long hours, but the idea of being in a career where what I did literally did nothing but make the ultrawealthy even richer held very little appeal for me. I had worked as a CNA for several years in college and my mom is a nurse--the low bar for entry (well, low-ish, the gpa I had to get while taking my prerequisites and working full time was brutal) was enticing, especially to someone like me who couldn't work part time or not at all while completing another health related field like PA. The starting salary for nursing is also fairly alluring since I wouldn't have to take a major pay cut right out of school. I'm in my thirties, so going back and completely starting all over again just wasn't an option. I suppose that sounds very opportunistic but I've known for a while that I wanted to work in healthcare--it was just a matter of what capacity and how long it'd take to get there.

I will say the number of people in my program who don't have any clinical experience is jaw dropping--most said they came because they want to be in a "caring profession" but I don't think they really know what they're getting into. I can't imagine coming into this without any volunteering or medical experience! I guess we all end up at the same finish line no matter what.

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

while I'm a second career nurse who was laid off - long before I got laid off I wanted to be a nurse, and then life sort of got in the way...I was making REALLY good money at the insurance company I worked for (property and casualty), went through infertility and because of incredible health benefits from said company I was able to get pregnant for $355 (all procedures were covered, drugs were a $20 copay, and all we had to pay for was the IUI). They also let me work part time after I had the twins, but laid me off when I got sick and had to take 6 months off to get better (asthma, allergies and sleep apnea all of which are under control). The insurance company wouldn't work with me to go back to school for nursing (because it wasn't business related) so I kept working until I was laid off. I took the opportunity to go back to school for something I had a passion for in my mid twenties but was not ready for at 18 when I went for my first bachelors degree (in communications)...

am I doing it for the job stability and money - kinda (and the area in which I live in is NOT suffering an overload of new grads) so I've pretty much found a job with no problem (as have over half my class), but I do really enjoy the teaching aspect of nursing, as well as the clinical aspects as well.

[HippyDippyLPN]

It's the fact that people who are crossing over to nursing from another field have NO idea what it's truly like. It's like a unicorn to them and then they really find out it can sorta be like a regular old pony. It always makes me scratch my head when people in nursing programs talk about " the shortage". There is a job shortage people, it's the other way around! If your in your 40's/50's making a good living with a different degree, stay there because your better off.

[HippyDippyLPN]

Oh and I have no idea how people can do this job for the money. Because let me tell you the $20/hour I was making in LTC being a nurse for 34 patients was not keeping me there. It's the fact that I love my patients and I have been in this field since I was 19. It's the only job I know I can do well but that doesn't mean I don't want to bang my head on my med cart everyday like people in cubicles do.