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.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

11) Last but not least, when I turn 60ish, if I want to do agency nursing 3-6 months a year and travel, ski, golf, go sailing the rest of the year, what's not to like?

*** Sounds great. I have known a number of nurses who have done similar. Let me give you some advice as a nurse who has done several travel contracts and per diem in several states, as well as worked as a staff RN in 4 states and 2 countries.

Get well established in a specialty before you attempt it. I suggest ICU, in particular MICU for a nurse in their 60's. Other ICUs are good too. ER is OK and can be great if you specialize in working in small rural critical access ERs. PACU is a good one and cath lab is a great one too. You don't want to travel as a med surg RN. You may find yourself with 8 or 12 patients.

At all costs avoid working in Florida and be skeptical about any contract in Arizona and Minnesota. Get advice from other travelers as to what you MUST have in your contract. I always specify in the contract how many hours a week I am guaranteed, and what other units I can be floated to. Also ask travelers what companies have been honest and fair to them.

Decide what you goal is, the location or the money. For me it has always been the money but many nurses accept lower or much lower pay to get a contract in a particular location. In general the most desirable locations pay the least. I found a great mix of location and pretty high pay in the pacific northwest like Oregon and Washington (but not Idaho). California will usually have the highest paying contracts, especially in the Bay Area. I never take their housing and get higher per diem and hourly rate instead. I once stayed 9 weeks in a Motel 6 while making BANK (seriously Bank, you likely wouldn't believe me if I told you) in San Jose Ca. Put it this way, the first hour I worked more than covered my motel and all my travel and meal expenses. Had I kept it up for a year I would have make well over $200K.

With your background consider the VA. Great patient population to work with and the VA has it's own internal travel agency.

When it gets closer PM me and I will give you some resources..

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

First this dude has to finish nursing school and get hired into a hospital as a new graduate RN. That may be the biggest hurdle of all.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

Just a perspective on the ADN vs BSN. My husband had a hip replacement 3 weeks ago at a magnet facility and was impatient for 3 days. This is known as the best facility in our rural area - it is in the neighboring state. No complaints - he got great care. I just found it interesting that the RN's badges simply stated "RN" and did not specify BSN if they had it. Most of the RN's were "older" but one I visited with one younger male nurse who said he had been a nurse 7 years. He had his ADN and was earning his BSN thru an online program which he described as a "diploma mill." He said that the BSN requirement is only for charge nurses and management and will not be enforced for another couple years - at that hospital anyway.

As we were driving home my husband was talking about who he thought the "best nurse" was and it was the CNA.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

That is such a pessimistic attitude. Its not THAT hard to get an acute care job. you may have to start somewhere else first but its doable. We don't like to hire new grads on our floor unless they worked there as a cna but after a year of experience at a country hospital or nursing home they usually do well on in acute care. I always ask our new people how they 'got ' their job and they all have different stories. My favorite story is one of them just kept applying over and over and over again. the nursing hr person emailed them and told them to stop applying and they kept applying time and time again. they finally got an interview. During the first interview with hr...she said "your a persistent little buggar" haha.

[NurseChampion]

I am a one of those second career nursing students...I have a BSW and have practiced Sw for 10 yrs. I didn't think of nursing as a last resort. I wanted to do more for my pts.

[Megan5656]

In PA. LaSalle University. The nursing school has had a neighborhood clinic for about 20 years. BSN and MSN students rotate through there for public health rotation, as well as other areas if public health, in addition to acute care. For public health, I did asthma education in a clinic that was affiliated within a children's hospital. The program was approved by the NIH...they had a partnership with the Nursing program.

There are several programs that have that component as well in the area...Drexel University is one I considered as well due to that component as well.

Thank you for the information! I am really excited about public health nursing and this is great info on a program with that type of emphasis. Thanks again!

[RNwannabeCNM]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this (sorry don't have time to read all the comments, though I'd like to) but I think at least a small part of the reason might be that the public's opinion of nursing has changed over the last 10-15 years. I think it has become more of a respectable profession and not just a vocation - IMHO it has always been a respectable profession, but I don't think it has always gotten the respect it deserves. I think the publicity about the supposed "nursing shortage" has brought nursing into the forefront and many who would not have otherwise considered it have realized that it's a challenging career that requires a brain and a heart and that there's more to it than changing bed pans and handing surgical instruments to doctors.

I graduated from high school in 1993 and nursing school was not even on my career radar - med school, yes; nursing, no. I graduated from a top public university with a degree in genetics and worked in cancer research before I got married and had to leave my job to go abroad. I first looked at nursing because it is a portable career that is compatible with our mobile lifestyle. But the more I learned about it, the more I realized that nursing is what I was meant to do and now I love it and would not want to do anything else! It doesn't hurt that it's portable, flexible, pays a living wage, and has so many directions in which to advance.

It's sad that there are some who have gone into nursing just for job security. Perhaps the current shortage of jobs is a bit of a blessing in disguise in that it will weed out those who really don't want to do it and leave those who really have a passion for it. Nursing is not a job in which you can give less than 100% every day.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

I hate to admit it but I just thought of all of you.

There was just an article on the local news website about the Georgetown report on the professions with the highest and lowest jobless rates. Nursing was one of the best at 4.8% new college grads, 2.3% experienced, and 1.7% graduate level. Starting salary new grad at 48k.

Its a pretty interesting read, especially when comparing the numbers for some of the previous professions listed in this thread.

Here is the link: http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/HardTimes.2013.2.pdf

[dishes, BSN, RN]

BostonFNP the Georgetown report doesn't give the sample size or a description of the study design, do know if an academic version of this publication is available?

[BostonFNP, APRN]

BostonFNP the Georgetown report doesn't give the sample size or a description of the study design do know if an academic version of this publication is available?[/quote']

Other than the brief methodology section in the appendix, I am not sure about a more academic paper. I really just noticed it because it was highlighted in an article on the local news site and found it an entertaining read.

[adc85]

I'm a career changer, I start my program in August. I'm 27 years old and I have a BS in biology. After college I worked in an environmental lab for 4 years. I mostly ran the microbiology lab and also ran chemistry tests too. It was fun when I first started, but I burned out after 3 years of it. It was boring, the work was monotonous and easy, I wasn't challenged at all. I also commuted an hour to work and an hour home, and the commute really took a lot out of me. I have no desire to move closer and there aren't many opputunities in my field closer to home. It took me a year to decide that I want to go back to school for nursing. And I am no stranger to the medical field either. In high school, I worked part time in the radiology dept doing clerical work and hanging films for the Dr to read. I worked as a CNA for a year while I was in college, and then I worked in an ER as a ward clerk for 3 years. So I knew I would love nursing. I wanted a job Ina field that I enjoyed and something that would keep me busy. I don't enjoy sitting around with no work but still having to look busy! I wanted work that was stimulating and challenging, and something that would leave me feeling fulfilled when I went home. I also wanted better opportunities and the variety of positions and fields that nursing provides, as well as more of a work/life balance. Working 3 twelve hr shifts a week sounds more appealing than working 5 eight hr shifts a week plus 10 hours of commuting.

[SENSUALBLISSINFL, BSN, RN]

Wow 250 comments on this topic as I write this. Yes, I had alot of classmates who were professionals in other areas, one was even a teacher for highschool.

As alot of you posted, I suspect the economy is to blame here, the issue will be, as some of you nurses already working know, is that if you go into nursing but it is not your calling then they will burn out a lot sooner after investing time and money on this second career. Not to say that those of us who always wanted and had a passion for nursing will not burn out, but we will probably stick it out more and longer.

And then of course this myth, my view of course, of a nursing shortage is so bogus as they are plenty of us novice nurses wanting a chance to work but cannot, they will find out that they will go for months looking for a position after getting in debt to pay for this education, and this is sad.

I keep hoping everyday this will change.