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.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

There ARE nursing jobs out there. They are just not where you would "like" to go to work as a new grad. When I was in nursing school (not all that long ago - but I don't know how it's been 2 years), there were several areas people "saw themselves" working. ICUs of all types, every kind of pediatric setting imaginable, some L&D/postpartum, ED, oncology, so on. Nobody really truly said that they wanted the options most commonly open to new grads. The picture we got during nursing school wasn't really reflective of the situation we were in as new grads. Our region had a significant shortage in the mid-2000s, which allowed the "recent graduating classes" from our school to find jobs much more easily than we did, in almost any specialty.

Reality was different for us. Our class had the most luck getting jobs if we were already employed at a hospital/hospital system, and if we applied for new grad residency programs. Some of us also got offers from units we did our preceptorships at. The reality was that finding jobs wasn't easy. We graduated as the recession was starting to hit healthcare in our area (and more broadly throughout the US).

I moved away for a job as a new grad. I stuck it out for the remainder of the year of practice that makes you an a nurse with experience instead of a new grad. I learned so much, and dealt with so much in my job. It was hard work, but I learned SO much. I didn't like living so far from my family (~7 hours) so I did apply for jobs much closer to my family. I had two amazing offers and chose the job I chose for many reasons. Because of the type of specialty I am in now, I have a contract for work commitment after I completed orientation. I can't complain as I love my job right now. There are days I don't particularly love but those days exist in all jobs.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Very interesting thread for a 49 year old beginning her ADN program this August. While I do intend to further my education to my BSN and possibly MSN as a new grad in Virginia with lots of medical facilities I certainly hope to be employed soon after getting my ADN. The educational snobbery of ADNs vs. BSNs vs. MSNs in the workplace seems very immature and childish and I'm hoping I don't see that in my future workplace. If a twenty something BSN/MSN tells me to go clean up her patient because she is more educated than I, we may have an issue.[/quote']

Out of curiosity, if your ultimate goal is a BSN or MSN, why did you decide to do in stages? What's the reason to continue on to a BSN or MSN if the job is the same?

As far as the last statement, there is often way more at play than just degree. Is this 20 something an NP? Does she have seniority over you? Is she the NM?

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

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.

You might seriously consider looking into forensic nursing. A real niche product but very, very satisfying to the people who do it. You have THE perfect background for it. FORENSICNURSE.ORG

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Meanwhile nurses are trying to get out of bedside nursing and change careers into NPs, CRNAs, etc. Not exactly out of nursing but pretty much out of nursing.

I am really getting tired of being told that because I am not at bedside or employed by a hospital that I am "pretty much out of nursing." I work as a nurse every day. I am engaged by attorneys and others precisely because of my nursing experience and knowledge; I also write nursing life care plans using nursing diagnosis as a framework and testify why, precisely, this is valid when it's not a ::shudder, I hatehatehate this phrase:: "Doctor's order."

Don't you dare tell me I'm less of a nurse or "pretty much out of nursing." There are so many opportunities for nurses to use nursing in non-bedside situations. I hasten to add that for most, of not all, your credibility is greatly enriched by having had good bedside experience. And we are still at work as nurses every damn day. We. Work. As. Nurses. Every. Damn. Day.

Can you hear me now?

[ebinbrooklyn]

*** Holly cow! Please tell me that your instructors quickly disabuse them of such silly notions?

No, it was the instructors telling us that! That's why I was thankful I had spent time on the floor, I could separate the fact from the poop-less fiction.

[rntm85]

Well stated. As a new nurse with only a year of experience, I know that my experiences with bedside nursing will provide me with the much needed background later in my career if I decide to make a change.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Uou are only 21.. dont know how you cant think 20 years ahead of you..You have a lot to learn!

Come again?

I'm assuming that this was aimed at me and I can't really tell what it is you are trying to say so...but don't begrudge someone for their age.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Maybe some of them actually like nursing and want to make a difference. I've heard and seen this. I know, its shocking that some of us actually LIKE nursing.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

Out of curiosity, if your ultimate goal is a BSN or MSN, why did you decide to do in stages? What's the reason to continue on to a BSN or MSN if the job is the same?

As far as the last statement, there is often way more at play than just degree. Is this 20 something an NP? Does she have seniority over you? Is she the NM?

Financial reasons. I am paying my own way, so that means ADN first with one of the guaranteed admissions agreements to BSN that my community college has. I want to be working as soon as possible while finishing my BSN. The 20 something comment was referring to a post further up the thread about the snobbery of SOME people with advanced degrees to those with lesser education. In my opinion, having lived life and being full of life experiences, raising two educated, successful children, I will be pretty easy going at work when I am nursing. But I am not really looking forward to being belittled for pursuing an education just because I am not as far along as others. Hopefully it will be more about being part of a team.

[AZirish]

This is an interesting thread. I am a second career nursing student with two previous degrees. I have to say, I agree that the general feeling out there is that there is still a huge nursing shortage. Here in Phoenix, that is not the case. There is a shortage of experienced nurses. I do think that you could talk to people in ANY profession and they would tell you "don't do it!" I have many, many teacher friends who would (and do) tell people not to become teachers. Like nursing, the rewards are not monetary.

I do wonder at people who choose to take on huge student loan debt in their 40's and later. I wonder if taking the loans for a BSN or MSN would end up paying off over the rest of their career? I'm in my 40's and I want to be a working nurse. I realize that I may never end up in ICU, or OR, NiCU, etc etc. That's okay. There are people who need nurses outside of a hospital. I think people entering nursing as a second career need to be realistic and flexible.

[PnutButterJelly]

Out of curiosity, if your ultimate goal is a BSN or MSN, why did you decide to do in stages? What's the reason to continue on to a BSN or MSN if the job is the same?

As far as the last statement, there is often way more at play than just degree. Is this 20 something an NP? Does she have seniority over you? Is she the NM?

I can't speak for everyone. But here is my reason for doing ADN then BSN and possibly MSN. My husband was in the army. We had no idea if we would be at our duty station long enough for me to finish a BSN program. This was even more true because we had been at our duty station 2 yrs before I even went back to school. At least by doing the ADN first I could work as a nurse while continuing my education. I have always intended to finish my BSN, but doing a BSN program was never an option.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I'm surprised at the underlying lack of recognition in many of these posts that career-changing IN GENERAL is much more the rule than the exception over the course of working lifetimes these days. In my 40s -- at what is presumably the midpoint of the portion of my life I will spend working -- I know many more folks who have switched gears rather dramatically at some point -- than I do those who have remained in only one profession or career path.

The reasons are many. Relocation. Changing/evolving life & family priorities. Health/physical considerations. The ebb & flow of different technologies & industries. Simple boredom.

You're seeing career-changers in nursing ... because that's where you happen to be. :)

And just my own perception ... but I find the thread title to have a bit of an inferiority complex contained within it, as if it should be surprising that "highly educated professionals" should desire to be nurses.