For those of you who did a bridge from RN to BSN, did you work while in school?
Im super fortunate that I didn't really have to work during my ADN, (I am done in September) and Im wondering if completing the BSN is as challenging as the ADN program.
Have you seen many people struggle with working and in a BSN at the same time? Is it like the ADN, where everyone tells you NOT to work at all?
Input from other programs as well! Did you work during your MSN, or PA, or ARNP or CRNA program?
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
It's "primadonna"
*** Whatever.
and those paramedics deserved every bit, if not more, money than any nurse "team leader." I've never seen a nurse "team leader" (whatever the f*ck that means) extricate anyone, intubate anyone, or really do anything on a scene that, frankly, wasn't just getting in the way of progress.
*** Wow, talk about making my point about medics. _I_ was not responsible or the nurse / medic pay scale. I absolutely agree with you that medics deserve a lot more money. I find it amazing that you have never seen a nurse extricate or intubate anyone. All of our nurses where RNs and medics and could and did do everything the medics did. I am guessing your didn't work with pre-hospital RNs much.
Our medics were great and highly competent. My only complaint was the often heard complaining about how they pretty much did the same job but got half the pay of the transport RNs they worked with, and their sometimes fragile egos.
And I did both 911 and MICU transport. And yes I happily gave up that schedule. Our service averaged anywhere from 11-15 911 calls per truck per day plus transfer services. And our paramedic truck constantly got screwed by basics and intermediates who "just weren't comfortable taking that acuity of patient." Translation: "I'm tired. Call the paramedic unit.
*** Ya I know the feeling, except with us is was basic and medic units screwing us. Instead of "call the paramedic unit" it's "call the flight nurses".
I find it amazing that you have never seen a nurse extricate or intubate anyone. All of our nurses where RNs and medics and could and did do everything the medics did. I am guessing your didn't work with pre-hospital RNs much.
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I am one of those Paramedic/RNs and I certainly didn't learn how to manage a scene, RSI someone, extricate an entrapped patient, or manage prehospital life threatening situations in nursing school. So I fail to see how a nurse operating within a prehospital environment deserves anymore money than a paramedic. There are plenty of ADN flight nurses and any paramedic at our company held the same Associates degree except it said - Emergency Medical Services-Municipal Fire Protection at the end of it instead of "Nursing." And it's pretty funny that medics are getting the tip of your sword regarding personality when nursing is populated with some of the biggest backstabbing, crybaby, gossip vomiting, passive aggressive people around.
I doubt any of those people blamed you for their pay scale, but when there is no logical reason for a nurse to make more than a medic in a prehospital environment I can certainly understand their frustration. However, the EMS community has no one but ourselves to blame for pay scales and reimbursement rates. If they'd quit responding until Medicare/Medicaid decided to quit reimbursing roughly 5 cents on the dollar of ambulance bills, perhaps the industry could afford to pay more. I also find it funny that communities want to sub-contract out their emergency services to the lowest private bidders but are just shocked when they wind up receiving sub-par emergency services. The whole system needs to be blown up and done over.
I was thinking I would probably do part time, I'm not sure I could work full time and school full time...
As far as people 'sliding' thru school, I'm seeing plenty of it now. Students getting caught blatantly cheating, not turning in work, sleeping in class, late everyday, do NOthing at clinicals... and they're still getting passed along and all we have left is preceptorship before graduation in September.
Back to the original question... it sounds like a class or 2 at a time, in addition to working full time should be doable. Thanks for the info :)
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I
am one of those Paramedic/RNs and I certainly didn't learn how to manage a scene, RSI someone, extricate an entrapped patient, or manage prehospital life threatening situations in nursing school.
*** Nope, I imagine that no nurse ever did. However a few have learned to do those things as nurses. Lots of nurses intubate as part of their jobs.
So I fail to see how a nurse operating within a prehospital environment deserves anymore money than a paramedic. There are plenty of ADN flight nurses and any paramedic at our company held the same Associates degree except it said - Emergency Medical Services-Municipal Fire Protection at the end of it instead of "Nursing."
*** All of the nurses on our service are associates degree RN, or ADN RN who later did an RN to BSN. I agree that they don't deserve more money. However who deserves what has nothing to do with how compensation is awarded.
And it's pretty funny that medics are getting the tip of your sword regarding personality when nursing is populated with some of the biggest backstabbing, crybaby, gossip vomiting, passive aggressive people around.
*** Heck ya it is! FWIW I find ER nurses to be just as big of primadonnas as medics. I expect it from RNs, and not medics. Mainly cause of the gender differences.
I doubt any of those people blamed you for their pay scale, but when there is no logical reason for a nurse to make more than a medic in a prehospital environment I can certainly understand their frustration.
*** I think it would be better to bring medic pay up to RNs doing pretty much the same job on a crew. However saying medics deserve to make the same as RN (I agree) is a very different thing than saying there is no logical reason for medics to make less. There are perfectly logical reasons.
H
owever, the EMS community has no one but ourselves to blame for pay scales and reimbursement rates. If they'd quit responding until Medicare/Medicaid decided to quit reimbursing roughly 5 cents on the dollar of ambulance bills, perhaps the industry could afford to pay more.
*** Maybe. Another problem you have is romance. Face it movies are made about paramedics and it's a glamorous job that one can be come qualified for in a short amount of time. It attracts too many people.
Nursing is on the same path and it is catching up with us.
I also find it funny that communities want to sub-contract out their emergency services to the lowest private bidders but are just shocked when they wind up receiving sub-par emergency services. The whole system needs to be blown up and done over.
*** Yes shocking that the lowest bidder isn't the best performer.
I worked full time and did 15 hours a semester. My program actually encouraged working. It was actually only 9 hours a semester but I landed a scholarship when I graduated from my asn program that required 15 but I managed. I continued to work full time up until this semester in my FMHNP program but I had to quit. No way I could do 20+ hours clinical time and work m-f 7-3. I graduate in 11 months so ready to be done...lol... I will start my dnp a year after graduation at UAB.
Yes, it is very possible to work while completing an RN-BSN program. The classes are just busy work so you'll need time to write endless papers, but it can be done. Unless, writing is not your strength. In general, there's no highly intellectual anything going on -- no matter what many try to make you think.
If I were you, I would skip the BSN altogether and find myself an ADN-MSN bridging program. Better use of time, effort, and money.
Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
When I did my RN-BSN I worked 3 12 hr nights a week, had 4 kids and was pregnant. Yes...it is doable. I had a 3.7 or 3.8 GPA. I went with an online program because couldn't commit to being in class on specific nights...my work schedule was the issue there. So online for me!
When I did my RN-BSN I worked 3 12 hr nights a week had 4 kids and was pregnant. Yes...it is doable. I had a 3.7 or 3.8 GPA. I went with an online program because couldn't commit to being in class on specific nights...my work schedule was the issue there. So online for me![/quote']
What online program did u do? I'm looking at u of Texas Arlington...
Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
What online program did u do? I'm looking at u of Texas Arlington...
I did Chamberlain College of Nursing. I was very happy with the school and how things went. Everything was predictable...which was nice. I'm now in grad school at Drexel University (so you can get into grad school after a BSN with Chamberlain) and I miss the predictability of Chamberlain. Chamberlain was set up in a way where expectations for each class were very similar...due dates for discussion boards, the times things were due. Now I'm at Drexel and sometimes something is due on Friday or Saturday or Sunday and it may be noon or midnight or 8 pm. So ever class is very different with very different rules. I liked that Chamberlain was...predictable. It really helped plan my life while doing school and working and having a family.
My husband is working on his RN and plans to do Chamberlain for his BSN and possibly his MSN too!
I did Chamberlain College of Nursing. I was very happy with the school and how things went. Everything was predictable...which was nice. I'm now in grad school at Drexel University (so you can get into grad school after a BSN with Chamberlain) and I miss the predictability of Chamberlain. Chamberlain was set up in a way where expectations for each class were very similar...due dates for discussion boards, the times things were due. Now I'm at Drexel and sometimes something is due on Friday or Saturday or Sunday and it may be noon or midnight or 8 pm. So ever class is very different with very different rules. I liked that Chamberlain was...predictable. It really helped plan my life while doing school and working and having a family.
My husband is working on his RN and plans to do Chamberlain for his BSN and possibly his MSN too!
Sounds like you had a really good experience! I also looked at chamberlain but I found through different links that I cannot attend the school because I live in Washington state. Too bad!! I am debating between wsu-Vancouver and UT-Arlington. Save about 6-7k going to UTA and they have no clinicals. Anyway sorry to ramble on and thanks for sharing your experience!!
I am doing an online RN to BSN program, and it is completely doable for me working full time nights. But if I was doing a classroom program requiring face to face time, that might be a different story. I worked during my ADN too and it was rough but I made it.
Do you mind sharing how you were able to work and do the ADN program? I'm always looking to hear stories like that for inspiration and encouragement.
I teach in an RN-BSN program. I also work in a hospital and have several friends who are in RN-BSN programs.
The fact is that some schools are more rigorous than others and require more commitment on the part of the student. If a program requires a level of work and commitment equal to a traditional, high-quality education ... a "full time" student should expect to work the number of hours equivalent to a "full time" job -- 35-40 hours per week. With such a program, it is almost impossible to do a good job if you both work full time and go to school full time. However, it would be possible to do one (work or school) full time while doing the other on a part time basis. It would also be possible to do both on a part time basis. Most of the people I know do one (either work or school) full time and the other on a part time basis. In other words, they either work full time and take 1 or 2 courses per semester ... or they go to school full time and only work part time.
However, there are a lot of RN-BSN programs out there that are not all that rigorous. They may require a lot of "busy-work" to complete, but they don't require the deep intellectual work that necessitates you spend 10 hours per course per week. If that's the type of program you are planning to attend, then you may be able to handle more working and/or more courses per semester.
Any pointers for this? What should I look for to determine academic rigor? Thanks :)
PMFB-RN, RN
5,351 Posts
*** Whatever.
*** Wow, talk about making my point about medics. _I_ was not responsible or the nurse / medic pay scale. I absolutely agree with you that medics deserve a lot more money. I find it amazing that you have never seen a nurse extricate or intubate anyone. All of our nurses where RNs and medics and could and did do everything the medics did. I am guessing your didn't work with pre-hospital RNs much.
Our medics were great and highly competent. My only complaint was the often heard complaining about how they pretty much did the same job but got half the pay of the transport RNs they worked with, and their sometimes fragile egos.
*** Ya I know the feeling, except with us is was basic and medic units screwing us. Instead of "call the paramedic unit" it's "call the flight nurses".