46 year old new nurse - Should I get a BSN?

[Nurse Beth]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I am a 46yr old new nurse. Prior to my nursing career, I was involved in healthcare management and healthcare IT. I have my MS in Health Administration as well as a BS in Psychology. My question to you is, how necessary is it for me to get my BSN? My organization has put a lot of pressure on LPN's to get their RN or BSN. I know I don't want to get into management again, it's not my thing. I enjoy bedside care but I realize I probably can't do it for the remainder of my nursing career. If you were me, what would you do? The compensation for getting a BSN is less than a dollar where I work. I've already got loans I'm paying back for my education and I also don't want to be tied down and in debt to an institution where I'd need to work off the loan if I were to choose tuition reimbursement. My understanding is that there is more theory and management in the BSN. I don't agree with the notion that a BSN makes a better nurse. I'm a good nurse and I think my prior experience in healthcare makes me very marketable down the road but if the BSN is going to make or break me, I'd like to know now. Any advice you have is appreciated.

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Dear Should I get my BSN?

For right now, and as long as you plan to work as a bedside nurse, you'll be fine with an ADN and not a BSN. And you are right, it's not a BSN that makes you a good nurse or not. But the market is moving in favor of BSN prepared nurses.

It's when you want to leave bedside nursing that you'll be more marketable with a BSN. Look at job postings in your area or facility for Case Managers, Utilization Review, Informatics, Staff Development, Risk Management, Infection Prevention, and so on (I'm thinking of areas you may be interested in down the road). Check to see if the qualifications include a BSN, or if they say BSN preferred”.

Now in your case, you are highly educated in a related field. Sometimes an employer will waive a BSN requirement if the applicant has a non-nursing degree or experience in the field.

So to summarize, you are more marketable than a nurse with an ADN, and less marketable than a nurse with a BSN.

The sure thing would be to get your BSN, but only you can weigh the personal variables of cost and the want-to” factor.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[heatheralo]

Why not enroll in the second bachelor program for nurses since you already have a masters and a bachelors. You can have your BSN in a year

[Dafabb, LPN]

I don't know the right answer, but just wanted to tell you that I am 47 (graduated last spring) and working while attending school for my BSN. It's just one day a week, so pretty do-able, although there is certainly plenty of homework. That being said, I am just finishing my second of four quarters and I haven't really learned any new skills or clinical knowledge. It's all stuff like research, leadership, cultural and social issues in nursing, etc. This is at a highly respected and top rated university.

Of course you will get an argument on this from many BSN Nurses but back in the 80's when BSN was getting more popular is was called as BS degree.....It was a pathway for more administrative jobs. No more pay to speak of. As you see from suzw she is not learning clinical skills etc. I have been around 1000s RN,ADN,BSN and see no difference as being a better nurse. As a very seasoned Nurse and listening to your debt already I would say no I would not do it. You will be paying for it well into retirement. You have a lot of degrees already I am sure you can find something to do with those that you really like doing..Work for an agency. You can do that anywhere on the side and they would love you.........I wish you well!