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As I'm aware that is one possible course for a nurse with a masters degree. Initially my plan was to get a masters in nursing, I looked into the schools in my state(Vanderbilt being one of them) and it was their program that intrigued me. I researched the role of NP and other important information about becoming an NP and ever since I've been really interested in becoming an NP. Pediatric or family.
I know there are other roles for a nurse with a masters degree, however the NP is the occupation I was most interested in.
Last edited by sunkisses87; 08-08-2012 at 10:57 PM..
School might not matter as much for a BSN but with a NP going to a doctorate soon it will play more of a role I'd think. If you can get into Vanderbilt you should look at some of the top public schools.
UNC and Washington stand out. Both will be much cheaper.
If I understand you correctly, you already have a bachelors degree- you will not get financial aid for another bachelor degree from the federal government. That being said, their are hospitals that will pay if you agree to work for them as someone previously stated, but you will probably have to locate the hospital yourself.
ALso, when do you plan on starting? Students will begin applying in the next month or two for the fall of 2013. Decide what area you want to live in- and apply to those schools.
I don't know how true it is, so I can only speak of experiences of those that I know. Right now I have two friends trying to get jobs at Vanderbilt hospital and neither one of them has been able to get their foot in the door. From what they've told me it's extremely competitive and you have to almost know someone at the hospital to get a job. Again I'm not sure how accurate this is.
I plan to start applying in November-through January, most schools start priority reviews around that time. OSU is the only school I can think of that has extremely early admissions, most have December-February deadlines.
I agree that it would be a good idea to find out if you even like nursing before taking on this debt and changing professions. I do know someone who borrowed money for an accelerated BSN program; she had a degree in biology.-
Hmmm that's interesting. I was told by an admission counselor at one of the schools I was looking into for the BSN that there was a good chance financial aid would not cover the BSN. I was then told that they offered an adult reduced tuition rate but it was still too expensive for me to pay out of pocket. Not to mention that from what I've been told it makes more sense that I just get a masters in nursing which would take a similar length of time(2 years sometimes 3 depending on the school) rather than get a BSN in the same time frame. I have one friend who had a major in biology and she went to Depaul in Chicago and got a masters in nursing because it was more practical based on what she was advised.
As I'm aware that is one possible course for a nurse with a masters degree. Initially my plan was to get a masters in nursing, I looked into the schools in my state(Vanderbilt being one of them) and it was their program that intrigued me. I researched the role of NP and other important information about becoming an NP and ever since I've been really interested in becoming an NP. Pediatric or family.
I know there are other roles for a nurse with a masters degree, however the NP is the occupation I was most interested in.
But you aren't a nurse and by your own admission, know nothing about the profession. Why not go back and go through an ADN program? It will take about as much time and you can really get an inkling for what a nurse does and how that plays into the decision-making process of an APRN.
But you aren't a nurse and by your own admission, know nothing about the profession. Why not go back and go through an ADN program? It will take about as much time and you can really get an inkling for what a nurse does and how that plays into the decision-making process of an APRN.
Well in my mind whether I do ADN or APRN if both take the same length and both are offered, why not go for the one that intrigues me or that I'm most interested in? I do understand what you are saying, which is that I need to gauge just how much I enjoy being a nurse or understand what it means to be a nurse before delving into an APRN program. However from my understanding whether I do the NP or the ADN I still have clinicals I'll have to do, and this will entail many practice hours(700 or more I believe) to a variety of populations(kids, adults, older folks, etc) that I have to obtain during the first year of nursing school(it's a requirement for any non-nursing person to complete during their first pre-specialty year) and that will give me a good idea about the profession. So whether I do the ADN or the APRN from what I've researched the requirement still stands that I'll have to get a feel for the field. That being said at Vandy at least, their master program IS an ADNP program format. Which is pretty much what led me into feeling like it was the step I wanted to take even if I choose another school. Of course I do plan to really research a bit more about my options and more about the profession but at this point I am most interested in the APRN program.
The ADN will cost far less, and you might find out you don't even like nursing, would rather get a master's in something else. For that matter, an accelerated BSN will only take about a year (probably 1 1/2 academic years) and you can still get an idea if nursing is for you.
My concern with the accelerated ADN and BSN, is the timeframe it will take to complete and the direction the field is moving in(will explain), the "costs", and then the age I am and timing. To explain, had an unplanned pregnancy occur two years ago. It wasn't at the best time. We (me and the "so") had planned originally to complete all of our schooling before we had kids, to increase earnings as well as to get it out of the way. That didn't happen. So now we are moving backwards. We have the kid, and we would like to get all of our schooling done(for the most part) before we have anymore.
I'm 26. He just turned 27. Some small facts: I would like to be done with most of my schooling by 30 because me and the "so" would like to start back having kids within the next 4-5 years(when we have completed our schooling and completely started back in the work force). The ADN or accelerated BSN--I would not be able to start until next year, and most of these programs are 15-24 months. Upon completing the programs and getting the work experience in, the next step would be the "masters". Most fields are moving in direction where a "masters" just looks more competitive anyway. Going back to school with one child will be difficult enough, especially for a nursing degree, going back with more than one will be even more difficult. Hence the reason I am more inclined to get the masters now while all I have is my son to worry about. To add, the money I spend on the accelerated or ADN, in addition to the money I will have to spend on the masters (because I will be getting a masters no matter what direction I take) will result in high amount of student loans, since most accelerated BSN are between $25,000-$35,000 out here where I am. ADN's are cheaper but almost always have waitlists and are very competitive to get in, even now the one for 2013 is completely closed off at two of the local community colleges I could go to. It could be an additional year or so before I would even be able to get in to an ADN program. And I'm hearing more and more that BSN and masters are now the direction the nursing field is moving in.
With all this in mind it seems like the best way to maximize time and costs is to just go for the masters--it will be done within the three years, the costs will be lower than getting an ADN/BSN and then getting getting a masters later on, and I'll be somewhat competitive with the "masters"(more so than with a BSN). Or at least that has been my logic.
I have one friend that took this route. A biology major who just went on to get a "nursing" masters rather than the accelerated BSN or ADN. She completed the masters in 3 years. And is now looking for a full time job. That is the route I'm looking at, for time and cost sake. Since most master programs for non-nurses have pre-specialty years--where you complete plenty of clinicals, traditional "nursing" classes etc, I'll know within the first year if nursing is something I want to continue.
Last edited by sunkisses87; 08-12-2012 at 03:08 PM..
I think the NP for Non-Nurses is a great option for those who already have a Bachelors. I never heard of it until this post, so I had to do a little research on it. I'm really glad I did! I'm a therapist with an MA in counseling and have thought about going back to become a Psych NP. Not sure I could do the program as I'm about maxed out on student loans, but it's nice to know it's there.
BTW, being an RN is much different than being an NP (this is for those who said that the OP may not even like nursing).
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