Bachelors in Business to Nursing...

[HrryUpNwait]

I am a recent college graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Since graduating in May of 08 I realized I would like to pursue a career in medicine but I have no idea how to go about it. What are the differences between BSN and RN? How many years of schooling are each? What are the salaries in the field? How much would nursing school cost? Are there any programs in the Pittsburgh, PA area?

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[184013]

You should look at ALLNURSES.COM for another forum which is more 'nurse-centric'.

You can become an RN after taking your NCLEX test and completing either an ADN or BSN or MSN program. The end state is your are an RN - over time the BSN or MSN RN might be better suited for management.... but in reality they are all RNs.

The accelerated programs for 2nd degree nurses... the program itself will last 11 to 16 months... that is based on you being accepted and completing all the pre-reqs. Most schools (especially state by state) have similar pre-reqs... PA has tons of schools... I'd recommend really looking into the time/cost between ADN and accellerated BSN programs.
I'd personally say the ADN might be much cheaper..and get you exactly where you need to start an RN career.... in the future you can do an online or in-person MSN program based upon your previous BBA.... The only scenario where a BSN would really be advantageous to you.. IMHO would be if you want to enter the military where you need a BSN.

best of luck.

 

[LadyWolverine]

I'm confused...do you want to pursue a career in nursing, or in medicine? They are very different.

 

[HrryUpNwait]

nursing (meant the medical field)

 

[foreverLaur]

Why nursing? Why not PA or MD or DO or RT?

ps GO BUCKS

 

[HrryUpNwait]

Why not a teacher or a lawyer or a policeman? I am asking how to do this, not if I should do this. I don't want to be an MD or DO because of all the schooling and the prereq sciences which are very demanding. I don't want to be a PA for the same reason- too much of a commitment. It is easier to find Nursing programs than RT programs and it gives me more of a range of potential fields I can work in.

 

[foreverLaur]

If you plan to stay as an RN it will probably be about 2 years fast. If you later realize you want more knowledge, skills, and autonomy, it will be a lot faster to do the PA route.

The PA route isn't all that much longer. You should want to be a nurse for reasons other than the other programs take too much time. Nursing isn't an easy job by any means.

 

[HrryUpNwait]

I know it is not easy, but it is less demanding than PA. I would like to have kids and stop working for that period in time and nursing makes that much easier. There are also more options in Nursing for working part-time rather than full-time. I am related to MD's, a nurse, a PA, and a med secretary- I know nursing is the one I want. If we can get past that I am interested in programs tailored to people with Bachelors in other areas who want to be RNs. I know the U of Rochester has an 18 month program for exactly that. I would like to hear from people with experience with these types of programs...

 

[HrryUpNwait]

If you later realize you want more knowledge, skills, and autonomy why don't you become an MD?

 

[foreverLaur]

MDs can't change specialties. My dermatologist works part time (she's a PA). She drops her kids off at school, gets to work around 930. She leaves around 3pm and picks her kids up from school. She's then home with them all evening. Prior to having kids, she worked in emergency medicine full time. When her kids leave and go off to college, she plans to return to full time work in emergency medicine. As a future mother, I love having that type of flexibility in my schedule. I know the specialties that I love will be very unfamily friendly. I love that I can follow my passion, but take a break and work in a more family friendly specialty when I need to and then have the option to return later. My schooling is also 2 years where MDs go for 7-12 years.

 

[HrryUpNwait]

So are you saying nursing doesn't have that same flexibility? I don't understand why you are quetioning my desire to be a nurse in this forum. What if you decide you want to do things a PA cannot do? And MDs go for 4 years, followed by roughly a 4 year residency, and a fellowship in certain fields- thats 4 years of schooling because even as a resident you are a paid employee...

 

[foreverLaur]

I don't count a resident as a paid employee. Given that they work far over 40 hours a week usually... they are paid at the poverty level.

If I become an MD... my resident would be approximately 6 years. Thus, coming to a grand total of 10 years before I could make a good salary and start paying off loans. That would put me in my mid-30s and I'm not willing to do that.

I'm not questioning your desire to become a nurse. I'm just asking questions. You originally stated that you wanted to practice medicine and nurses don't do that. Nursing and medicine both practice in the medical field, but follow completely different methods and the schooling is very different.

You also stated you didn't want to become a PA because the schooling was too long. I'm saying that isn't a good enough reason to want to be a nurse.... because all the other schooling takes too long. I could become a nurse in 11 months if I wanted to. Piece of cake. There are tons of reasons why I would rather spend 2 years taking prerequisites, 3 years working full and part time (combined for 3-3.5 yrs) at a $12/hr job, and spending 2.5 years in school to be a PA. I was just making sure that even if the schooling were equal, there are other reasons why you picked RN > PA.

 

[HrryUpNwait]

Average 50-55 hours/week for a resident at an average of $47k/year=poverty? Is it a regular physicians pay? No. Is it schooling where you pay approx $40k/year? No. Big difference (approx an $87k/year swing)

 

[KNC]

Please do not take this as me speaking for someone else, but what I think Foreverlaur is trying to say is; You already have a bachelors in another field. If you are going to spend 2 years in school anyway, why not maximize your potential and go to PA school. The accelerated nursing programs are extremely demanding. Working is next to impossible during the program. I honestly do not think that others on this board have an issue with you wanting to be a nurse if that is what you choose. I just think people are trying to give you other options to a better means, that's all. If nursing is what you want to do, then by all means go for it! I do not know where you live, but the Duquesne Univesity and Univ. of Pittsburgh also have accelerated nursing programs as well. I would just check around to most of the major Univ.. If they have a BSN nursing program, they may also have an accelerated program as well. Good Luck!! I live in Pittsburgh also, and I work at West Penn Hospital so if you have any questions I, shoot!! We have a 2 year nursing program at my hospital as well but it will just give you an A.S. not a BSN......

 

[fab4fan]

I don't count a resident as a paid employee. Given that they work far over 40 hours a week usually... they are paid at the poverty level.

If I become an MD... my resident would be approximately 6 years. Thus, coming to a grand total of 10 years before I could make a good salary and start paying off loans. That would put me in my mid-30s and I'm not willing to do that.

I'm not questioning your desire to become a nurse. I'm just asking questions. You originally stated that you wanted to practice medicine and nurses don't do that. Nursing and medicine both practice in the medical field, but follow completely different methods and the schooling is very different.

You also stated you didn't want to become a PA because the schooling was too long. I'm saying that isn't a good enough reason to want to be a nurse.... because all the other schooling takes too long. I could become a nurse in 11 months if I wanted to. Piece of cake. There are tons of reasons why I would rather spend 2 years taking prerequisites, 3 years working full and part time (combined for 3-3.5 yrs) at a $12/hr job, and spending 2.5 years in school to be a PA. I was just making sure that even if the schooling were equal, there are other reasons why you picked RN > PA.

You know what? Back off. This person wants to be a nurse. Cut him/her a break. You do realize that we do need nurses, do you not? Let this poster explore what he/she wants to do. Just because nursing isn't your dream doesn't mean it isn't his/her dream. I think you need to stop interrogating the OP and making him/her feel like being a nurse isn't "good enough."

Please try to put that attitude aside. I thought you were an LPN, BTW. You should be encouraging a fellow nurse.

 

[fab4fan]

MDs can't change specialties. My dermatologist works part time (she's a PA). She drops her kids off at school, gets to work around 930. She leaves around 3pm and picks her kids up from school. She's then home with them all evening. Prior to having kids, she worked in emergency medicine full time. When her kids leave and go off to college, she plans to return to full time work in emergency medicine. As a future mother, I love having that type of flexibility in my schedule. I know the specialties that I love will be very unfamily friendly. I love that I can follow my passion, but take a break and work in a more family friendly specialty when I need to and then have the option to return later. My schooling is also 2 years where MDs go for 7-12 years.

Your "dermatologist" is a PA, not a dermatologist. A dermatologist is a physician (MD/DO) who is residency trained and board certified in dermatology, not a PA. Big difference.

 

[foreverLaur]

I'm fully aware. I'm pretty sure no one assumed I thought my PA practicing dermatology was actually an MD or DO in disguise. That wasn't the point of the statement at all.

And we don't need nurses. We need nurses who actually want to work in nursing. At least from the studies I have seen, we have enough potential nurses, but a fair amount of them aren't working in that field. Not all studies are correct, but that is just what I gathered.

I'm not discouraging the OP from nursing. I just got the impression that he hadn't taken the time to fully think through all the options. I wanted to make sure the OP wanted to be a nurse and not that he didn't not want to be anything else. I didn't mean anything by it. If nursing is what the OP really wants - by all means go for it. I have two friends in the 2nd degree BSN program at Mt. Carmel and one attending then nursing program at Chamberlain. I'm jealous - I wish I was on my way towards the career I want.

I more so meant that if the OP eventually wanted to "do more" and thought about becoming an NP there are other options. PA and direct entry MSN programs would be something to look at. If the OP wanted to stick to being an RN - great. We do need more of those in practice.

 

[HrryUpNwait]

We dont need nurses? Are you nuts? Potential nurses?- yeah we have enough potential astronauts but not enough actual astronauts- what are you even talking about here? Please do not add to this thread any longer.

 

[foreverLaur]

*sigh* You really should take time to realize what I meant before jumping to your own conclusions (and not asking me what I meant and then tell me not to post).

Approximately 60% of RNs are actually working as full-time nurses (20% are part time and 20% are not working in nursing at all) and the national shortage rate of nurses is 13%. We have enough RNs to fill the shortage - they just aren't working in the nursing field. That is what I meant by that statement. A little under 20% of RNs in this country are not working as nurses. They could, but they aren't for reasons unknown to me. Or at least that is what the studies show that Chamberlain College of Nursing is teaching to their students.

The other part of the problem is that tons of qualified applicants are being turned away from schools because they lack the resources to increase the size of their programs - a bit of a catch 22.

It is a hard problem to solve and the shortage will probably only get worse before it gets resolved. I'm glad I am not one that has to come up with a solution.

On the bright side... it shouldn't be too hard to find a job when you graduate despite the economy.

 

[fab4fan]

We dont need nurses? Are you nuts? Potential nurses?- yeah we have enough potential astronauts but not enough actual astronauts- what are you even talking about here? Please do not add to this thread any longer.

Do what is in your heart. If you really want to be a nurse, then pursue that. It's not an easy career, but it has rewards. Good luck to you! Someone has to take care of the likes of me when I retire!

I would suggest you go to www.allnurses.com. You will get more advice there on how to put your bachelor's degree to use toward a nursing degree. It will be far more productive than listening to people who are not nurses, have not graduated from their bachelor's programs yet, and have in the past had their background called seriously into question for some, eh, "confabulation."

 

[foreverLaur]

Go ahead and call the Wayne County Career Center. They're in NE Ohio where I've always said I went to school. They STILL have the program where you can get your LPN license during your junior/senior years of high school. When you graduate high school, you get your HS diploma and you can sit for the boards and be an LPN right out of high school. My mother did it and I did the same program and you can STILL do it today.

So please refrain from accusing people of making up their backgrounds until you have something to go on besides a "hunch."

I do believe you were the one who said those programs no longer existed. Clearly they still do and magically in the area I've always said I am from. Hmm...

 

[HrryUpNwait]

Well 14.2% of nurses are single and 18% like the color red and 20% don't work for unknown reasons- WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NURSES. It doesn't matter if we have certified RNs who aren't working or not- when it comes down to it we don't have enough nurses in hospitals, period. I shouldn't have to ask you to clarify unfounded and ambiguous statements like that so please- do not add any longer. This isn't why I created the thread.

 

[foreverLaur]

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/APLIST.PDF

 

[foreverLaur]

If you want to be a nurse - become a nurse. Nothing else should matter. If it is what you want, go for it. Make it work.

 

[bradt9881]

Good luck on entering the nursing field! I would advise making sure that the accelerated program you enter has a good track record of graduating its students based on this report from LA:

Friday, October 10, 2008
Accelerated Nurse Training Programs Draw Students, Scrutiny

People who already hold bachelor's degrees and more men are turning to accelerated nursing programs to move into the profession, but some critics remain skeptical of the programs' value, the Los Angeles Daily Newsreports.
Accelerated programs typically last between 12 to 18 months with no semester breaks and require students to attend full time.
Accelerated nursing programs have almost doubled in the past six years, from 105 nationwide in 2002 to 205 this year, according to Robert Rosseter, associate executive director for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
A 2007 study published in the journal Nurse Educator found that the number of men enrolling in accelerated programs between 2003 and 2006 is three times the number enrolled in traditional undergraduate nursing programs.
The study also found that in 2005, 7,829 students enrolled in accelerated programs, but only 3,769 students graduated, raising concerns about how effectively the programs will help address the nursing shortage (Abram, Los Angeles Daily News, 10/9).

 

[lally10]

in an attempt to help hrryup...

I'm in an accelerated BSN program at UMDNJ for 2nd degree students, and im nearing the end of my 3rd of 4 consecutive semesters (I have a previous BS in Exercise Physiology). First off, the accelerated programs are NOT for everyone. Unless you can devote 16-18 months only on nursing school, you should find another route. Being 23 and moving back in with mommy and daddy, I can handle the courseload.. because it is A LOT of work. You cannot work full time and do this type of accelerated program, just based on time committments to the school alone.

There are nursing programs through many community colleges where you can take classes at your own pace and eventually graduate with an associates degree, then sit for the nursing boards and hopefully get that RN title. You can always take 1-2 classes at a time towards your BSN while you are working as an RN.

Costs here are around $8000 per semester, totaling near $24,000 by the time you graduate. If you can commit your time to a BSN program, I would say go for it, but if you dont have the time, and dont want any more giant loans, go with an associates degree program through a county college

 

[mp1106]

I am a recent college graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Since graduating in May of 08 I realized I would like to pursue a career in medicine but I have no idea how to go about it. What are the differences between BSN and RN? How many years of schooling are each? What are the salaries in the field? How much would nursing school cost? Are there any programs in the Pittsburgh, PA area?

Ok So by now I guess you have done your personal research. It is better to do a BSN than to just do the RN. RN is really for people who are just coming out of high school who want to become a nurse without taking so many liberal art classes to earn the BSN. Since you already have a Bach. it will take you the same amount of time to earn the RN as it would to obtain the BSN. It takes about four semesters to earn a BSN. The accelerated BSN program is supposed to be more rigorous and it has all these prerequisite requirements. You can always take a student loan to pay for living expenses while you earn your BSN degree. The pay off is high. One of my best had her BA then got her BSN in one year time she had some pretty good salary offer in NYC. One hospital offer her over 80k. Go for the nursing career. One of the reasons why there is a shortage of nurses is because your options are good once you gain some experience in the field. Do what is best for you. Good Luck!!

Look into the nursing program at Yale, UPENN and NYU they are a little more flexible in terms of the prerequisite nursing requirements.

Good luck.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Ahem. "RN" is short for "Registered Nurse." It is a license, not a degree. There is no such thing as an RN degree. RN is a license you earn by passing the NCLEX after you earn a degree. There are two degrees that will allow you to become an RN. Those degrees are ADN--Associate Degree in Nursing or BSN--Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

As for which one to pursue, that depends entirely on your lifestyle and programs available in your area. Look at quality, cost, and time invested. Some ADN programs have a waiting list several years long, others don't. Some universities have accelerated programs for those who already have a bachelor's degree, others don't. Just look at what every nearby college has to offer and go from there.

 

[184013]

Actually now there are 4 options for direct entry as an RN (4 options providing you have a previous bachelors...)

1. ADN
2. BSN
3. Entry level masters
4. Entry level DNP (example.. university of WA)

v/r

 

[rnnpmaybe]

Well 14.2% of nurses are single and 18% like the color red and 20% don't work for unknown reasons- WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NURSES. It doesn't matter if we have certified RNs who aren't working or not- when it comes down to it we don't have enough nurses in hospitals, period. I shouldn't have to ask you to clarify unfounded and ambiguous statements like that so please- do not add any longer. This isn't why I created the thread.

ForeverLaur had a valid point. The problem with nursing is that people go into it because "hey, it's only two years, and it's a great paycheck", finish the program, and then realize what absolute hell it is to actually be a nurse. I went into nursing with visions of puppy dogs and roses and helping people, and I, along with the majority of my colleagues, are very burnt out, and yes, considering career changes. A majority of nurses are not practicing - probably for these reasons. So it's not enough to say that the answer is to educate more nurses.

OP - if you want to do nursing because you want to do nursing, that's great. Keep in mind that once you get out of school, the REAL stress begins. Yes, it is rewarding. But those rewarding moments are few and far between. If you love nursing, you'll love it. However, if you just want a career in healthcare and are thinking that nursing will get you more bang for your buck, you'll end up hating it and yes, switching careers. I'm not a fan of the mantra that just because there is a shortage of nurses, anyone should enter the nursing field.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to discourage if this is really what you want to do. I think you should try shadowing a nurse, PA, respiratory therapist, etc. It's not enough to read about job descriptions online.

Feel free to PM me if you want more nursing insider info!

 

[OKnurse]

ForeverLaur had a valid point. The problem with nursing is that people go into it because "hey, it's only two years, and it's a great paycheck", finish the program, and then realize what absolute hell it is to actually be a nurse. I went into nursing with visions of puppy dogs and roses and helping people, and I, along with the majority of my colleagues, are very burnt out, and yes, considering career changes. A majority of nurses are not practicing - probably for these reasons. So it's not enough to say that the answer is to educate more nurses.

OP - if you want to do nursing because you want to do nursing, that's great. Keep in mind that once you get out of school, the REAL stress begins. Yes, it is rewarding. But those rewarding moments are few and far between. If you love nursing, you'll love it. However, if you just want a career in healthcare and are thinking that nursing will get you more bang for your buck, you'll end up hating it and yes, switching careers. I'm not a fan of the mantra that just because there is a shortage of nurses, anyone should enter the nursing field.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to discourage if this is really what you want to do. I think you should try shadowing a nurse, PA, respiratory therapist, etc. It's not enough to read about job descriptions online.

Feel free to PM me if you want more nursing insider info!

I couldn't agree more with this post. I work as an RN for more than 3 yrs, and I went to nursing school because it was supposed to be good stable job with great benefits. Trust me, it doesn't work that way. Nursing school is a hell itself, but the real hell begins on the floor. Very few nurses can say they are happy and satisfied with this career. I myself work only per diem in the hospital, about 20 hrs a week at the most, because I can't stand this job anymore. For those who are considering nursing: please shadow a nurse or work as a nursing aide, otherwise you have no idea what you are getting yourself into.

 

[EmergencyRN]

I can't agree more with most of the above postings. Investigate your options, shadow someone who does what you are interested in, and make sure that this is your thing before going through the rigors of nursing school. My nursing school experience was not the horrible ordeal that some of these posters have gone through, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. I do love working as a nurse, however. In the ER, no less. I don't love every minute of it, but as an overall experience, it can't be beat. Good luck in your search for what is the best fit for YOU.