Nurse- worth it?

[Skibjork]

I've got the toughest degree in the world... communications! I know - I'm amazing, anyway, a few of my buddies that are Nurses up at the University of Utah Hospital are living a pretty good gig. They have talked me into becoming a nurse.

My bro in law on the other hand is a resident at Mayo in Minnesota and is really pushing me to do respiratory therapist.

Any thoughts? Someone sell me on one of the other.

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[Therapist4Chnge]

What do you want to do as a career.....typically it helps to start there, and work backwards to see what you need to do to reach that career.

-t

 

[RAMPA]

I've got the toughest degree in the world... communications! I know - I'm amazing, anyway, a few of my buddies that are Nurses up at the University of Utah Hospital are living a pretty good gig. They have talked me into becoming a nurse.

My bro in law on the other hand is a resident at Mayo in Minnesota and is really pushing me to do respiratory therapist.

Any thoughts? Someone sell me on one of the other.

what can you handle better brown or green?

 

[McNursey]

what can you handle better brown or green?

So true, lol. I'm a nurse......I've learned how to handle both pretty darn well.

 

[foreverLaur]

You need to do some research.

See what a nurse (RN) does. Look at advanced options if that interests you as well such as nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist. Do the same for an RT. Which one can you envision yourself being happy doing down the road? Try to shadow both.

I'm not sure how long school is to become an RT, but I know you can become an RN (and get your bachelors in nursing) in 12 months if you already have a non-nursing bachelors degree.

 

[RAMPA]

You need to do some research.

See what a nurse (RN) does. Look at advanced options if that interests you as well such as nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist. Do the same for an RT. Which one can you envision yourself being happy doing down the road? Try to shadow both.

I'm not sure how long school is to become an RT, but I know you can become an RN (and get your bachelors in nursing) in 12 months if you already have a non-nursing bachelors degree.

ditto what Lauren said, research is the best way to find out before pursuing anything

options in nursing are much bigger. for one, starting salary is usually higher for RNs and even at hospitals where RNs and RTs have similar starting wages, the RNs tend to max out at a higher payrate.

RT school is 2 yrs long. just like nursing you can enter "RTdom" by completing an associates degree or a bachelors degree. a BS will give you the opportunity to enter leadership positions or to continue into graduate school. graduate RT programs are very limited. many RTs go onto pursue an MBA, MPH, or MHS or PhD to stay within the hospital or teaching environment.

as a BS-RT you have the option to enter medical school, pharmacy school, PA school, AA school, perfusion school, etc. many RTs go into nursing school specifically just to enter CRNA school after completing the required RN-ICU time.

RTs role and practice can vary from hospital to hospital. some RTs may be knob-turners and neb jockeys, while other RTs work on transport teams, in the OR, in the ED, in the cath lab, in research, on ECMO teams, in asthma management, as case managers, in hyperbaric medicine, in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, etc.

good luck

 

[Skibjork]

I can definitely handle the brown more than the green. I did Phlebbin' for two years and I think Nurse is more for me. RT is cool, but the possibilities are much too great in Nursing to turn it down.

Thanks for the help.

 

[RT2MD]

How to find out if you should be a nurse or an RT:

1)Stand in a big vat of raw sewage (up to your neck).
2)Have somebody throw a bucket of sputum at you.

If you duck... you should be a nurse.

 

[caroladybelle]

I've got the toughest degree in the world... communications! I know - I'm amazing, anyway, a few of my buddies that are Nurses up at the University of Utah Hospital are living a pretty good gig. They have talked me into becoming a nurse.

Any thoughts? Someone sell me on one of the other.

Only you can decide which is for you.

But as a matter of note, as of two years ago, the pay rates for RNs in Utah were some of the worst. You could do better in other states.

 

[foreverLaur]

I don't know anything about RTs but as a nurse you have a lot of options. You can work in virtually any field... from a nurse giving allergy shots at a doctors office to working in the OR to the ER to the ICU and so on. You can also go on to advanced practice nursing and work as a nurse practitioner, work in anesthesia, or become a first assist in the OR. Or there are Ph.D options for research and DNP options for advanced clinical practice. Both options would allow you to teach as well.

There may be a lot of options in RT as well, but that is something to think about: the options you have once you pick one or the other.

 

[Skibjork]

Only you can decide which is for you.

But as a matter of note, as of two years ago, the pay rates for RNs in Utah were some of the worst. You could do better in other states.

I'm planning on Oregon or Colorado to work eventually, but what I'd love is to get up to Lake Tahoe... beautiful country and enough to suffice my outdoor sweet tooth. Utah's got a ton of stuff to do, but I'd love to try somewhere else.

 

[jonnyDRAMA]

it takes freaking less than 2 years to be a nurse making 40 bucks an hour... even if you dont like it you can walk away without any problems.. so doesnt sound like a bad invstment

 

[guetzow]

I've got the toughest degree in the world... communications! I know - I'm amazing, anyway, a few of my buddies that are Nurses up at the University of Utah Hospital are living a pretty good gig. They have talked me into becoming a nurse.

My bro in law on the other hand is a resident at Mayo in Minnesota and is really pushing me to do respiratory therapist.

Any thoughts? Someone sell me on one of the other.

Considering Nursing is really and Admin degree now, if you can weasle your way into a nice six-figure 9-5'er......definitely worth it!!

 

[lilies34]

i was unsure first about nursing but as the years went and i learned about the profession, i began to like it and i discovered that i enjoy caring for the sick.

 

[plouffes]

I can definitely handle the brown more than the green. I did Phlebbin' for two years and I think Nurse is more for me. RT is cool, but the possibilities are much too great in Nursing to turn it down.

Thanks for the help.

eh, as a nurse you deal with all the respiratory 'green' or however, you want to refer to it just as much as an RT, if not more.

As one of my favorite RT's always says, "airway is a respiratory/nursing shared responsibility."

 

[Womanonajourney]

Ugh, wait a darn minute! I have the toughest degree in the world. . .in Social Work (no disreptect to SWs) LMAO. But seriously, I have a Bachelor of Social Work and have been contemplating becoming a nurse also. My $0.02: nursing offers a wider range of diversity, there is a shortage so there are job opportunities all over, and when you do the math nurses typically earning a better salary. Do a job search on any given hospital human resources site, the VA Healthcare Careers or hotjobs site even, and see which profession has the most openings. . .in my experience it will be nursing all the time. Most importantly, you have to know what works best for you. Which career fits your personality and will provide you with the sense of fulfillment, comfortable life style, challenge/growth, etc. that you desire? Don't limit yourself to the idea of working in a hospital setting. . .look at what nurses do in other settings: home health, doctor's offices, legal nurse consulting--the possibilities are limited! Best wishes to you!!

I've got the toughest degree in the world... communications! I know - I'm amazing, anyway, a few of my buddies that are Nurses up at the University of Utah Hospital are living a pretty good gig. They have talked me into becoming a nurse.

My bro in law on the other hand is a resident at Mayo in Minnesota and is really pushing me to do respiratory therapist.

Any thoughts? Someone sell me on one of the other.

 

[Farmer Jane]

it takes freaking less than 2 years to be a nurse making 40 bucks an hour... even if you dont like it you can walk away without any problems.. so doesnt sound like a bad invstment

It's a very rare program that can truly be completed in less than two years. Most ADN programs take three. Your pay will vary throughout the country. In Minnesota you will not start out at $40 per hour, although I will say that I highly recommend working for Mayo if that works out for you. They're a great organization, and by far the best benefits I've ever had.

Only you can decide what you want to do. I've been an RN for close to five years, and even through a couple bouts of borderline burnout I've never regretted choosing this profession. The two times I began to burn out, I made a change--in nursing, you can do that.

 

[JRJ26]

many second degree programs are less than 2 years, however if you add in the pre-reqs you need to complete before matriculation, it could end up being 2+ years in total. You need Anatomy/Phys I and II, two semesters of chemistry, human growth, psych, microbio, etc.

 

[foreverLaur]

many second degree programs are less than 2 years, however if you add in the pre-reqs you need to complete before matriculation, it could end up being 2+ years in total. You need Anatomy/Phys I and II, two semesters of chemistry, human growth, psych, microbio, etc.

The programs vary greatly. Mine requires anatomy, physiology, micro, and 1 chem course. You take two additional chem courses in the program, which is 3 semesters in length and is completed in 1 year. All the programs in my area are 3-4 semesters in length with very variable prerequisites. I still think spending 1 year doing prerequisites and 1 year in a 2nd degree BSN program beats any 2-3 year ASN program.

 

[Farmer Jane]

I'm not entirely convinced about that. Having worked with new grads from accelerated BSN programs, they seemed woefully unprepared because cramming 2 years into 1, it's impossible to not miss or gloss over anything. I think BSNs are great. Accelerated BSNs and direct entry MSNs--I'm not a fan.

 

[foreverLaur]

I'm not entirely convinced about that. Having worked with new grads from accelerated BSN programs, they seemed woefully unprepared because cramming 2 years into 1, it's impossible to not miss or gloss over anything. I think BSNs are great. Accelerated BSNs and direct entry MSNs--I'm not a fan.

Again, RN experience does not correlate to better skills as an advanced practice nurse. I don't have the link off hand to the published article in a reputable journal that did the research that came to that conclusion.

The number of clinical hours of an accelerated BSN are EQUAL to those of a regular BSN degree. They do not skip over anything. The 2nd degree students just go for more hours per day and more days per week, so the time commitment is greater.

I have spoken extensively with two 2nd degree BSN programs and there has never been any evidence that their students are less prepared because they take the exact same courses with the exact same number of clinical hours.

At least the program I am interested in does clinicals 2 days a week from 7am-330 pm where the normal BSN students do clinicals 1 day a week from 7-1.

 

[Farmer Jane]

That's lovely, but it is not at all what I have seen in person.

 

[foreverLaur]

That's lovely, but it is not at all what I have seen in person.

I am surprised the nurses you work with discuss how they came about their degree. None of the nurses I have worked with discuss how they became an RN. Additionally, the hospital I work at do not care if you are diploma, ASN, BSN, or 2nd degree BSN. They all pass the same licensing exam and at least both groups of BSN students take the exact same coursework and have the same clinical hours/experiences.

Maybe you met a bad bunch of students, but in a more general sense there isn't a difference between the two groups. Same courses, same clinical hours/courses and technically the 2nd degree BSN students have had more schooling (usually).

I hope you have better experiences in the future. I have met quite a few who make excellent nurses and the hospitals I have worked at are quite font of the 2nd degree BSN students because they have the same BSN curriculum plus another degree.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Nurses quite often discuss with one another their educational and career background. I can't fathom working with someone for months or years and never discussing where one went to college, where they worked before... How odd. I know their spouse's and children's names and approximately where they live--why would I not know where they went to school?

I did not say that RNs coming from accelerated BSN programs are bad nurses--not by any means. I said they seemed "woefully unprepared." That means there was a much larger learning curve, and I suspect it's because they are expected to process all this material in a much shorter amount of time. Fact is, putting all of that knowledge together takes time. It doesn't mean they won't catch up, and it doesn't mean that there are no exceptions, but in my experience it means they're starting out at a disadvantage.

As for direct entry programs, it is true that there are studies out there that show no difference. There are also studies showing no difference between care provided by FPs and NPs and we know how well those are received around here. In my experience there is a difference. Certainly direct entry CNMs, NPs, and CNSs can catch up, but I have observed a disadvantage.

For example: I used to work in an urban hospital (we cared for both high and low risk patients) in L&D. Many CNM students did clinicals there--both experienced RNs and direct entry. There was an easily observable difference. That doesn't mean that the DE CNM will never be a good CNM, but in my opinion there is no substitute by the knowledge gained by actually being an L&D nurse. The concept of Advanced Practice Nurse was originally founded on the knowledge and experience gained by a nurse who has worked for several years. When they put a DE nurse into that same level of education without making up for it somehow, it is the DE nurse who struggle (or worse, doesn't know what she doesn't know).

I realize academia says otherwise, but I've never met a clinician in any field who didn't value education AND experience.

 

[foreverLaur]

I'm not saying they don't talk - most don't discuss the details of their accelerated BSN programs. Some second degree programs, like the one I am accepted it, are 3 semesters in length. Another one, near my current university, is 2 years in length so the nursing curriculum is not shortened at all. They just simply eliminate the first two years, which is gen ed (already done), and basic sciency stuff (prereqs). So, 2nd degree BSN does not always mean the nursing curriculum was condensed.

From what I have seen and from the older RNs I have spoken with, they cannot tell a difference between a typical 4 year degree new grad RN and the new grad 2nd degree RN.

For some advanced practice specialties like midwifery, acute care, neonatal, and anesthesia, previous experience is required. If you do a direct entry program, you do the RN curriculum, pass the exam, work the required amount of years (1-2) and then go back and finish the MSN curriculum. You can't eliminate the required experience in those specialties just because you are DE.

 

[Farmer Jane]

I am basing my observations on the programs in my locale. Obviously programs are different throughout the country. If DE programs in other areas are not shortchanging their students in the experience arena, then I support them fully.

 

[foreverLaur]

I am basing my observations on the programs in my locale. Obviously programs are different throughout the country. If DE programs in other areas are not shortchanging their students in the experience arena, then I support them fully.

I totally agree with you. All clinical hours and courses should be identical when leading to a particular degree, regardless of how you get there.

I believe you have to have 1-2 years of experience to sit for the licensing exam for the advanced practice specialties that I listed, so that is why schools require it as a prerequisite so students can be licensed upon graduating. That doesn't matter if you are a regular entry student or a DE entry student.

 

[caroladybelle]

it takes freaking less than 2 years to be a nurse making 40 bucks an hour... even if you dont like it you can walk away without any problems.. so doesnt sound like a bad invstment

I know of no GOOD nursing program (for first degree seekers) that takes less than close to three years minimum. For a standard (nonnursing) Associate Degree, it takes 60-65 semester hours. For a standard Bacheler's, 120-130 semester hours. For most Associate Nursing programs, the semester hours required are 89-110,. including the required prereqs

As far as accelerated programs for second degrees, I don't know.

I can generally tell a second degree-er (that came from the standard business/ IT) nurse from a first degree-er or someone from a health/social work background.

I do find that there are a lot of second degree nursing applicants from the business/IT areas that crash and burn/become seriously disillusioned in NS. They go in, thinking "easy degree/easy money" and find out that it is not the walk in the park portrayed.

Ironically, they are also the ones that whine most about the stupidity that other MBAs impose on health care facilities the wasted paperwork, Press-Gainey, etc.

And very few places in this country pay $40/hr right out of school. Many do not pay that after 20 years. Utah, about 4 years ago, was offering $16.00/hr. Florida pays $16-$23/hr to start, and less out of the hospital. Nurses after 10 years for Florida, $25/hr in the centrally part of the state. Georgia pays $18-$23 just out of school.

 

[foreverLaur]

Yes, but we aren't factoring in shift differentials and things like that either.

Here is a quote from Drexel University's nursing webpage

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]f you have a bachelors degree in another field and are interested in becoming a Professional Nurse – this degree is for you!! This is a wonderful time to obtain a BSN and start an exciting new career. If you are looking for a career with flexibility, a significant salary, and the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives then the ACE Nursing Program may be for you. Students graduate from the ACE Program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in just eleven months rather than the more traditional three or four years. All of our graduates of the ACE Program have accepted positions in various types of clinical settings and specialties."

Again, the clinical hours/courses are the same as the traditional programs. They can accomplish this in such a short amount of time because there are a lot of prerequisites (psych, developmental psych, sociology, ethics, nutrition, chem, microbio, anatomy, physiology, comp sci, and stats), you have to have a previous degree so you have already completed the general education stuff, and you take 21 credit hours for 3 quarters and 23 credit hours your fourth quarter.
.

 

[Farmer Jane]

If there are a lot of prerequisites prior to the 11 months then it's not truly an 11 month program.

Second, at least in my area all the shift differentials in the world will not get you to $40/hr. I've been practicing for five years, work every weekend, and don't make that much. Many hospitals (including my own ) are cutting differentials. It's how they cut our pay without technically cutting our pay.

Accelerated program BSNs I'm sure will do find in the long run, but again, in my experience they begin with a disadvantage. I'm sure the programs themselves tell you otherwise. I remember a professor insisting that nurses actually use "process recordings". (What is that, you ask? You'll find out, believe me.) What can I say? I love being a nurse but I've been doing it long enough to be cynical.

 

[fab4fan]

Guys...do not engage with Lauren if you know what's good for you. She knows it all already. And what she doesn't know she will look up on a website or ask her friend or mother (nurses, both of them) then tell you their opinions. It just isn't worth the aggravation to try to say otherwise. Heck, you could be Florence Freaking-Nightengale and she will still tell you otherwise. Don't waste your time

Besides, she's going to be a PA now. At least that's the career goal of the moment. I've long since lost track.

 

[fab4fan]

If there are a lot of prerequisites prior to the 11 months then it's not truly an 11 month program.

Second, at least in my area all the shift differentials in the world will not get you to $40/hr. I've been practicing for five years, work every weekend, and don't make that much. Many hospitals (including my own ) are cutting differentials. It's how they cut our pay without technically cutting our pay.

Accelerated program BSNs I'm sure will do find in the long run, but again, in my experience they begin with a disadvantage. I'm sure the programs themselves tell you otherwise. I remember a professor insisting that nurses actually use "process recordings". (What is that, you ask? You'll find out, believe me.) What can I say? I love being a nurse but I've been doing it long enough to be cynical.

Process recordings???????????????????????????????

Oh. My. God. You mean they are still making people do that? We did them back in the early 80's. I can't believe they're still making students do that crap. I picked a non-English speaking pt. just to mess with my instructor's head.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Process recordings???????????????????????????????

Oh. My. God. You mean they are still making people do that? We did them back in the early 80's. I can't believe they're still making students do that crap. I picked a non-English speaking pt. just to mess with my instructor's head.

Yes, yes they do. When I was at UW-Milwaukee from 1999-2000 we did process recording after process recording. I swear upon all that is holy, I had a professor insist that nurses on the floor used process recordings to gain better understanding of their interactions with patients. Another one insisted that floor nurses are paid on salary. When I raised my hand and stated that I was a CNA, worked on a telemetry floor, and that I punched in and out right alongside the RNs, she told me I was misunderstanding.

I'm going back to school now and if all goes well I'll have my MSN in just over 3 years. My never-gonna-happen pipe dream is to open my own school of nursing and do so many things different. Dare to dream, huh?

And thanks for the heads up. I hate to tell the young idealistic ones that someday they'll feel sheepish about their past proclamations but well...

 

[foreverLaur]

My friend is a CRNA in Chicago. Mom did an LPN-BSN program and now works as an RN. My aunt is a critical care nurse with her MSN in Orange County.

See if my aunt came in her with her BSN, MSN and many many yaers working as a nurse and said something, it would be believable because she's been there, done that. If I quote her since she doesn't do this sort of stuff, then it is just rubbish.

Different 2nd degree BSN programs run their programs differently. Some may skip over things to get all the material in and produce sub-par nurses. Others do not. I'm still waiting for somebody to find something I said that was not true.

Thirdly, I plan to enter an accelerated BSN program this fall and go straight into critical care. I'll let you know if I feel under prepared compared to other RN new hires who are traditional BSN students. Currently, I am planning on becoming a PA. However, I will learn a lot about the different advanced practice nursing routes and PA routes working as an RN so I'm obviously not dead set on anything. The BSN will get me into an MSN program or it will get me the required/recommended health care experience for a PA program. Who knows, maybe I'll just end up loving being an RN. Time will tell.

I don't sit here and pretend to have super credentials to back up what I say. People know my background and my education and I state where I got everything. You can take it or leave it, but you don't have to bring down others for having a different opinion and experiences.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Well, at least you're confident.

 

[fab4fan]

That has never been in doubt.

It would be better if those people spoke for themselves. But, alas, we've been down that road before, and it always winds up being nothing more than a roundabout.

Going back to ignore mode. It was easier that way. I'd rather spend my energy talking with colleagues or with interested nursing students who are willing to listen to others' ideas.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Not to mention willing to learn--an important skill regardless of profession.

 

[zenman]

You can take it or leave it, but you don't have to bring down others for having a different opinion and experiences.

Sure you can if they're wrong...

 

[JRJ26]

Guys...do not engage with Lauren if you know what's good for you. She knows it all already. And what she doesn't know she will look up on a website or ask her friend or mother (nurses, both of them) then tell you their opinions. It just isn't worth the aggravation to try to say otherwise. Heck, you could be Florence Freaking-Nightengale and she will still tell you otherwise. Don't waste your time

Besides, she's going to be a PA now. At least that's the career goal of the moment. I've long since lost track.

Lol she also said she's pursuing a PhD or masters in neuroscience in the Psych forum. sometimes the internet is a horrible thing when it comes to information.

 

[fab4fan]

 

[JRJ26]

Nurses quite often discuss with one another their educational and career background. I can't fathom working with someone for months or years and never discussing where one went to college, where they worked before... How odd. I know their spouse's and children's names and approximately where they live--why would I not know where they went to school?

I did not say that RNs coming from accelerated BSN programs are bad nurses--not by any means. I said they seemed "woefully unprepared." That means there was a much larger learning curve, and I suspect it's because they are expected to process all this material in a much shorter amount of time. Fact is, putting all of that knowledge together takes time. It doesn't mean they won't catch up, and it doesn't mean that there are no exceptions, but in my experience it means they're starting out at a disadvantage.

As for direct entry programs, it is true that there are studies out there that show no difference. There are also studies showing no difference between care provided by FPs and NPs and we know how well those are received around here. In my experience there is a difference. Certainly direct entry CNMs, NPs, and CNSs can catch up, but I have observed a disadvantage.

For example: I used to work in an urban hospital (we cared for both high and low risk patients) in L&D. Many CNM students did clinicals there--both experienced RNs and direct entry. There was an easily observable difference. That doesn't mean that the DE CNM will never be a good CNM, but in my opinion there is no substitute by the knowledge gained by actually being an L&D nurse. The concept of Advanced Practice Nurse was originally founded on the knowledge and experience gained by a nurse who has worked for several years. When they put a DE nurse into that same level of education without making up for it somehow, it is the DE nurse who struggle (or worse, doesn't know what she doesn't know).

I realize academia says otherwise, but I've never met a clinician in any field who didn't value education AND experience.

here's something I've been thinking about a lot, especially since I work with and go to school with nurses, including some that are ER nurses going for ACNP. An MD/DO is able to be functional in the clinical setting after going to school for 4 years, without any prior experience. What makes this different from a DE NP/CRNA? Both include coursework and clinical experience prior to the awarding of a degree. Reading this forum has made me think about why programs like NP/CRNA and PA require/strongly recommend clinical experience prior to applying to the program when the MD/DO/DDS/etc. don't. What does the experience teach you that won't be taught in school/clinical? Sorry if that's confusing.

 

[Farmer Jane]

MDs and DOs are not fully independent after four years of medical school. They are residents and have supervision. The whole purpose of residency is learning experience. In my opinion, other health professions should be no different--it's just absurd to expect to practice upon graduation just as well as someone with experience. Plus, initially advanced practice nursing programs were designed on the very concept of building on a nurse's knowledge that s/he gained from prior experience. Lemme tell ya, a new nurse learns a ton after graduation. I still remember the day--six months after I graduated--that I was walking down the hall and realized I knew what I was doing. Don't get me wrong--I was doing just fine and also had good resources, but taking all that "book knowledge" and applying it is a process and it doesn't happen overnight.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Exactly. So when nursing leadership claims that someone can go from another field entirely, spend one year becoming an RN, go straight into a master's program, and then practice independently, it makes my head spin a 'la Linda Blair.

 

[fab4fan]

Exactly. So when nursing leadership claims that someone can go from another field entirely, spend one year becoming an RN, go straight into a master's program, and then practice independently, it makes my head spin a 'la Linda Blair.

Pfft. You just lack the "vision."

As for nursing leadership, they aren't my leaders. I don't pay attention to anything that comes from the ANA, and little that comes from nursing academia. I suppose that's going to get me in trouble at some point in my program, but I've been at this game long enough to know how to say the right things to make professors happy, even if I don't mean a word of it. You do what you have to do to get through it, then you do what you want, e.g. I haven't written a NANDA care plan in 23 years. Don't plan on doing one ever again if I can get away with it.

 

[telenurse]

Exactly. So when nursing leadership claims that someone can go from another field entirely, spend one year becoming an RN, go straight into a master's program, and then practice independently, it makes my head spin a 'la Linda Blair.

Good Lord, according to the Dreyfus Model and other models of skill acquisitions a nurse is still considered an advanced beginner until s/he has 2-3 years clinical experience. (referenced from Nursing Today, transitions and trends. Zerwekh and Claborn)

A competent nurse needs 2-3 years clinical experience; be able to deliver acceptable care; understand nursing principles and interventions; be able to recognize and act on trends that lead to emergent situations r/t his/her specialty;manage time wisely; recognize common meds r/t specialty especially indications, contraindications, side-effects, and common interactions/warnings; etc., etc. That's just to be competent...

com·pe·tent
–adjective 1.having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose; properly qualified:
2.adequate but not exceptional.

The public sees MSN behind RN, they might think they are getting a more proficient or skilled nurse...maybe even an expert nurse...it's misleading...
Myself...sometimes the diploma or associate degree nurse with 5-10 years experience medsurg might be the better choice.

 

[telenurse]

double post

 

[Farmer Jane]

I think I love you people.

 

[fab4fan]

Good Lord, according to the Dreyfus Model and other models of skill acquisitions a nurse is still considered an advanced beginner until s/he has 2-3 years clinical experience. (referenced from Nursing Today, transitions and trends. Zerwekh and Claborn)

A competent nurse needs 2-3 years clinical experience; be able to deliver acceptable care; understand nursing principles and interventions; be able to recognize and act on trends that lead to emergent situations r/t his/her specialty;manage time wisely; recognize common meds r/t specialty especially indications, contraindications, side-effects, and common interactions/warnings; etc., etc. That's just to be competent...

com·pe·tent
–adjective 1.having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose; properly qualified:
2.adequate but not exceptional.

The public sees MSN behind RN, they might think they are getting a more proficient or skilled nurse...maybe even an expert nurse...it's misleading...
Myself...sometimes the diploma or associate degree nurse with 5-10 years experience medsurg might be the better choice.

Totally agree. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the thought behind the accelerated and DE programs is "the nurses with real experience will have your back until you have enough experience to be competent." Sorry, I have to worry about my own back. I'm not going to prop someone else up who wanted to fast-track his/her way to a high-paying career.

I've been an RN since '85. I work with other RNs who have even more years' experience than I do. I can't tell you how many times we all ask each other questions about procedures/meds/post-op/pre-op routines. You'd think with all that experience we could do our jobs on automatic pilot.

 

[foreverLaur]

Lol she also said she's pursuing a PhD or masters in neuroscience in the Psych forum. sometimes the internet is a horrible thing when it comes to information.

yes, i am applying to the Ph.D in Neuroscience program at my school as sorta a backup plan. i find the subject matter interesting and have taken a lot of psychobiology and neuropsych classes in school. however, the word "dissertation" and "thesis" is too scary to actually pursue it. i doubt i'd get in anyways. i have a few years off before PA school though, so i was looking to do something useful during those years.

 

[JRJ26]

yeah, i've taken physiological psych and behavioral neuro, and i'm taking seminar in neuroscience right now, so i agree that the subject matter is amazing, especially with current issues on ADHD, autism, drug treatments for those diseases, etc. I'd say you just need to think about what you ultimately want to do as a career, and focus on that. Don't do a PhD as a backup plan, b/c that's a really long, time consuming, expensive backup, especially if you want to become a PA ultimately. Also, since you say you've already been accepted to an accelerated BSN, NP might be a better option, unless you already took the pre-reqs, or if there's an area of medicine that you want to work in that NPs usually don't. Healthcare is a great field, and there are many areas to work in it, but find the area that you love the most, and can see yourself having a fulfilling career in. I'm interested in business, healthcare, psychology, pharmacology research, etc., etc., but ultimately I'm focused on medicine and going to medical school. Other career options are interesting, such as CRNA and PA, to me, but for me, medicine would satisfy my needs the most. that's my advice to you and the OP.