What can you do with BSN?

[badasshairday]

Hi, this is probably a dumb question but I know little about nursing.

I was looking up some accelerated BSN programs for my fiance and they allow for a BS(in whatever)-->BSN in about a year and a half. But I also noticed they have RN---> BSN programs too. I thought that you had to have a BSN to become an RN. Please enlighten me.

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[deleted6669]

there are diploma,certificate, a.s., bs, and ms degrees in nursing. you can practice with any of these. the bsn/msn are generally needed for admin positions or for pursuing higher education as an np or crna.

 

[badasshairday]

Can one go from BSN to PA? And how does one become an RN?

Her ultimate goal is to become either a PA or NP, so I'm a little curious about what her options are.

Thanks for the response.

 

[deleted6669]

there are a couple pathways to rn:
1 yr prereqs + 2 yr program= assoc. degree rn
4 yrs straight through= bsn
prior bs+ prereqs+1 yr=bsn
prior bs + prereqs+3 yrs = rn/msn/np

bsn + some working experience+ 2 yrs of grad school= pa or np or aa or crna.
pa school follows a medical model and is similar to ms1 and ms3 years while np follows a nursing model with varying requirements and less clinical time. typical pa program includes 2200 hrs + of clinical time with rotations in all major medical and surgical disciplines while np programs typically have 500-800 hrs of clinical time and more "nursing theory" work.
pa school generally is done as 2 yrs full time while np can be done in 21 -24 months while working part time as an rn.
for pa info see www.aapa.org and www.physicianassistant.net
for rn/np info see www.allnurses.com
for aa and crna info see other current posts/threads in this forum

 

[psychbender]

Can one go from BSN to PA?

Yes. You can go from most Bachelor's programs to PA school, provided you meet the requirements of said program, and can show sufficient direct patient care experience. I have friends in, or applying to, PA schools that were Biology, Human Nutrition Food and Exercise, or Physics majors in undergrad, and currently am working with one RN who is finishing with his PA program this year.

And how does one become an RN?

Various pathways exist. She can find a college that offers a BSN, and go there--you already mentioned the accelerated BSN programs. She can also find a community college and get her Associate's Degree RN. If she's a paramedic, she could take a bridge program to get her RN. There's probably another way, but these are the only routes that people I know have gone.

 

[deleted6669]

"There's probably another way, but these are the only routes that people I know have gone."

YUP- high school diploma+ 1 yr= LPN/LVN(licensed practical or vocational nurse).
LPN+ 1 yr prereqs+ 9-12 months in "bridge program"= a.s. rn

once someone has their a.s. rn you can get a bsn, msn, or np all online with minimal(or no for bsn/msn) required clinical time.

 

[Miss Mab]

Here's another PA school option:

2 years community college + 2 years PA school=Masters PA.

Texas Tech has an interesting PA program. No prior degree, patient care experience or shadowing necessary per the admissions requirements.

Prerequisites


English6 hours
College Algebra3 hours
Biology8 hours
Microbiology4 hours
Human Anatomy and Physiology8 hours
General Chemistry8 hours
Social/Behavioral Sciences9 hours
Human Nutrition3 hoursStatistics3 hoursElectives- Computer Literacy, Medical Terminology and Communication Skills Recommended14 hours
Genetics Highly RecommendedTotal Prerequisites

Another option for ya...

 

[deleted6669]

take a look at duke's pa and np programs both highly regarded and do an honest comparison
http://paprogram.mc.duke.edu/s_prog_curric.asp 108 credits total

http://www.registrar.duke.edu/bulletins/Nursing/2006-07/requirements.pdf 48 credits total
....or

http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/nursing/msn-fnp.xml
oh look, a mail order msn/fnp program.....16 days total on campus time then "self paced learning in your home community......"
65 semester hrs total compared to 125 semester hrs/27 months full time at texas tech, the program you dissed....you won't find any mail order pa programs out there....that's because they require MEDICAL oversight.....
my certificate level paramedic program required more clinical hrs than this msn program.....

 

[Miss Mab]

ummm....yeah. Sorry you got worked up by my suggestion.

The PA program and the way I described it is perfectly legit. Why don't you get all indignant w/the school and encourage them to raise the bar?

Leave me out of it--I was just suggesting a program that if I or someone else was just starting out from zero--frankly it's a pretty good deal. Community college to Masters in less than 4 w/ none of the "hard science" pre-reqs I'm always hearing about. Geez, if I were 19 I'd go for it too.

Full disclosure, yes, I am a second degree nurse BSN but I'm not all that thrilled w/that profession either. I could give a rip about the PA/NP thing. They do the same job where I live.

Seriously, why get ruffled for pointing out an easy program? big deal. No one calls you each and every time you perpetuate the myth that NP's get only 500-800 total clinical hours when you very well know that this is adding on--i.e furthering--the nursing hours 1000 for the first ADN/BSN/Diploma whatever. So, really it's more like 1500-1800 NP from patient contact 1 and 2200 PA from patient contact 1.

Who cares?

 

[deleted6669]

ummm....yeah. Sorry you got worked up by my suggestion.

The PA program and the way I described it is perfectly legit. Why don't you get all indignant w/the school and encourage them to raise the bar?

Leave me out of it--I was just suggesting a program that if I or someone else was just starting out from zero--frankly it's a pretty good deal. Community college to Masters in less than 4 w/ none of the "hard science" pre-reqs I'm always hearing about. Geez, if I were 19 I'd go for it too.

Full disclosure, yes, I am a second degree nurse BSN but I'm not all that thrilled w/that profession either. I could give a rip about the PA/NP thing. They do the same job where I live.

Seriously, why get ruffled for pointing out an easy program? big deal. No one calls you each and every time you perpetuate the myth that NP's get only 500-800 total clinical hours when you very well know that this is adding on--i.e furthering--the nursing hours 1000 for the first ADN/BSN/Diploma whatever. So, really it's more like 1500-1800 NP from patient contact 1 and 2200 PA from patient contact 1.

Who cares?

the honest copmparison is starting with a bsn who can go 2 ways, pa or np. who gets the better education? I know many rn's who have become pa's because they want more clinical time and grounding in medicine. the vast majority of applicants to pa programs have prior experience and training just like the rn applying to an np program. you can't count rn, or paramedic, or rt, etc hrs as clinical hrs to becoming a provider...it's a totally different role. only hrs in that role help you perform that role. sure prior experience can be built upon but it doesn't excuse a 500 hr program. I know and work with lots of np's who I respect but the fact of the matter is that the avg np program is far less strenuous both in terms of prereqs and content than the avg pa program. we can both find outliers like texas tech and western but on avg it's hard to argue the trends....I don't know of any np programs with close to 2000 hrs of clinicals or any pa programs with less than 1500

 

[Yourmother]

Not sure if it was mentioned but a few folks with BSN for for management. I've heard of a few BSN that get an MBA and work within the management/ business side of the hospital.

 

[deleted6669]

Not sure if it was mentioned but a few folks with BSN for for management. I've heard of a few BSN that get an MBA and work within the management/ business side of the hospital.

yup, lots of rn's do this later in their careers and become administrative dept managers.mba and mha(health admin) are popular second degrees to go this route

 

[Miss Mab]

but the fact of the matter is that the avg np program is far less strenuous both in terms of prereqs and content than the avg pa program.

Which is why i understand why you get all riled up knowing this to be the case and yet the NP's get to do the exact same jobs that PA's do.

Hmmmm....Now that i think about it, it would piss me off too. Sucks to be those guys!

Anyway, you're still fudging a little on the patient care hours concept and as far as the mail in program. What's the difference if I can study at home and watch lecture via the web and then take a test. The mere fact of sitting in class 8-5 doesn't mean it's therefore harder(especially when you're studying patho or in some cases micro for the first time while we've already done it). It just means you have to go to class and i can be in my PJ's. Again, sucks to be them.

Seriously, I have no dog in this fight. While there are a LOT of gross inaccuracies and slandering of the RN faction here, I let most of it go because either I agree with what's said or it's coming from someone so ignorant it's not even worth trying. I'm now an RN. Big wup. I'll probably be something else next year. Doesn't define me and therefore must defend all about it. Your whole being isn't the PA thing, is it?

FWIW, if I was 19, I really would've been runnin' to Texas Tech. Sweet!

 

[Miss Mab]

yup, lots of rn's do this later in their careers and become administrative dept managers.mba and mha(health admin) are popular second degrees to go this route

and some, though not quite so prevalent, actually become the CEO or CFO of hospitals or IPA's as well.

 

[Yourmother]

the vast majority of applicants to pa programs have prior experience and training just like the rn applying to an np program.

I disagree when you say vast majority. There are students who apply directly with little experience to MSN programs to become NPs. My wife is one of them.

In fact there are a few programs that allow a combine BSN/MSN all in one shot.

 

[badasshairday]

Okay so if one gets a BSN, do they automatically become a RN and get to work as a RN at a hospital? Or is there a residency for one year following a licensing exam?

 

[deleted6669]

Okay so if one gets a BSN, do they automatically become a RN and get to work as a RN at a hospital? Or is there a residency for one year following a licensing exam?

yup,bsn=rn job.
there arepostgrad on the job training programs which are optional but a fresh rn with any degree can start working as soon as they pass the nclex exam.

 

[RAMPA]

Okay so if one gets a BSN, do they automatically become a RN and get to work as a RN at a hospital? Or is there a residency for one year following a licensing exam?

by obtaining a BSN you can SIT for your RN exam. then once you pass it you can get paid.

BSN does not equal RN. one is a degree, the other is a license.

 

[psychbender]

by obtaining a BSN you can SIT for your RN exam. then once you pass it you can get paid.

BSN does not equal RN. one is a degree, the other is a license.

Some hospitals play that a little loose. I've known people who started their job as RNs before passing the NCLEX--on "orientation" until the results came in. They're continued employment as an RN was dependent upon them passing the exam. When I was a tech, one of my coworkers was in that boat, employed with the understanding that if she failed the NCLEX, she'd be bumped down to a tech until she passed.

 

[RAMPA]

Some hospitals play that a little loose. I've known people who started their job as RNs before passing the NCLEX--on "orientation" until the results came in. They're continued employment as an RN was dependent upon them passing the exam. When I was a tech, one of my coworkers was in that boat, employed with the understanding that if she failed the NCLEX, she'd be bumped down to a tech until she passed.

yes, they are called GNs (graduate nurses) at most places. the pay is the same as RN pay or just a bit less. it is expected the GN pass the RN board within a certain time frame like you said.

 

[badasshairday]

yup,bsn=rn job.
there arepostgrad on the job training programs which are optional but a fresh rn with any degree can start working as soon as they pass the nclex exam.

So if my fiance does the 1 year BSN program, she can take the NCLEX exam immediatly upon completion of her BSN?

I've been reading some of the other threads and it seemed like you had to do 1 year of critical care before applying to PA school or NP school. Correct right?

 

[badasshairday]

BTW, what is the pay scale like for an RN?

 

[deleted6669]

So if my fiance does the 1 year BSN program, she can take the NCLEX exam immediatly upon completion of her BSN?

I've been reading some of the other threads and it seemed like you had to do 1 year of critical care before applying to PA school or NP school. Correct right?

yes, some folks even take the exam before they graduate. it is a computerized test and can be done in less than 2 hrs.if the test taker is doing well it cuts you off after 75 questions and tells you that you passed. if your performance on the first 75 questions is sub par you have to complete the whole 300 questions to see if you get a passing score.
EVERY pa and np program is different in terms of prereqs and required clinical time to gain admission with a range of no time required to> 4000 hrs.
pay for an rn varies by location. in montana an rn might make 17 dollars/hr and in san francisco they might make 60/hr for the same job.

 

[Salamandrina]

BTW, what is the pay scale like for an RN?

Depends heavily on where you work. Johns Hopkins starting salary $24 / hour. On the other hand there is UCSF $44 / hour.

 

[anc33]

yes, some folks even take the exam before they graduate. it is a computerized test and can be done in less than 2 hrs.if the test taker is doing well it cuts you off after 75 questions and tells you that you passed. if your performance on the first 75 questions is sub par you have to complete the whole 300 questions to see if you get a passing score.
EVERY pa and np program is different in terms of prereqs and required clinical time to gain admission with a range of no time required to> 4000 hrs.
pay for an rn varies by location. in montana an rn might make 17 dollars/hr and in san francisco they might make 60/hr for the same job.

I think CA is one of the only states where you can sit for the test before graduation. Otherwise you have to wait for your authorization to test which is mailed after graduation. And RN salaries vary widely. Unfortunately, nursing is one area where the value of education has not caught on and ASNs, BSNs, and diploma nurses are all seen as equal.

 

[Salamandrina]

I think CA is one of the only states where you can sit for the test before graduation. Otherwise you have to wait for your authorization to test which is mailed after graduation. And RN salaries vary widely. Unfortunately, nursing is one area where the value of education has not caught on and ASNs, BSNs, and diploma nurses are all seen as equal.

Equal in title, yes, but not equal by employers. Many hospitals boast about thier BSN rates.

 

[anc33]

Equal in title, yes, but not equal by employers. Many hospitals boast about thier BSN rates.

Yes, you are in a more enlightened area of the country. I lived in Baltimore for a while where the majority of my coworkers were BSNs. We were treated much better and were seen as an integral part of the team. Now I am in FL and here, an RN is an RN. No difference in pay or respect. We are all just warm bodies and that even goes for the "elite" teaching hospitals.

 

[foreverLaur]

I am going to have a BA in Psychology and want to do a 3 year direct entry program to get my MSN. (I get a lot of crap about this, so studies have proven that DE entry nurses are better advanced practice nurses than those who were previously long standing RNs and are equal to those who did the traditional 4 year BSN route first).

Anyways - if I ever decide to work just as an RN, how would employers look at someone with an MSN but not a BSN?

Also, I have to work for 2 years first because I am going into an acute care specialty. I will be a diploma prepared RN with a bachelors degree in non-nursing. How will I be looked upon by those hospitals that prefer a BSN?

 

[fab4fan]

I am going to have a BA in Psychology and want to do a 3 year direct entry program to get my MSN. (I get a lot of crap about this, so studies have proven that DE entry nurses are better advanced practice nurses than those who were previously long standing RNs and are equal to those who did the traditional 4 year BSN route first).

Anyways - if I ever decide to work just as an RN, how would employers look at someone with an MSN but not a BSN?

Also, I have to work for 2 years first because I am going into an acute care specialty. I will be a diploma prepared RN with a bachelors degree in non-nursing. How will I be looked upon by those hospitals that prefer a BSN?

You'll be looked at as someone with a license to practice as an RN. I really don't think having an MSN is going to be an issue. Hospitals need nurses. If they're going to be that picky, do you really want to work there?

I think you need to post your data about DE nurses being sooooo much better than experienced nurses, Laur. Preferably not from a DE program.

 

[foreverLaur]

You'll be looked at as someone with a license to practice as an RN. I really don't think having an MSN is going to be an issue. Hospitals need nurses. If they're going to be that picky, do you really want to work there?

I think you need to post your data about DE nurses being sooooo much better than experienced nurses, Laur. Preferably not from a DE program.

The hospitals in my area pay higher if you ahve a BSN - the ASN and diploma prepared RNs do not make as much money. I was curious as to which I would be considered under both circumstances.

The article was titled 'Does RN Experience Related to NP Clinical Skills?' and it was published by The Nurse Practitioner Journal in December of 2005. You have to pay like $30 to view it though - I received a printed copy from the Ohio State University College of Nursing.

The article/study concluded that "duration of practice experience as an RN was not correlated with the level of competency in NP practice skills. An unexpected finding was that there was a significant negative correlation between years of experience as a RN and NP clinical practice skills as assessed by the NPs' collaborating physicians. Longer experience as an RN was associated with lower rankings of NP skills competency by the physicians. This information leads us to question longstanding biases that claim that those with little or no experience as RNs are poorly prepared for advanced NP practice."

There were 710,150 nurses who took part in the study.

 

[Salamandrina]

I am going to have a BA in Psychology and want to do a 3 year direct entry program to get my MSN. (I get a lot of crap about this, so studies have proven that DE entry nurses are better advanced practice nurses than those who were previously long standing RNs and are equal to those who did the traditional 4 year BSN route first).

Anyways - if I ever decide to work just as an RN, how would employers look at someone with an MSN but not a BSN?

Also, I have to work for 2 years first because I am going into an acute care specialty. I will be a diploma prepared RN with a bachelors degree in non-nursing. How will I be looked upon by those hospitals that prefer a BSN?

Very disrespectful way to word your question there, sweetheart.

 

[foreverLaur]

Very disrespectful way to word your question there, sweetheart.

Sorry - I wasn't aware it was disrespectful to get my MSN and still want to work as an RN. The worst 'just' was in no way degrading the profession or the title. It means that I have the ability to work as an advanced practice nurse, but would choose to work as a registered nurse. I have great respect for the nursing profession and that is largely why I am choosing it as my career.

I was only asking because I am required to work a minimum for 2 years as an RN before pursuing my chosen MSN specialty. I am trying to decide if there is a big difference in job opportunities/pay/respect between diploma prepared RNs with a non-nursing bachelors degree and those who have a 2nd degree BSN. Additionally, I have a passion for surgery and a lot of hospitals in my area hire a lot RNFAs (we don't use PAs for some reason) so I was thinking about adding that to my curriculum as well.

 

[fab4fan]

So you based your response on one study. OK.

You know what--I'm simply going to wish you well in your future endeavors. I echo the sentiments of Salamandria--totally disrespectful. You might want to remember that if you become a nurse you are going to be precepted by nurses who are "just RNs."

 

[foreverLaur]

So you based your response on one study. OK.

You know what--I'm simply going to wish you well in your future endeavors. I echo the sentiments of Salamandria--totally disrespectful. You might want to remember that if you become a nurse you are going to be precepted by nurses who are "just RNs."

1. I didn't mean for the article to state that I am going to be a much better advanced practice nurse because I didn't have a previous nursing background. I just meant it to say that just because I don't have a previous nursing background does not mean I will be any better or worse at my job.

2. Again, I meant absolutely zero disrespect for RNs. I have a lot of them in my family including my mother. This world would not function without RNs. The hospitals in my area pay higher for those with a BSN vs those with an ASN/diploma prepared. I was just wondering what pay category people would think I would be if I was (1) a diploma prepared RN with a bachelors degree in non-nursing and (2) a diploma prepared RN with an MSN.

My using of the world 'just' was wrong - I shouldn't have done it. However, I was using it in an academic sense as NPs have more schooling than RNs. I did not meant it in a job sense and I did not mean it in any rude or degrading way. I spent three years jumping around from major to major to figure out what I truly wanted to do. I never though I would end up in nursing, but guess what? I am going to be an RN and work as an RN! Why would I degrade a profession it took me three years to find? It feels fabulous to finally know what it is I want to spend my life doing - nursing. So please stop about what I said. I typed quickly without thinking and in no way shape or form meant anything negative about the nursing profession - it soon too will be my profession and I am absolutely thrilled about it. I have nothing but total respect for all nurses...... LPN, RN, CRNA, NP, STNA, and any that i am forgetting.

 

[Jawbone]

You might want to look at a nursing-specific forum site such as www.allnurses.com.... you will find a lot of helpful info there....


JB

 

[brightness]

Jeez, Salamandria and fab4. Bite someone's head off! Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't seem like Laur meant anything by saying "just"....nurses seem to be hyper-defensive about their profession at all levels. Is there really so much nastiness between nurses in the real world?

I've job shadowed twice; both at relatively small hospitals, in a med/surg floor, a cardiac ICU, and a pediatric floor. All of the nurses seemed to like their jobs and get along decently. It did seem that the med/surg nurses were the most unhappy, and were a little snarky dealing with the physical therapist I was working with. Still, I recieved generally positive reports about nursing as a profession and was encouraged by the ladies I met with to pursue it as a career. I felt so good about nursing that day; but since then I have had a lot of doubts from waht I have read online.

To the OP, I recently job shadowed a group of nurses at the community hospital in my town. The women I spoke with the most was a BSN and was the nurse manager. She had a lot of responsibility within the department, which was a general med/surg and pediatric floor. The nurses on this floor did wound care, in addition. The nurse manager oversaw all of the RNs and LPNs on the floor, and was able to direct the hiring of nurses as well. She also consulted with the physicians about any nurse-doctor issues, and told me that 9 times out of 10, disputes were able to be worked out. It seemed like a pretty dynamic job, and she really seemed to enjoy what she did.

 

[fab4fan]

Jeez, Salamandria and fab4. Bite someone's head off! Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't seem like Laur meant anything by saying "just"....nurses seem to be hyper-defensive about their profession at all levels. Is there really so much nastiness between nurses in the real world?

I've job shadowed twice; both at relatively small hospitals, in a med/surg floor, a cardiac ICU, and a pediatric floor. All of the nurses seemed to like their jobs and get along decently. It did seem that the med/surg nurses were the most unhappy, and were a little snarky dealing with the physical therapist I was working with. Still, I recieved generally positive reports about nursing as a profession and was encouraged by the ladies I met with to pursue it as a career. I felt so good about nursing that day; but since then I have had a lot of doubts from waht I have read online.

To the OP, I recently job shadowed a group of nurses at the community hospital in my town. The women I spoke with the most was a BSN and was the nurse manager. She had a lot of responsibility within the department, which was a general med/surg and pediatric floor. The nurses on this floor did wound care, in addition. The nurse manager oversaw all of the RNs and LPNs on the floor, and was able to direct the hiring of nurses as well. She also consulted with the physicians about any nurse-doctor issues, and told me that 9 times out of 10, disputes were able to be worked out. It seemed like a pretty dynamic job, and she really seemed to enjoy what she did.

It's not the first time she's made somewhat demeaning comments regarding nurses she sees as beneath advanced practice nurses, brightness. As she is not even in a nursing program yet, a little respect toward those of us who are nurses would be ever so nice. If I had a dime for every time I heard "just a nurse," I'd never have to work again. It gets old. And not being a nurse yourself, you can't understand how pejorative that term can be.

Satisfied?

 

[foreverLaur]

Anything I have ever said was not meant to be demeanding towards the RN profession.

Mom: RN
Aunt 1: LPN
Aunt 2: RN, has her MSN, works in critical care

I have the utmost respect for all three of them because they each play a crucial role in the hospital and it would not function without any of them.

I may not have started my accelerated BSN program yet, but I am becoming a nurse. I work in a Children's Hospital under an RN who I look up to and consider a mentor. It took me a really long time to figure out what I wanted to become and nursing found me. I couldn't be more happy or excited about it.

Yes, I may have goals to get my MSN and practice as an advanced practice nurse. However, I am still a firm believer in teamwork. I hope everyone else I work with will feel the same, but I realize it doesn't always work that way.

Furthermore, if I don't end up going back to school to get my MSN, I am perfectly okay with that. The RN profession is a fabulous one. You get to truly do patient care, you can work in a wide variety of areas, and you have great flexibility in your hours. My mother still loves her job and I love her job too because it allowed her to have a career as well as be around as a mother on a very frequent basis.

So I seriously think you need to get off you high horse and stop jumping to conclusions. This is an Internet forum. It is very very easy for things to be interpreted wrong when someone is just seeking additional information. So please, stop. I have never and will never mean any disrepect towards ANYONE in the nursing profession or any other profession for that matter and ESPECIALLY one that I am going to spend the rest of my life doing and am looking forward to. You are making me fearful of the future nurses I will someday interact with.

 

[Greenlady05]

some people are oversensitive she said just an RN meaning working as an RN while in school for her Masters. stop being so analytical about every puntuation a choise of words which she clearly stated was a mistake! take a chill pill guys. Remember in order to work with MSN you have to have a RN liscense she is not disrespecting the profession which she stated LIKE THREE TIMES!

 

[Doc Oct]

So you based your response on one study. OK.

You know what--I'm simply going to wish you well in your future endeavors. I echo the sentiments of Salamandria--totally disrespectful. You might want to remember that if you become a nurse you are going to be precepted by nurses who are "just RNs."

Wow, foreverLaur presented a valid, respectable journal as her source and you immediately discredit it simply because it is "one study". That's one more study than you've given against her statement (minus anecdotal "evidence" I'm sure).

She's hardly been "totally disrespectful" either. At best you could shoot for "hinting of disrespect with a single poorly chosen word". Even that would be pushing it though.

 

[Salamandrina]

Jeez, Salamandria and fab4. Bite someone's head off! Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't seem like Laur meant anything by saying "just"....nurses seem to be hyper-defensive about their profession at all levels. Is there really so much nastiness between nurses in the real world?

One's man's "biting someone's head off" is another man's lesson in decorum. I wasn't trying to bite her head off, but we are responsible for what we say. I certainly accept her apology/explanation but please note it came after my post. With that said, I am in a similar situation to Laur, just further down the path. I am right now in a DE program. It isn't that I don't respect people who take this route or think that they are inadequate, however respect for others is essential.

Laur, I meant no harm, and I trust that you didn't either.

To answer your question about nastiness in the real world I can honestly say every last one of my male friends and co-workers thought I was stepping down to do nursing. There is a definite value judgment going on. At least five (conservative estimate) said "Why a nurse? Why not a doctor?" Which is loaded with preconception and judgment. Suffice it to say that there is enough nastiness.

 

[Salamandrina]

some people are oversensitive she said just an RN meaning working as an RN while in school for her Masters. stop being so analytical about every puntuation a choise of words which she clearly stated was a mistake! take a chill pill guys. Remember in order to work with MSN you have to have a RN liscense she is not disrespecting the profession which she stated LIKE THREE TIMES!

Again to you, she stated it AFTER my post. So if I am one of the "you guys" that need to "take a chill pill" please read when it was that she stated her respect for RNs as they relate to my comment in time.

 

[foreverLaur]

I spent a large portion of my life, including 2 years of college, wanting to pursue medicine. I was also one of those who never even took a second glance at nursing because I saw it as a "waste of my talent." It was only after taking a better look at myself, the medical career, and the nursing career that I realized how truly wrong I was. I gave up medicine to pursue nursing and I couldn't be happier about it.

Now I am trying to figure out if I should
(1) enter an accelerated BSN program and then decide between NP and CRNA while working as an RN or
(2) enter a DE program and give up the possibility of becoming a CRNA (because I am so done with school after that )

I like the great increase in patient contact being an NP over a CRNA because patient care and interaction is really important to me. On the other hand, I absolutely love surgery (again, don't take that the wrong way) and being a CRNA would allow me to observe a lot of really neat surgeries on top of having a very important and vital role in the OR.

 

[brightness]

I'm not a nurse so no, I don't understand. (I was waiting for that, and to be like- you are absolutely right! I don't fully understand) I haven't seen a whole lot of disrespect for nurses coming from Laur, but thats just my perception.

What I can say (for myself) is that as a person who is almost done with a bachelors degree in psychology and biology, it can seem like a step "back" or at least not a step forward to get another bachelors degree. I've thought about that myself when considering a career as a midlevel. Its also really hard to get financial aid for a second bachelors degree!

As far as your little "satisfied?" at the end of your post- I guess it just wouldn't be fab4fan to write a post without a little snark in it. Lol.

It's not the first time she's made somewhat demeaning comments regarding nurses she sees as beneath advanced practice nurses, brightness. As she is not even in a nursing program yet, a little respect toward those of us who are nurses would be ever so nice. If I had a dime for every time I heard "just a nurse," I'd never have to work again. It gets old. And not being a nurse yourself, you can't understand how pejorative that term can be.

Satisfied?

 

[brightness]

In a way I understand why some people say, oh why would you be a nurse instead of a doctor when someone says they are going to nursing school. I think all such people are trying to say is that they think you are quite smart and capable of having a high responsibility career, ect. It just shows how little people actually know about nurses and what nurses do; I can see it takes a special person to do those things, that level of personal care, and with little or no credit from others. And I know you have to be intelligent AND have incredible people skills.
I just wanted to know if there was nastiness and in-fighting in the field of nursing.

One's man's "biting someone's head off" is another man's lesson in decorum. I wasn’t trying to bite her head off, but we are responsible for what we say. I certainly accept her apology/explanation but please note it came after my post. With that said, I am in a similar situation to Laur, just further down the path. I am right now in a DE program. It isn’t that I don’t respect people who take this route or think that they are inadequate, however respect for others is essential.

Laur, I meant no harm, and I trust that you didn’t either.

To answer your question about nastiness in the real world I can honestly say every last one of my male friends and co-workers thought I was stepping down to do nursing. There is a definite value judgment going on. At least five (conservative estimate) said "Why a nurse? Why not a doctor?" Which is loaded with preconception and judgment. Suffice it to say that there is enough nastiness.

 

[foreverLaur]

We seriously need to stop this. The world 'just' was inappropriately used and interpreted wrong. I said it in terms of having a masters degree in nursing and having the ability to work as an advanced practice nurse, but instead choosing to work as an RN. I was just curious as to how that would be viewed.

I was also wondering what the difference was, in pay, eyes of coworkers, etc of someone who is a BSN prepared RN vs a diploma prepared RN with a non nursing bachelors degree. I know some nurses I have interacted with think that any nurses without a BSN is not a competent nurse.