Student Center >> Considering Nursing >> Questions re: Nursing School Choice & BSN/MSNP
Questions re: Nursing School Choice & BSN/MSNP
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Posted almost 3 years ago Hi everyone, I've recently decided to make a big change in my life. (My life has been full of them.) I'm sure you can figure out that this big change is that I would like to become an RN. However, I've got a couple of questions that I don't know where else to ask about so I figured I'd post them here. 1) Currently my wife and I live in Seoul, South Korea. I'm an American and she is Korean. In general, in Korean society it's very important where you study. Therefore, my wife is asking me a lot about going to Ivy League programs, etc. (Which are way out of my league regardless, so I haven't even looked at their programs, if they have them.) Anyhow, my question is how important is school choice when getting my RN? How do I find out what is a good nursing school or not, is there some kind of list like U.S. News & World Report? (I've tried to google it, but I get a bunch of fake sites.) What are the differences in getting an RN from various programs? Is there a big difference in pay or desirable jobs if I get my RN from a community college vs. a state college or university? 2) Given that I've made a lot of big and unexpected changes throughout my life, I would really like to make this one my "last." At least in terms that I find a career path this time, unlike how the rest of my resume reads. Therefore, I am already thinking about a Master's in Nursing some time after getting a few years of experience under my belt as an RN. The thing is I already have a Bachelor's of Arts degree, so I'm wondering how this would affect getting a Master's in Nursing, if I have an ASN with my BA? Would I be able to go directly to a Master's program or would I need to get my BSN first? I think that's all for now. I really appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. R.
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117 posts back to top |
| Posted almost 3 years ago Hi - I took the long way - from LPN for ~ 6-7 yrs then ADN - chose a ladder program so it was a year FT after I had finsihed most of my sciences through a community college. Wanted a BSN but no programs around that stayed in the area so completed my BS in HC Mgmt in 93. Started MS in Hosp Admin but after 18 credits decided that wasn't right. In April 08 I started with Walden University in the RN to MSN program - 3 master's credits transfered - but it gave me 8 wks off! I am very happy with the program - it is online and there is a practicum in the area of your focus - Nsg Adm, Nsg Ed and Nsg Informatics. The program is very learner-centered and it is work but good learning and sense of achievement - good theory and research classes amid many others. NUrses enter the program where they are at - e.g., I didn't have a BSN so I needed 6 courses and entered the Master's classes last June and this past May-June started my specialization courses - I chose Nsg Education because so much of what we do as nurse's is to teach - this is preparing me to teach nursing in a college and university setting (I already teach undergrads as adjunct faculty in the school of health professions). That said, 3 of my friends are in MSN-NP programs and 3 are practicing. They chose the traditional schools - university based - Grand Valley State University (GVSU), University of Michigan and Vanderbuilt iUniversity in Tennessee. There are many other good programs - You might want to check the National League for Nurses site [www.nln.org/] or the national boards of nursing [ https://www.ncsbn.org/index.htm] for more information . Most programs are transitioning to the DNP for nurse practitioners as are the U of M and GVSU, I am not the knowledgeable about Vandie's program. THe state Boards of nursing may have information as well. Good luck in your decision! Keep in touch - My brother lives in Shanghai and I was there fall of 2008 for 4 weeks and looked at their nursing schools as well. Sue7523 |
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3 posts back to top |
| Posted almost 3 years ago Thanks Sue7523! That's really helpful info. |
(One of my biggest regrets having lived over here for 7 years and I have never made it to China. Would love to go to Shanghai someday? I suppose we can when we come back to visit the in-laws.)
