Hi everyone. So glad I found you guys. I'm hoping that someone can give me some advice on which way I should go towards becoming a nurse.

I already have a bachelors degree in an unrelated field and I'm planning on becoming a nurse. In doing research I've seen that I have a few options and I'm having trouble deciding on which one to take.

The first one that I though of is a second degree BSN program. There are to colleges near me that have a program where if you have one degree you can go back to school and get your BSN in about two years.

The next option is for me to go straight into the MSN program. Both of the other schools I menitoned have programs where you can get your RN and then go straight into an MSN program. This is appealing to me also as I'm intierested in possibly becoming a nurse practitioner. Idealy I was thinking that I'd work for a couple of years and then go back for the MSN, but maybe it's better for me to just jump in.

The third option is to just get my RN at one of the local hospital schools. I've heard that doing this makes it a bit harder to get into graduate school, though.

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this? Unfortunately I'm really not sure what type of nursing I'd like to do yet so I'm leaning towards the BSN program.

There are so many options available for those interested in a nursing career, which is a bonus IF you can find out what works best for you and your family. Things to consider are: how to pay for your education, will you have to work full-time/part-time or not at all, do you have a good support system (others who can babysit, help you cook or clean, etc) and are you ready for the journey? I too am a career changer...BS in Medical Laboratory Technology to AAS in Nursing. One of the factors that made my choose an associate's program over a bachelor's was funds and timing. With little saved for another degree, I decided my cheapest route would be at the AAS in Nursing. Although, the timing of both the BSN and AAS were the same (approx. 2 years), I got accepted into the AAS program first and was wait-listed for the BSN due to the vast number of applicants applying. So it kind of worked out perfectly.

Like DebbieH said, many hospitals will pay for your continuing education. My advise would be to let them help you offset the cost of your education as much as possible. If you'd like to go straight into a BSN-MSN program, consider the scope of practice that a nurse practitioner must have, along with the added responsibility of fine tuned assessment skills, critical thinking, and prescription privledges. Although I came from a medical background, I had little, if any, direct patient contact. I'm not sure what your previous bachelor's degree is in, but if it's not medical or patient focused, I would consider doing an RN-BSN or BSN option without involving the MSN just yet, in order to allow yourself the time to gain solid assesment and diagnostic skills.

The schooling process is very challenging and demanding in nursing. Having clinicals and being graded on your performance of basic nursing skills is a added stressor, unlike most other undergraduate programs. Failing to perform a skill could cause one to fail the course (unfortunately, I've seen many bright classmates excel at the academics portion of the course and fail the clinical skills part and vice versa), so be prepared. Whatever decision you choose to make, think carefully about your options. I wish you the best of luck in whichever program route you choose.