help me decide what nursing degree to get

To all you experienced nurses out there, I am looking for advice on which nursing degree to pursue. A. BSN or RN? I already have a Bachelors in health education I am wondering if it will be more profitable financially to get a BSN or can I find a job with a regular RN and my bachelors degree? Thanks for any insight.

[kiwinurse]

I am looking for a degree program, as I plan on returning to New Zealand some day...which brings me to my point. As a degreed nurse, you will not have to retake exams in other countries should you decide to travel. Also....some schools that provide the one year Rn prgram )(no degree) are not looked upon favourably by hospital employers. (I have talked to several HR depts in my quest ot find out the same thing.
Get the degree. While the extra time and money may ne daunting to some, one day it will be the norm, as it is in a lot of countries already.

As far as payscales go, you are also better off with the degree. (Once again, info from HR department).

My .02

[Mary77]

Go for an accelerated BSN. You already have a B.S. (which is #1 requirement). All you need to do is get the prerequisite courses and then complete a 1 year (sometimes 1 and a half depending on school) degree. Check out Duquesne University's accelerated degree program, or Drexel's or UMDNJ. Not sure where you live, but these are just examples. Good luck in your decision!

[Kathleen2810]

Since you already hold a Bachelor's, you could look into programs that give you a Masters in Science Nursing- Generalist and take the NCLEX after graduation. It's a two year program in most cases, not including your prerequisites (Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology & microbiology.) and you then have a MASTERS! Not sure what area you're in, but Rush University in Chicago and Mass General in Boston have such programs, if you want to check into what's involved and find one in your area. I wish you much luck!

[Ricu]

You could begin with an ASN to get started if you need or want to get right into the field, but as everyone else has suggested, I recommend completing a higher degree. The BSN is fast becoming the expected degree by many healthcare institutions and a masters will open doors into opportunities like advanced nursing practice, staff development and undergrad education.

Keep us posted on your decision making process and, good luck.

R

[SoldierNurse]

Originally Posted by Ricu

You could begin with an ASN to get started if you need or want to get right into the field, but as everyone else has suggested, I recommend completing a higher degree. The BSN is fast becoming the expected degree by many healthcare institutions and a masters will open doors into opportunities like advanced nursing practice, staff development and undergrad education.

Keep us posted on your decision making process and, good luck.

R

IMHO, this thread is dead and should have the proverbial dirt thrown on top. The original post was made back in 2003 f/by a 2006 post. BTW, why do we allow annonymous post?

[Ricu]

Originally Posted by SoldierNurse

IMHO, this thread is dead and should have the proverbial dirt thrown on top. The original post was made back in 2003 f/by a 2006 post. BTW, why do we allow annonymous post?

Good point. Obviously I just answered the question without looking at the post date. You caught me daydreaming at the keyboard. It does sound like a good idea to clean up stagnant threads. I wonder if they could automatically be closed after say, 6o days of inactivity. Regarding "anonymous," I think Aaron ended that around a year ago which further highlights the age of the OP.

R