2nd Degree Nursing Program? or Boston Nursing Programs?

A few more questions -- After this summer, I will have a good amount of time until most of the programs I've been looking at start (most start in May or September). Would it make sense to sign up for the CNA training offered by the Red Cross after I finish some pre-reqs? I don't have any real nursing experience. If I completed this training and attempted to get a job locally at a hospital, nursing home, etc. would this be considered good experience? I didn't know if this is what schools are looking for, or if I should explore something else.

Don't bother. After your med surg rotation in nursing school you can work as a CNA without having to shell out money for a separate course. I think I may have been the only member of my class who had worked as a CNA prior to school.

Also, did you do your RN and Masters all at once? I'm trying to decide if I should apply to schools with just the BSN, or the combined BSN and MS. I'm assuming it's tougher to get into a combined program? But these schools have you take time after you are liscensed to get experience as an RN, right? Any thoughts on how you'd do things again if you could? Did you get licensed as a HHA and CNA before the RN to get a feel for the work? What field are you in now (is PNP pediatric nurse practitioner)? I think I'm remembering you responding to a thread about master's degrees. You hate the feeling of walking in to a checkup and the parents questioning why their kid isn't getting a "real" doctor?

I was licensed as a CNA and HHA because my pasrents said they would pay for my grad school if I took time off to work in the field so that I was sure it was what I wanted. It was great experience, but not necessary.  It did reassure my choice, however,

If you want to be a nurse practitioner at some point, then I would only look at schools which offer the combined. If you want to be a floor nurse, look at any of the above. My program was three years. The first year was the RN program and the next two were the MSN. They do not make you take time off to get experience. Truth is, floor nursing and being a Nurse Practitioner are very different things. I worked as a nurse in my summers off, but it didn't help prepare me for being a Nurse Practitioner in a primary care setting. If you want to be an NP, I would suggest going straight through. It is too easy to lose the motivation to finish if you take time off, and the two jobs really are quite different.  I would like to add, however, my classmates and I routinely experienced hostility from nurses during clinical who heard I was part of an accelerated program. I think these programs go against the long standing idea of earning your stripes in floor nursing.

That's another question for you -- have you ever regretted choosing nursing as your field, instead of medical school? I just graduated from a college where med school is the "norm" not nursing. For example: pre-med advisor knew nothing about nursing programs and when asked for info, she ended up blowing me off about 3 seperate times. Also, everyone asks - why not do med school instead? They immediately think you're not smart enough or driven enough to go to the top. This drives me absolutely crazy! How has nursing, or nurse practioners become a 2nd rate career? Our school has a Physician's Assistant program, which I thought about, but only by my senior year when it would have taken me about 3 years to switch programs and graduate. But even a PA seems to get more respect. Any way you could explain some of this to me? Your thoughts?

My undergrad school basically turns out 3 profesions, Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants. The med school advisor there couldn't help me, either. It was actually my mom's knowledge of programs which helped me out. So, I know exactly where you are coming from. PAs often get paid more and are able to do more physically technical things (ie in surgery) NPs are really common in primary care and gyn. PAs often get paid more because they can get reimbursed at a higher rate from insurace companies. They have more respect simply because they have the word "physician" in their job title. However, we have more autonomy. We write scripts under our own name and dea number. We can even open our own practice (without an MD) in several states. We do not need an MD to sign off on our orders.

The only times I ever regret not pursuing med school is when I look at my paycheck and when I have to explain what an NP is.

Truth is, though, I have a career and my own patients and I am 27 years old. Between Post Bac, med school, residency and internship, I would have been starting my career in my 30s. That simply wasn't what I wanted. Plus, I am in an extremely female friendly profession. Seriously, it almost ridiculous how understanding this profession is of having children, etc.

Let me know if I can answer anything else!

Munchkin