What degree do I need?

What do i need to do in order to get a master's degree on nursing?

• I am going to graduate on 2013. I want to be a nurse, a registered nurse. I hear the more you study the more you get paid right? Well i want to go all the way. Go hard or go home. Do i have to get a bachelors degree in order to get a masters degree on nursing? What is the degree called? Here's the thing, i have no one to guide me through this and i don't know what classes to take or what major i should go for to get to the top of nursing. I know 100% that's what i want to do so i want to get straight to it and only take classes that i need. I don't want to waist my time taking classes that i don't need to take to get to where i want to end up at get me? Some one help me!

• Answer:

  You will need a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). Start looking into universities that'd you'd like to attend and keep your GPA up so that you are accepted into their nursing program in the first place. I had a friend that had a 3.6 GPA while at her university and finished all her pre-reqs and still hadn't gotten officially accepted into the nursing program at her university! Remember that nursing is hard! A lot of people don't actually know what nurses do so everyone just thinks it's an easy profession with good pay - not true. Also, pick a school that you can afford. At my school the credits for nursing cost a little more (by about $5 - no biggie) than other programs because of all of the extra things the health sciences department gets (simulator dolls, needles, ect.). Since you want to be an RN you can choose a couple of routes. 1) Go to a community college and get your Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). With your ADN you will still be a registered nurse and can still take the NCLEX. For some people this is the best option because they do not have the money to spend at a university so they get their ADN and work while getting their BSN. It may take a little bit longer but it's completely possible! 2) Just go straight to a university. You'll graduate with a BSN and be on your way to your MSN! 3) Start at a community college to complete the pre-reqs then transfer up to a university to complete your BSN. This will save some money because the CC credits should cost less than university credits and since you'll be spending 1.5-2 years there you're paying WAY less than someone who paid the university credit prices all 4 years. Remember though, nursing is not like other degrees where you graduate and can go straight to graduate school. There are very few schools that allow you to do that - they want you to have experience. Most schools that I have seen require a minimum of 1 yr. experience before they will even consider you. Try to go to a nursing program that is accredited!! The two reputable accrediting agencies are the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Now this may not seem like it's a big deal but if you ever intend on leaving your state it might matter. And it WILL matter if you ever intend on being a military nurse. It's not to say that non-NLNAC and CCNE accredited schools are worse because they certainly are not but to basically cover your behind and have the ability to have your degree recognized in every state just pick an accredited school in the first place. Also, I believe a requirement to continue your education in nursing requires that you graduate with a BSN from an accredited school. My only suggestion would be to shadows a nurse or go to a hospital and volunteer. A lot of people find out half way through their program that they cannot handle seeing and cleaning some of the horrific things that nurses see frequently. It seems like you have a good heart but you've got to have a gut of steel as well! :) Work hard and have a strong support system. GOOD LUCK!! Forgot to add something. Talk to your guidance counselor!! The one at your H.S. and try to see one in a university or CC so that they can orient you on some things and explain things better than I will be able to. Here are some links that might help you out: www.allnurses.com << forum for nurses, nursing students... ask questions! www.nlnac.org/home.htm << NLNAC page. You can look up accredited schools here www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation << CCNE page. Look up their accredited schools www.allnursingschools.com/ << Find nursing schools throughout the US