Nurses - a salary question.

[TNDemo]

My friend and I are both approaching 50 and both have a bachelor's degree from back when. We are both due to start nursing school in the fall. She is going to a program at a university that if she goes full time she can have an MSN in two years. The tuition is about $800/hr. I am going to the community college and in two years will have an RN. I will pay about $3,000 per year for tuition. My friend has had some tight financial times and wants to make as much money as possible when she gets out. She is planning to take on student loans for all that tuition, which should be about $50,000 if she takes summers off but she may have to go then also so it could be a good bit more. I told her it will probably take her many years to pay those loans back (I had them the first time around and speak from experience) and that the pay scale is probably not going to be so much greater between the MSN and the RN to warrant that. I would think the MSN would mainly be for if you want to be in a supervisory position. I'm just too old to get into that kind of debt and won't be working all that many years before I retire. So those of you in the field, what do you think? Is all that tuition expense worth it?

[likesmountains 52]

1. depends on what you want to do really...

I think that most nursing schools are short of instructors, so if you want to teach an MSN would be the degree to get...I do not know about salary ranges for instructors. I do know that an entry level new grad RN in my hospital starts at $19/hr....travelers make much, much more if you're up for that. Don't expect to get rich quick in this profession...I've been at it for 27 years and my 28 year old niece works for a "head-hunting" firm and makes twice what I do.

[uppityperson]

2. HI there and welcome to nursing. Lots of stuff you can do with it.

It depends on what you want to do after you graduate. If you want to make money, specialize in something, like CCU or emergency nursing, get certified through the ANA when you graduate. Or some other specialty. She can make a bunch of money by CCU/ICU/neonate/ER specialty if she can work in a highly technical intense hospital situation. Many places you need a BSN to be a school nurse, public health nurse, etc. MSN is usually for supervisory or Nurse Practitionerhoodshipness. If you want to get into supervisory or be a NP, get the MSN. She might be able to teach with a MSN and a couple yrs working experience.

ADN=hospital, nursing home, private duty
BSN=public health, school, ER supervisor, home health (may do home health with an ADN)
MSN-supervisory, teaching.

You need to figure out what you want to do with it and just do it. Good luck going back to school, it's different being an adult than as a kid. I found what I learned had to make sense, rather than just memorizing.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. My niece is getting her MSN on May 5....

and just passed her state nurse practitoner licensing exam. I have no clue how much money she will be paid, but she will be able to work a 9 - 5 job (she's in psych) with actual weekends off.

She just got the NP licensing exam result on Thursday and is sending out resumes right and left. But right now she is pumped.

Hope this helps.....

[liberalnurse]

8. Super Kuddo's for the new Nurse Practitioner.

I'm sure her Great Aunt had a lot to do with giving love and support; making this fine accomplish happen!:bounce: :toast: O8)

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Thanks, liberalnurse....

She called me last night extremely excited about getting the licensing certificate. The three years of grad school have been lots of work, both for school and working part time. But it was well worth the effort.

I cannot wait to attend her graduation on 5/5.

[liberalnurse]

4. Welcome to Nursing!

The Masters Plan is the best direction. Call your local State Nurses Association and they can give you information regarding tuition plans. There are great plans/grants for those who will enter education of nursing. Many angles too for tuition/loans to be paid off with employment contracts.

What state are you residing?

[TNDemo]

5. Tennessee.

I might add that neither one of us wants to teach.

[liberalnurse]

7. Okay.....still I strongly

suggest you hook up with your local Tennessee Nursing Association.

http://www.tnaonline.org/

Explore the above link extensively.


Look here and find your local nursing district office:

http://www.tnaonline.org/district.htm

This avenue can connect you with expert nurses in your state and area. They have connections too! They can sit down with you and process your nursing exploration. This may involve attending a chapter meeting. Here in Ohio, we do monthly dinners at local restaurants with a guest speaker. I'm active in nursing legislation as a Legislative Liaison at our Statehouse General Assembly.

As you can see....nursing education is the big push now. There is a tremendous shortage of educators nationally.

http://www.nursing-education-tn.org/index.htm


Here is a link from the above noted Tenn. Nursing page regarding wages:

http://www.nursing-education-tn.org/c7.htm

Here is an over collection of nursing career links from the Tenn. site..

http://www.nursing-education-tn.org/careers.htm

[China_cat]

6. My sister's a nurse

with a degree, pharma certification, lots of other stuff.

The hospital she now works at has the nurses BID on their shifts. They say what they want and the hospital takes the lowest. However, it is better than when she was working in Pgh. and had to pay the city for the privilege of working there.