Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that you are about to make a serious education commitment. I made a career change into nursing at 40. Even though I had a prior degree (finance) and dreaded the thought of pursuing another Bachelor's, I ruled out the CNL program for all the reasons others have listed and, instead, pursue an accelerated BSN. It took 1.5 years to complete the prerequisites required for entry into the program since my first degree was not science-based. The accelerated nursing program took almost 1.5 INTENSE years to complete (accelerated programs are no joke!). There are different opinions on whether you should get a few years of nursing experience under your belt before you pursue NP---I opted to work in the field as an RN for a few years after being advised that this would make me a much stronger candidate for NP programs. Another factor to keep in mind is that there is a mandate for all NP programs to become DNP (doctoral level) which lengthens the educational commitment further. At University of Maryland, you can't get a Master's level NP---they're all DNP commitments. Despite having a four year degree, when it's all said and done, I will have completed *another* 6-8 years of schooling (depending on whether pursuing the NP full-time or part-time). Some might say, "why didn't you just become a doctor". I was certainly smart enough---but I'd rather be a nurse---and there are many in our field who would say the same! Completely different model of practicing healthcare. It's a rewarding endeavor---but you need to go in with eyes wide open about the level of commitment this is going to take. Best of luck to you! If the prospect of that much additional education is too daunting, a faster route into healthcare would be to become a Physician's Assistant but your career options will be much more extensive as a Nurse Practitioner.
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