Colleges for pediatric oncology nurse practitioner?

Charliesch
Fri, 03 Aug 2018 15:59:08 +0000

I suggest you concentrate on getting into a quality direct entry BSN program, but not worry right now about graduate school. Most students need a few years of experience as a RN before they can be admitted to undertake a Nurse practitioner program, and before they can afford to attend it. At that time, the grad program will be more interested in your abilities as a RN than the name on your undergrad degree. You may find out at that time that you prefer to take some courses part-time from a local grad program, while your employer subsidizes the classes.

Therefore, there is no need to spend enormous amounts of money on a BSN degree for a prestigious name, if you have quality affordable choices. I’ve heard about some U. Penn nursing students complaining that they were doing clinicals right next to community college students who were paying 1/20th the price.

By the way, the last time I checked, Columbia U. did not even offer an undergrad nursing program.

A BSN is a generic degree. You have to do clinicals in various areas, but you do not typically “major” in a particular field of nursing. You could take some electives in fields related to what you want to do, such as child psychology.

I understand that large numbers of nursing students start out wanting to work in pediatrics, but then find other specialties that are of greater interest to them. I understand working within in-patient hospital pediatics can also be depressing.