Advice

[jdw1976]

Hello. I have a question regarding best advance degree options. I have 9 years experience in Nursing. I will soon graduate with my BSN. I know I want to continue to further my degree but am very undecided at what path to take. I have of course considered NP, but also have thought about getting my MBA. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[theRNJedi]

It's hard to offer specific advice because the options you listed for yourself in pursuing an NP versus an MBA is really very broad. If you're still at that point then you're still very high level, and you would need to convey more details about yourself, interests, and aspirations to distill decisions and advice down to a granular level. I would suggest taking some time to reflect on your personal interests and identify what your short-term and long term goals are. That sounds very cliche, but nevertheless, very applicable for you.

Might I suggest literally making a spreadsheet and plotting out all your feasible options and interests and start compiling data on each option's benefits and risks. (i.e., salary, education, time, work schedule, etc...) Another way to start a sorting process is to identify in what genre/specialty/role of nursing you may or may not want to work. I teach my nursing students that one of the great beauties of the nursing profession is how vast it is...you can find some place in it for every personality, skill set, schedule, etc...there's something for everybody. There so many specialities in nursing you could almost change your specialty every year of your career and never do the same thing twice. Nurses can segue into so many realms of healthcare...clinical, non-clinical, administrative, education, management, private practice, advanced practice, clinic, acute care, home health, public health, etc...the list goes on.

Finishing your BSN is wonderful and definitely shows commitment and increases your bargaining power for certain employment markets in nursing. I would highly encourage you to not just jump into an advance degree program without having found some intrinsic motivation (and to some degree extrinsic motivation) in choosing that degree. Grad work is expensive, demanding, time consuming, and it would be disappointing to find yourself at the end of it and having not really reconciled or committed your heart into it.

What makes you tick?

What gives you the most reward?

Where lies your clinical interests and prowess?

What 'natural' abilities do you have?

What lifestyle do you desire?

What salary will make you happy?

What kind of work schedule do you desire?

What feedback or compliments do peers and patients give you?

What influences you to pursue an advanced degree? MBA? NP?

good luck!

-theRNjedi