Have a MSN Ed. What now????

caliotter3 · Mar 18, 2017

Are you going to be able to find a job using either of those degrees? At this age, I would be content with working. Money given to education mills is probably better spent in one's retirement account.

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 18, 2017

What setting are you applying for jobs? There's so much more to being a nurse educator than teaching in a nursing school- staff education is an option, and there are many others. I don't know that I'd want to invest the time, effort, and money into another degree at 54.

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 21, 2017

I have an MSN in nsg with a concentration in education. I am a school nurse and LOVE it. I am almost your age as well, and I would in no way want to go back to school now to get any other degree (time, money and too much time away from family is not what I want), but that is me, you have to decide if that is what is right for you, and what you really want to do in nsg. There are many jobs you can do in nsg with an MSN and it doesn't matter what the concentration is, just that you have the MSN. Good luck!

msteeleart · Mar 25, 2017

I am 47 years old, have an MSN in leadership and haven't been able to find a job that is any different than the jobs I could get with a BSN. I am going to apply to get a post master's certificate for either psych np or family np. I can't imagine working as an RN until I retire, at least not where I live. I work in home health and I will never get a raise or have an opportunity to move up. I plan to try and work until I am 70 so I have plenty of time and that would be a very long time to work somewhere with no raise. Chamberlain has a post masters in informatics certificate if you are interested. If you are not happy with the job you have now then I say go for it, even if you retire at 65, that is still 11 more years of working. Do you have tuition reimbursement at your job?

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 27, 2017

Sometimes, you have to take a job for which a BSN would be sufficient -- particularly if you don't have the experience desired for the exact job you want. Sometimes, it pays to take such a job if it gives you the right type of experience to make you more marketable at the higher level.

I did that after getting my PhD and made it work quite well for me. I took an MSN level job (like the one I had before getting my PhD) and did well in it for a couple of years ... then built on my success to modify the job (negotiating with my boss) to make it more suitable for my higher level of education. That was 20 years ago and I am still in that job.

Be flexible. You don't have to hold out for the perfect job. Take something that will get you somewhere in the long run -- even if it is not ideal at the moment. That strategy worked for very well for me.