what type of msn?

[imenid37]

i'd like anyone's thoughts here on what type of msn i should pursue. my ultimate goal is staff development or possibly teaching adn students. i have looked into several programs. those offered in my area and online. i love ob and want to have a focus in ob, but to pursue a ms as a clin spec in ob, i'd have to travel many miles and pay out of state tuition. i am certified as rnc in maternal-newborn nursing and efm. i've been in nursing for 15 yrs., 12 of it in ob. the one local college i consulted was very discouraging when i told them my goal and they reminded me that w/o the msin a clinical fielsd i can't teach in a bsn program. that is not what i want to do anyway. i really do love ob and if there were better opportunities i'd certainly go for the clinical track. what would be my opportunities as a nurse w/ a msn in nursing education and my ob credentials and experience. any thoughts appreciated. also, i work full time and have 3 daughters 14, 12, and 9, so obviously i need to have a life other than school. thanks in advance.

[imenid37]

sorry for my sentence fragment and spelling errors. it was late.

[DelGR]

I know the Univ. of Phoenix online enrollment advisor said that one of their MSN programs prepare you to be a nurse educator. I hope it does. I would like to educate others in my close-to-retirement years.

[TraumaNurse]

If what you want is to become an educator, then any MSN will be adequate to meet the requirements. There are several universities that offer online or distance education degrees. Check out http://www.allnursingschools.com. However, if you want to become a CNS, that is different and requires a different MSN track with a lot more clinical hours. Good luck in your decision and pursuit of higher education.

[Dr. Kate, BSN, RN]

The hardest thing sometimes is to step back and evaluate what you're trying to do. You have some ideas about what you want--some quite specific. Have you looked at the job market in your area, or areas where you might want to work. Are they hiring specialists or generalists in Staff Development? You might want to make appopintments with some people in Staff Development and find out how they got to where they are, their background, and what they recommend educationally. Expand you options by looking at programs that are a bit broader rather than very, very specific. You might be able to mold a program to your needs, or at least pick up electives in your specialty area. Do the same with online programs. There's a wide variety out there. You just need to figure out what will be best for you and your goals and plans for the future.

[spineCNOR]

I agree with the above that you must decide what is best for you. Part of the CNS role is staff and patient education, so if you go the CNS route, you can work as either a CNS or as an educator. With a MSB, CNS track you could do staff development or teach at the ADN level, but if you go the education route, you would not be able to work as a CNS.

With the education track you would still have many opportunities, so it depends on what you really want to do.

Best of luck to you, whatever your decision.

[margnurse]

There is one program that will be starting in Fall 2003. In fact, I have the same goals as you and will be applying for the Spring for this program. It is a distance education program with Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. It is a 36 credit MSN Nurse Educator program. Some of the coursework includes internship. They are 8 hrs per week in the fall and spring. Many of the courses are offered per satellite which you can view at the community colleges in Virginia. I think there are a couple sites also out of state --maybe North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Washington. Also there are some courses that are web based. You might want to check it out. Their web site is http://www.odu.edu. I saw that you are in PA and I don't know if they have any sites there. Good luck!