Advanced Degree; Need some seasoned advice :)

tracelane, DNP, NP · Sep 6, 2010

Hello,

I'd say option 3. The move to DNP as an entry level requirement isn't set in stone yet but it is planned for 2015.

I'm in a DNP program now and would urge you to ask questions about clinical (aka residency) time as it's more than I'd suspected as well as how long the program has been in place.

With the DNP you'll have courses in finance and advanced management so if you decided to become the CEO, it will help.

Balancing those spreadsheets caused me pain and a touch of PTSD.

I wouldn't want to be in management or as a CEO, they seem to work really long hours, are under stress and never look happy.

With the DNP you could teach, work in a clinical settig or manage.

The sky is the limit!

T

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 6, 2010

If you have absolutely no idea what type of career path you want to follow, then you are not ready for graduate study.

It's OK to not have a specific job or role in mind, but you should at least know what specialty and/or population of patients interests you.

I think you should delay your entry until you have identified the general field that will suit you best before making such a big investment.

grandmawrinkle · Sep 6, 2010

Totally agree with llg. I'm also going to say that 3 years of nursing experience may not be enough for you to have gotten what you needed to determine what you want out of your life. What I thought I wanted to do for a graduate degree 5 years out is completely different than the graduate program I am going through now, at 10 years out.

I see a lot of newer nurses rushing the back-to- graduate school thing. Looking back on my life now, I would not have known enough about nursing or been a mature enough person to really truly know where I wanted to go at 3 years. At 5 years I had some thoughts. At 7-8 years, I changed my mind about that, and around 9 years I finally figured out what would work for me.

There are a lot of options in nursing for grad school...it's not just like the MS or PhD like a lot of other academic disciplines. There is a lot of information to sift through. I would recommend that you shadow some APNs or MSN/DNP level RNs to see what you can learn and what you like.

(As a side note -- there is no "general" MSN. You have to specialize in something, so another reason to think long and hard about what you want to do.)

jkpowell23 · Sep 6, 2010

Just want to give you a bit of my story (a work in progress). I'm several thousand dollars and a year into my FNP. Now, after a lot of soul searching, I have changed my mind. So, I am attempting to switch into PMHNP, at a great expense and additional time (plus headache and stress).

Don't commit until you're sure! Graduate school can eat up your sanity quickly.

UVA Grad Nursing · Sep 6, 2010

I agree with the above posts.

One more thing to consider: a Family NP is a primary care role. Many of the State Boards of Nursing are looking at recommended changes to the relevant Nurse Practice Acts to restrict FNPs from practicing as inpatient providers. That change looks likely to occur in my state in the next few years. In the past 2 months, I have been contacted by dozens of local FNPs who are now seeking post-masters Acute Care NP certificates in order to keep their jobs.

If you want inpatient Cardiac or Oncology, a FNP program is likely not the most appropriate preparation for you.

NYCRN6 · Sep 9, 2010

I really have been thinking about combining Cards and Onc together... perhaps chemotherapy induced cardio toxicity and work in a clinic as such with a masters NP......

Any thoughts on that?

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 9, 2010

I really have been thinking about combining Cards and Onc together... perhaps chemotherapy induced cardio toxicity and work in a clinic as such with a masters NP......
Any thoughts on that?

While that may be a good topic for a research or teaching project, it's way too narrow. You won't find a graduate program that focuses on anything that specific -- and I doubt you would find a clinic or medical practice that would focus on that narrow patient population either.

NYCRN6 · Sep 9, 2010

Thanks for your post.

What about at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Cardiology Outpatient Unit?

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 9, 2010

Thanks for your post.
What about at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Cardiology Outpatient Unit?

What about it? Is it a good place to work? I don't know ... but it's a workplace, not an academic degree. If you want to apply for a job there, then explore them as an employer. But that's a totally separate question from what graduate education you should pursue.

Moogie · Sep 10, 2010

I agree with other posters; you don't want to commit until you are pretty sure of what you want to do because it is time-consuming and costly to change your focus once you are in a graduate program.

Most MSN programs are specialized in a focus area: advanced nursing practice (NP, CNM, CNS, CRNA), nursing education or nursing administration. Some programs offer specialization in advanced public health in rural or urban settings. While there are some generalized MSN programs, it is my understanding that most of those programs are intended as direct-entry master's degrees for non-nurses with previous bachelor's (or higher) degrees in other fields.

I am a little confused by "option 4" because while you can get an MSN in nursing administration and you can get a MS in health care administration, the two degrees are different. You may have difficulty finding employment with an MS in health care administration if you are looking at jobs that require a master's degree in nursing.

You may be wise to explore a few more options as a nurse prior to committing to graduate education so you can discover what specialty areas and roles you might enjoy most. You can also take core classes (e.g., nursing theory, research, health care policy and finance) prior to committing to a track in most graduate schools. Taking a core class would be a good introduction to graduate education and might help you figure out your focus.

Good luck in whatever you decide!