New RN, looking ahead; MPH?

@mia415 what a great post, I would love to do that job. What state is this in? How was the PH certification? I too am curious if you did other bedside nursing before this. Looking forward to hearing from you!

I was reading her other posts. I don't think she has done hospital bed side. I have met a Nurse of 30 years who has worked at the health department for 29 of those 30 years. She said she has no interest in bedside and hospitals. She has done international, mission trips, but mainly community health/health department projects, worked in implementing several federal health grants.

Sorry for the delay! No hospital experience, this was my first job out of nursing school (it was also my first offer!) don't know where you guys live but in California, finding a job out of nursing school is extremely difficult! So after sending 225 application to every new grad program, staff nurse I positions, outpatient clinics and public health departments, I was absolutely blessed to be offered a position I love and enjoy so much, and see myself staying in this department for a very long time. For those interested, there is lots of opportunity for promotion and transfers to positions involving management, policy, director, as well as priority for any county position. I think also priority for the state health department, which is where some of the most influential decision about health care is made. Last to answer the question about my PHN certification, in the state of CA as long as you completed a BSN degree with clinical hours in the field of community nursing, it automatically qualifies you for a PHN certificate, I just had to mail some extra forms and $75 application fee. Don't know how it works in other states but just check the state board of nursing website. Hope that helps!!

RN-MS here who works as a PHN mainly in the disease control and prevention area of public health. I do some surveillance, disease investigations, outbreak response, TB case management/program oversight, & immunizations. If I wasn't drowning in student loan debt, I would go for the MPH with a focus in epidemiology-without hesitation. If I could go back, I probably would skip nursing school (Yikes! Did I type that out loud?). I would love to be an epi.

marie Bailey - if you could do it all over again and not choose nursing school but still obtaining the epi - what would your path look like? I really want to get into epi - I have an ADN and would only get my BSN if I had to as a req to get into epi. Do you know if that is at all possible?

I'm curious what conclusions you reached after this post and where some of you are today as we approach 2015. I have a health education/public health background and just started a community college nursing program. I only have program implementation experience, nothing clinical and nothing managerial. I'd like to be able to run health promotion programs, have time to work on patient education and have job stability. A job like Mia's sounds really great, implementing a social, educational and clinical aspect to further Maternal Health.

(My passion has been in nutrition education, specifically how to help people eat more plant based foods and exercise to prevent diseases like obesity and diabetes. I am also interested in women's health, international health and other public health issues.)

I have a BS in Health Science with a focus in Community Health Education. I worked counseling such patients for 2 years and burnt out, then I helped manage the Meatless Monday Campaign in NYC. I'm tricultural and fully bilingual in Spanish and hope this will help in CA. In the last 7 years I've had a very difficult time moving fwd with my career, so I began to consider getting my RN license. Getting an RD or a Master's at this point seemed to not be a good ROI, nor did it seem to open the right doors for my broad goals.

Right now it's week 5 of this 2 year ADN nursing program and we're working on the very basics: immobility, hygiene, etc. I was lucky to get picked in the CA lottery, but I find it difficult to think I'll have to do this for 2 years.

What I'm wondering is, after all your posts, if you think the clinical experience can help before pursuing an MPH or Master's in Health Promotion, for example. I also won't be interested in doing bedside nursing for long. Do you think my Bachelor's in Community Health will help? Do you think an RN license will help rather than pursuing such a Master's for a high financial price right now? I'm already in student debt and want something to give me more solid credentials. And last, do you have encouraging words for a 40 year old returning student at the very start of this ADN program, when what I'm interested in probably lies years ahead? I consider dropping out every week and yet I'm not a quitter.

Thank you.

Hi @healtheducatorinCA I got my MPH in 2010 and just completed my BSN in August 2014. Good choice in choosing nursing. It will open many doors for you in the long run. Don't stop, keep going.

Because you have substantial experience in public health and it seems like you have experience in case management you can finesse your skills in a way to work in a non hospital setting after you become a RN. If you want to get some clinical skills now, try finding a patient tech position. Once you graduate, you can work part time as a nurse (Top 5 places a new grad can find a job (that's not in a hospital) | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles) while pursuing your MPH or if you choose another non-clinical masters program. I worked a full-time job in a public health role at a health department while attending nursing school full-time (night classes & weekend clinicals), so yes, it can be done!! So many people warned me against it, but if you know what you are capable of, just keep pushing!!

I have been offered a med/surg new nurse position at a hospital in the city. I am contemplating declining the offer and seeking out a community health nursing position, because in the long run, that is what I want to do. I love all things public health, mainly maternal and child health. In fact, my maternity and community health clinical rotation are the ONLY clinicals that I looked forward to.

I had women in my cohort who were 45+. They are all RN's now. Keep going!! It will all pay off. Trust me. :) Best of luck if all that you do...send me a message if you want to talk more.

Following

I also had a hard time finding a job after I got my MPH. I am not yet in a BSN program but I'm applying soon after I finish my prerequisites (hopefully by December '15). I believe having an RN and MPH will make me more marketable in today's job market, but ultimately I'm going into nursing because I do find that I get bored easily with my current job (health educator). It is nice to hear that I'm not the only person with an MPH that has gone into nursing.

So glad this post exists, I'd like to know what people decided to do and how they are faring. I'm also thinking of going for my MPH/MSN in a dual degree program (and later get a doctorate in nursing). I'm a second career nurse, with a bachelors in journalism and currently finishing up my BSN. I worked for a non-profit before deciding at 30 to go back and get a BSN, and my pie in the sky job would be to work my way to an executive position at a health-related NGO. But I noticed that a lot of those folks are MDs with MPHs... and I don't have the time or the money for that! Would an MPH/PhD (in nursing) or MPH/ DNP get me there? Does anyone know of examples of nurse executives out there with the combo? Is an MPH a worthwhile degree to get if I pursued a health services management or healthcare organization concentration?

Help! And thanks!

Anybody have any updates on their career now since it's been several months since this thread had any last activity??

I have a friend she has her ADN, she wants to work in disease management and working at the CDC. She needs her MPH, but you can't go from an ADN to MPH without getting a Bachelor's in something. So i would think a BSN would make her more appealing. So get the BSN then apply for an MPH program.

Does that sound like the best plan?

Does anyone have any suggestions on programs for the MPH program, once she gets her BSN. Which won't take long. She is very very smart, probably one of the smartest nurses I know, but due to her ADN she gets passed up for promotion all the time. I am just trying to push her to start, i wish i have 1/10 of her knowledge!

Did having an ADN help with the course work for the MPH? I have a friend with an ADN she wants her MPH, but from what i see she needs a Bachelor's in something to get into an MPH program.

But if she got her BSN quickly then she could apply for her MPH.

Hi @healtheducatorinCA I got my MPH in 2010 and just completed my BSN in August 2014. Good choice in choosing nursing. It will open many doors for you in the long run. Don't stop, keep going.

Because you have substantial experience in public health and it seems like you have experience in case management you can finesse your skills in a way to work in a non hospital setting after you become a RN. If you want to get some clinical skills now, try finding a patient tech position. Once you graduate, you can work part time as a nurse (Top 5 places a new grad can find a job (that's not in a hospital) | Scrubs – The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles) while pursuing your MPH or if you choose another non-clinical masters program. I worked a full-time job in a public health role at a health department while attending nursing school full-time (night classes & weekend clinicals), so yes, it can be done!! So many people warned me against it, but if you know what you are capable of, just keep pushing!!

I have been offered a med/surg new nurse position at a hospital in the city. I am contemplating declining the offer and seeking out a community health nursing position, because in the long run, that is what I want to do. I love all things public health, mainly maternal and child health. In fact, my maternity and community health clinical rotation are the ONLY clinicals that I looked forward to.

I had women in my cohort who were 45+. They are all RN's now. Keep going!! It will all pay off. Trust me. :) Best of luck if all that you do...send me a message if you want to talk more.