Is this the area of nursing for me?

[Julius Seizure]

Im struggling deciding where to move next in my career. I am a bit burnt out on direct patient care.

Things that I enjoy about nursing are the opportunity to use evidence based practices to make a difference, and all the interesting things that equate to the "best" way to do something. Policy/procedure creation, staff development, staff and patient education. I have long thought that an advanced degree as a clinical nurse specialist would be a great fit for me, but alas, it seems that it is being slowly phased out and in my part of the country it is not even considered advanced practice when it IS used (southeast USA).

So, where do I fit then? Would I enjoy working in quality improvement? Is there room for advancement here? Its not the most important thing, but it is a question - what do QI nurses make and is there opportunity to make more than a bedside nurse? If QI isn't a good spot for me, is there somewhere else that I should be looking?

Any advice would be SO appreciated. I am ready to move on in my career or to go to grad school, but I dont know which direction to point my feet!

[amoLucia]

QI positions are few & far between and are highly coveted. They are freq filled from within the facility and/or by those with experience (and certs) in QI. And everybody's looking at adv degrees already in place. Every now & then something may pop up, but they go just as fast as they pop up.

I doubt the position pays much differently than staff (???) but it could be considered advancement if increased significant managerial responsibilities are involved or there is an adv degree with cert.

If that's your direction, grad ed might be your pathway.

[Julius Seizure]

If that's your direction, grad ed might be your pathway.

Thanks for your response. Yup, I think grad school needs to be in my future no matter what.