advanced nursing career

llg, PhD, RN · May 23, 2008

If you hate your job and are not particularly good at it, you are not likely to be very successful at it. You will also to be unlikely to devote the time and effort necessary at it to be a real "star performer" in a specialty that doesn't suit your particular interests and skills very well.

The key to earning lots of money is to be successful in your career -- to stick with it for a while and have a record of high level achievement in that field. You are unlikely to be very successful and develop that track record of achievement if you are in a specialty that does not match well with your particular talents and interests.

Therefore: ... To be successful and earn lots of money, pick a specialty that suits your particular interests and talents. Then invest the time and effort into being a success in that field. Opportunities to make money at it will follow.

If you pick a specialty that does not match your personal talents and interests, you will not be as successful ... and you will not have as many good opportunities to make lots of money. Very few people make lots of money being unsuccessful.

You are still a student. Explore the different specialties and find out which ones match well with your personal talents and interests. Forget about the money for a year or two. Once you have found your niche, then get an advanced education in that field. Then you will be in good shape to get a well-paying job.

llg, PhD, RN (I've been around long enough to know.)

elkpark · May 23, 2008

I agree (as usual! :)) with llg. PLease don't take an MSN just for the sake of having one! First figure out where you want to go with your career, what your interests and long-term career goals are, and then figure out what additional degree(s) you will need to achieve them. You don't want to find yourself, a few years down the road, having spent a lot more money on your education, stuck with a graduate degree and in a career track that doesn't particularly interest or engage you. I have known a number of people who have ended up in that situation.

You will put a lot of blood, sweat, and tear (not to mention time and $$$) into any graduate degree you get -- it's worth putting in some time and effort up front to be sure it's going to be a degree you really want.

jjjoy, LPN · May 23, 2008

Such great advice! If only more people out there would SAY it! I know that young people get inundated with advice to get that schooling done, to have a plan and stick with it, and that further education means better job opportunities... and yet that's all assuming that a person knows what they want to do. People tend to give this advice with their 20/20 hindsight "if I'd known then what I know now" - but there's NO WAY for a person to know some things before they've had more life experience. Many young people (and not so young people!) don't know what they want to do or where their talents lie in regard to potential careers. So there's this pressure on talented, motivated young people (once you're a bit older, people tend to set their expectations based on where you are as opposed to where they imagine you could be in the future) to move forward and take advantage of their youth, energy, motivation, etc and yet often the student may not have a clear idea of what direction they want to go! It's a tough place to be sometimes!

vmzyece · May 24, 2008

I dont know how much I should thank you guys. Your pieces of advice were:nono: very good. I humbled myself and reflected on what my primary responsibility was, and it was providing good care of my patients. I am gonna dedicate myself to that one for a while.

I will keep you updated when i get to know whai i truly like.

Thank you all for your wonderful input.

elkpark · May 24, 2008

You're v. welcome, and best wishes for your studies and new career! :balloons:

llg, PhD, RN · May 24, 2008

I dont know how much I should thank you guys. Your pieces of advice were:nono: very good. I humbled myself and reflected on what my primary responsibility was, and it was providing good care of my patients. I am gonna dedicate myself to that one for a while.
I will keep you updated when i get to know whai i truly like.
Thank you all for your wonderful input.

I wish you all the success in the world. Take it one step at a time and you will probably do just fine. You'll find a particular specialty that touches your heart and that seems to come naturally to you ... and then you will know what direction to go in choosing a graduate program.

Good luck to you! It was nice meeting you here.

vmzyece · Jun 3, 2008

I will be in South Africa for two years for my job. I want to do my MSN during this period. I just wanted some detailed input if my I qualifications will be recognized here in the US. I want to specialize in Oncology or ICU while there in SA.

jjjoy, LPN · Jun 3, 2008

Will you be working as a nurse, then, in SA? It sounds like you are thinking you could work in oncology or the ICU there, is that correct? It certainly makes sense to get some real world experience in an area before committing to and investing a program of advanced study. Is it an on-line MSN program you are looking at? Just curious!

vmzyece · Jun 4, 2008

It is not an on-line program. It is through the traditional means. Yes, I will be working as a nurse.

jjjoy, LPN · Jun 4, 2008

So is that a US-based or SA-based MSN program (or something else)? From my perspective it seems odd to be able to complete a MSN program in SA unless it's a SA-based program. Are you originally from SA? I had initially assumed that you were from the US and had received your BSN in the US, but maybe I'm wrong there. I have no idea what the transferability of degrees and certifications is between countries. Again, just curious.

vmzyece · Jun 4, 2008

BSN is US and am a US citizen. I want to do MSN in SA because I will be there for some time and want to ave somethg to do while there.