Advice on furthering education

[BurnedoutICURN]

I'm new to the forum. I need help. I've tried twice to start a NP program, but both times the workload of school got to be too much, with working full time. It's not an option to cut back work hours. But I want to finish a master's degree so that I can look for opportunities away from the bedside. Any advice on schools? Programs? Thanks.

[Mary3010]

BurnedOutICU: Can you do your master's part time? It just might take longer to do.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Is advanced practice the only.type of master's you are interested in? Do you have clearly.defined goals of what this new phase of your career looks like?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to student NP forum

[llg, PhD, RN]

Sadly, there are only 24 hours in a day -- and people usually have to chose which things are the highest priority and which things are lower on the list. You need to do some serious thinking and decide which things to prioritize in your life right now and which things to compromise.

For example, you say you can't cut back on your work hours. Really? Even if you got a student loan to help you pay some of your expenses? Most people make some sort of financial sacrifice to go back to school. Why can't you? (Maybe you really can't ... I don't know ... you didn't say why you couldn't compromise on your job hours. I'm just telling you that most people make a financial sacrifice to go to school.)

Can you go to school very part time? Compromise on the speed through which you go to school. Keep school on your priority list, just move it down the list to where you can manage the time commitment.

Where else are you spending your time? Can you make some compromises there? Can you spend less time on a social life, cleaning your house, etc.?

No one can tell you where to compromise -- and where you can find the time you will need to finish school. But those of us who have gone to school have all had to make similar compromises and sacrifices to make it work. Only you can decide which things to let go.

[terfernay]

If you are truly burned out from bedside nursing there are non-bedside RN roles that don't require you to go back to school. I don't know if you'd ever consider that or not.

[BurnedoutICURN]

I was already at part time. I found that I didn't have the energy after working to give my attention to additional work. It looks like any new academic pursuit may be futile.

[BurnedoutICURN]

I've applied to several non-bedside jobs, but some require experience. I'm still trying that path because it seems like a possibility.

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

I've applied to several non-bedside jobs, but some require experience. I'm still trying that path because it seems like a possibility.

Another possibility is to aggressively save up money by picking up more shifts for 2-3 years, enough to cover living expenses during an NP program; Then attend NP program full time and work per-diem while taking out loans to cover tuition.

Good luck.