Any other new grads considering a PhD?

[Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN]

I know some of my classmates are, and now I'm giving this particular area a second look.

I have a direct-entry MSN and have been doing med-surg for 4 months now at an understaffed inner-city hospital. As you might imagine, it's exhausting and a bit frustrating. Once I've been there a year I plan to go someplace else, before I get burned out.

I know that almost any other place is going to be an improvement, but I suspect that I'm never really going to be satisfied with bedside nursing (as several of my classmates predicted). Some of my instructors suggested trying a PhD program, which I've been going back and forth about for a while now. I've previously considered NP (the primary choice of my classmates), but I've never really gotten excited about the possibility.

I find that I like to have the opportunity to think about things, to imagine and explore possibilities, and to be creative. I don't get the opportunity to do that in my present position, and I doubt any subsequent beside positions will be much better in that regard. Just med passes, call lights, and lots of paperwork...

I've done some teaching as a teaching assistant in the past, and while it could be tedious it could also be fun, a way to be creative and expressive (I even considered being a high school teacher for a while). I also did some research as part of my MSN and while I also found some of it tedious, I did find other parts of it quite interesting and even exciting, something I might want to build on.

I've always been an idealist, someone who's lived a fairly spartan intellectual existence. I think an academia-oriented position might be a good match for me.

Has anyone else been having similar thoughts?

[Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN]

Guess not.

[Dreamer-RN]

I find that I like to have the opportunity to think about things, to imagine and explore possibilities, and to be creative. I don't get the opportunity to do that in my present position, and I doubt any subsequent beside positions will be much better in that regard. Just med passes, call lights, and lots of paperwork...

You're not alone. I'm a new grad with a strong desire for a PhD to be my terminal degree. Most likely it'll be a non-nursing PhD but something in the medical field.

I can relate to your sentiments. I enjoy thinking, imaging, and exploring possibilities too. I also have strong interests in research with dreams of possibly producing a product from that research effort.

I've always been an idealist, someone who's lived a fairly spartan intellectual existence. I think an academia-oriented position might be a good match for me.

I chuckled with the above statement. Guilty as charged! haha!

Your not alone! I'm sure there are others having similar thoughts.

[Mission]

I'm a second year PhD student...you're not alone, but there are not many of us.

[Camphope]

New BSN grad here....I have been thinking and dreaming about it right from day one, fine job in describing me too :)

[r0b0tafflicti0n]

Me too, possibly, though I'm thinking of exploring an MPH first and deciding from there whether the public health side or nursing side will be my end path.

[jjjoy, LPN]

I hear ya, but it doesn't seem to be the standard mindset of nurses... which makes sense since nursing is a practice. The ultimate goal of most any nursing research is to improve nursing practice (generally measured by improved outcomes). There always should be a lot more practitioners than academics in that kind of field.

[Mission]

Me too, possibly, though I'm thinking of exploring an MPH first and deciding from there whether the public health side or nursing side will be my end path.

I got my MPH before pursuing my PhD. Having a solid foundation in epi and biostats has been really helpful in the PhD program.

[Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN]

Interesting...a former professor of mine mentioned that one should consider public health as well as nursing when looking into PhD programs.

[Mission]

I think it would depend mostly on what your research area is more than anything else. My personal interest is informatics so I had some flexibility as far as applying to nursing, public health or biomedical informatics programs. I think for someone (for example) who was interested in the cost-effectiveness and quality outcomes of APNs or nurse staffing ratios, doing a PhD in a field outside of nursing doesn't make quite as much sense. I think the most important thing is finding an adviser with similar research interests and a program that will meet your goals. Reading the nursing theory thread made me pretty happy that my school does not seem to have a much of a focus on it.

[medicrnohio, RN]

I'm not a new grad but I am considering getting my PhD. Currently I'm in a MSN-FNP program. I want to do research and teach.

[RN-MPH]

I totally agree with you; not too many people are keen into going to PhD because RNs get paid well compared to the years of studies they invest. Moreover, PhD graduates don't get paid well in regard to the opportunity cost they put. But if you really want to do something then you shouldn't let your ambition get crushed, you should go for it! I finished MPH . i was searching some PhD programs, UCLA seems to have a great program of PhD in health services does anyone know about it, or anyone is doing it already maybe they can help tell us about different PhD programs that are good and also provide scholarships or fellowships.