career advice

[FLAgal14]

Hi

I'm new to this forum (been lurking for awhile but finally decided to join). I am in need of some advice - I currently have a B.A. and a MPH, but after spending a few years in the workforce I found that I want to be in healthcare helping people. I applied and was accepted to medical school this year but decided against it because of various reasons (my age, want to start a family, debt,etc..) What would anyone recommend to be the most economically feasible route for me to become a nurse practitioner? I already have a lot of student loan debt and I'm trying to find a way to become a NP without taking out too many more student loans. My plan was to get an accelerated BSN and then work for a hospital for some time and apply for tuition reimbursement through the hospital to get my MSN. Does this seem like a logical (and economical)way to do this? Any advice would be much appreciated:)

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

This is definitely a common way to reach your goal. With your prior education, you should be able to get thru rather quickly. But beware of the accelerated degree route. Some feel it is too quick, and they tend to be deceiving (some are not as quick as you'd like them to be).

Also, if you find a hospital to pay for your schooling, at the same time you will be getting your feet wet as a nurse, which is a good idea, even though your ultimate goal is to be an NP.