Go back to school or not...?

Published Aug 7, 2020

12 Posts

Hi everyone,

I have been looking for posts that are similar to my present situation but have not found once, hence this post.

I am currently working as a school nurse but have a background in Tele/step down ICU. I have always been interested in going back to school to further my education and career. However, I have been away from any kind of bedside nursing for a while now and am not sure what path to take for my graduate degree. I really enjoy public health and school nursing and I have been told that it would be a good idea to get a Master's in Public Health. However I feel that this would box me in too much into one career and won't be as flexible as having, say, a DNP especially if I decide later on leave public health/ school nursing. I also would like to get an advanced degree that would translate to a higher paying job if possible, something that has a good ROI.

On the other hand, I have read from other NPs that it's hard to find a job as a new NP especially if the applicant does not have any current acute care experience.

So what do you guys all think? Should I try to pursue a more open-ended future through DNP, opt for MPH, or should I just stay where I am at in school nursing? Any thoughts are appreciated! :)