Grad School Nursing Direction

[Benj2610]

Been a nurse for 2 years now... its exhausting, frustrating, challenging, rewarding, and I love it. I'm on a busy med surg floor and I work with great people, make good $, and could not have made a better decision than going back to school at 37 years old to become a nurse.

That said, the time will come when I want to advance my career and so I'm considering grad school. While I do like clinical/direct patient contact, I'm sure at some point I'll want to move in a different direction.

What gives me more job options further down the road? NP program or Masters in Public Health?

(I know it depends on what you want to do... but I only know what I want to do now)

Is it unrealistic to think that an NP can transition into a public health role?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Is it unrealistic to think that an NP can transition into a public health role?

Not at all. NPs are utilized in public health all the time.

But NP or MPH are not your only two options for grad school. You might also consider an MSN in leadership or education.

[scoope23]

I did my MPH in Epidemiology and then completed my BSN afterwards. I like the RN/MPH combo because I was able to combine clinical skills with my background in public health, which provides for a unique perspective on health-related phenomena. My interests are in applied epidemiology/research, so I am still able to do that with a nursing degree too. I'm glad I combined the nursing with public health, but having a MSN is also valuable as well; it really depends on your interests on the direction you should go. Either way, you'll have plenty of options!