I was advised by staff to start a thread for nurses pertaining to graduate school until staff decides if there will be a forum just for graduate school.
I thought this could be a place for nurses interested in going to graduate school, nurses in graduate school, and nurses who have finished graduate school to share their experience and questions. Maybe those in graduate school or who have finished graduate school can help those interested in it.
So, what specialty are you interested in, where do you go or want to go or have graduated from? Online or traditional? What is the experience like? Anyone in direct entry MS programs? Are you in a nurse practitioner MS program or a different type of nursing MS?
I am a retired school nurse teacher and elementary educator looking to go to graduate school for nursing. After taking a refresher course in med surg, I have been considering many options including school nursing MS, pediatric nurse practitioner (Can you do this without hospital experience since nursing school?), informatics, administration, child psych.(have not been able to find such a program?), case management, patient education (PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN). I have looked into so many things that I am totally confused. I have even looked into a direct entry MS proigram, because my BSN is so old. So any comments or suggestions on my situation would be appreciated. For personal reasons, I cannot work right now, but I am able to go to school online. I am considering the online Stony Brook Pediatric Practitioner and Clinical Specialist Program. Anyone familiar with it?
I am very interested to get answers to my questions and also to hear where you are and what you are doing in the world of graduate education for nurses. I hope we can all help eachother.
Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.
I am applying this summer to begin grad school classes in Spring 2007. Many of them will be in online format, which will save me quite a bit of driving time. However, I know from experience that online classes can be more time consuming than regular courses.
I will also be starting my first job in January (I graduate with my BSN in December). I will go to school part-time (1-2 classes per semester), but I was wondering how much I should work. I would like to work as much as possible to gain experience, but I also don't want to burn myself out. I was thinking of applying for some of the 0.7 FTE positions I've seen posted. There are also 7/70 and 3-12's at some of the hospitals in my area.
Does anyone have any advice on how much to work in grad school (max. 6 credits/semester) while still maintaining ones sanity?
Thanks :)
P.S. I don't have any kids but do have a husband and some family responsibilities.
I would love to participate. I am enrolled in an online MSN program. I found one other student who is attending Indiana State Online Nursing Program. Are there any others? Do you know of any good online programs out there? Would like to hear from you. Another question I have is about non thesis options. Does anyone know anything about that? Thanks
University of Missouri-Columbia-no thesis-great program-love it Krisssy
I would love to participate. I am enrolled in an online MSN program. I found one other student who is attending Indiana State Online Nursing Program. Are there any others? Do you know of any good online programs out there? Would like to hear from you.
I am enrolled in the MSN distance ed program at St Josephs college in Maine. Ironically I live close enough to go on campus if I need to. Im carrying 9 credits this summer (on sabattical)...
I am applying this summer to begin grad school classes in Spring 2007. Many of them will be in online format, which will save me quite a bit of driving time. However, I know from experience that online classes can be more time consuming than regular courses.
I will also be starting my first job in January (I graduate with my BSN in December). I will go to school part-time (1-2 classes per semester), but I was wondering how much I should work. I would like to work as much as possible to gain experience, but I also don't want to burn myself out. I was thinking of applying for some of the 0.7 FTE positions I've seen posted. There are also 7/70 and 3-12's at some of the hospitals in my area.
Does anyone have any advice on how much to work in grad school (max. 6 credits/semester) while still maintaining ones sanity?
Thanks :)
I LOVE your quotes. The first one made me decide to not take this semester off because of personal chaos in my life. BtW, have you taken grad statistics? If so, what is it like? time consuming? I can't help you out, because I have the same questions. What is 0.7 FTE positions and 7/70 positions?
I think part of the answer to your question depends on what kind of student you are. I am a perfectionist and a slow worker, so I can only take one course a semester, and I am not even working . But I do have to go to physical therapy everyday, so I can't work right now. Hopefully, I will eventually get a part time job when my health is better and my life is calmer. I agree that the experience is so important. But I will get experience in my grad school clinicals. Other people work faster and can do more. My friend is a teacher, and her coworker and friend said to her, "You are a very nice person and a good teacher, but I can't work with you-you are so SLOW. Well the person who said that comment would be too FAST for me to work with. My point is that we are all different. So you need to consider what your learning style is. For instance, I have to rewrite evrything I read, because I am a visual learner. That is time consuming. I used to be a teacher, and you need to consider your needs and your learning style. Everyone is different, and it has nothing to do with intelligence. It has to do with learning styles. Never compare yourself to anyone else. You do what you can do, and you will do great. You sound like a wise person writing those quotes.
Krisssy-You do need to take the hubby and family into consideration. My first husband of 32 years left, because he said I worked too much and ignored him. He said I just payed attention to my 3 kids and my job. It was so sad, and I have never been the same ,although I am remarried. I still have that urge to work and go to school, but my pace has slowed down considerably.
P.S. I don't have any kids but do have a husband and some family responsibilities.
-sorry The P.S. was written by the original writer. I started writing in the wrong place.Krisssy
I am getting ready to start LPN and then bridge to RN, but once I start working as an RN I want to bridge over to either BSN or MSN. I would go directly into BSN, but I cannot afford to drive to the closest school that offers that (over 1 and 1/2 hours away), so I thought if I get my RN at the school closest to me and then bridge to MSN by way of internet, I could do it while I work. Has anyone ever done this, and if so, how hard is it and is that type of an MSN the same as one that you go to school directly for or do places of employment look at internet school as a joke?
ICRN2008, BSN, RN
897 Posts
I am applying this summer to begin grad school classes in Spring 2007. Many of them will be in online format, which will save me quite a bit of driving time. However, I know from experience that online classes can be more time consuming than regular courses.
I will also be starting my first job in January (I graduate with my BSN in December). I will go to school part-time (1-2 classes per semester), but I was wondering how much I should work. I would like to work as much as possible to gain experience, but I also don't want to burn myself out. I was thinking of applying for some of the 0.7 FTE positions I've seen posted. There are also 7/70 and 3-12's at some of the hospitals in my area.
Does anyone have any advice on how much to work in grad school (max. 6 credits/semester) while still maintaining ones sanity?
Thanks :)
P.S. I don't have any kids but do have a husband and some family responsibilities.