Help Me Decide

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I have been a med-surg RN for two years and half now.

I started my FNP program in January 2019 and am currently on my first clinical rotation. I'm working night shift and have to ask my supervisor for days off to attend my clinical. I am having a dilemma at this point. Working night shift and going to school are a bit overwhelming.

On top of that, I have been paying out of pocket to secure clinical sites without assistance from my clinical coordinator. In addition, after starting my clinical rotation, I realized that maybe I just don't like working as a NP or a provider. At this point, I am not sure if I should continue the NP program, quit the program and find a RN specialty that I would like, or switch to a different track (educator, informatics, etc.). I am almost finished with all of my core courses (Research, Patho, Pharm, Health Assessment).

Dear Overwhelmed,

I think it boils down to knowing what you want to do, and then committing. Unlike earning your BSN, once you are in graduate school, you must be certain of your chosen specialty track. Is there a chance you advanced to FNP school because it's seen by some as a natural and popular progression, or was it your individual, deliberate choice?

Do you want to be with patients in a provider role? Do you see yourself teaching in a university setting or maybe in a Staff Development capacity? Throwing informatics into your mix of options tells me you are in the considering stage, not the deciding stage.

Is it hard to decide? Yes. A colleague of mine is at the same point in her graduate studies where she is forsaking the FNP role for a masters in Education. She currently works in Staff and Development as an ICU educator. I'm saying that once you are in graduate school, choosing one specialty track means not choosing others.

I'm not understanding what costs are associated with finding clinical placement. Graduate students often have to find their own sites and preceptors, but I'm not aware of out of pocket costs.

In conclusion- first you have to make a decision, and then you must commit. Wholeheartedly. The committing part means your schooling becomes as or more important than your job. Your job must work around your school, not the other way around. You can't expect easy. You figure it out and make it work because you're passionate about reaching your goal.

Since you are already in a program, if you can't find your passion for becoming an NP, pull back and give yourself time to decide. You are young in your career, there's no rush, my friend. Consider shadowing nurses in other advanced roles. Once you find what you love, it will fall into place ?

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I think that your response to this question was one of your best ever. You should copy it and be ready to use it again and again. I hope a lot of people read it.