How is MSN nurse educator program?

The key is organization. Set aside designated time for school. I worked 40 hours per week and was 55 years old when I enrolled and 56 when I completed my MSN in Care Coordination. Once I received the assignment, I created the skeleton of my paper on a Word document and saved it to my laptop. Simple, but that's what I did on Mondays after work.

On Tuesdays, I searched for key articles specific to the subject and included those on the reference page that I created on Monday.

Wednesdays through Fridays, I'd began reading those articles and entering key points in annotated form into the body of the paper, including any pertinent thoughts supported by those points. Set aside a period of time for this (ex: 2-3 hours) and stick to it, paying close attention not to go over. Your brain will need the rest to avoid ramblings in the paper (at least mine did). And your family, if you have one, will appreciate the consistency. 

On Saturdays, I brought the paper together, deleting any articles that I decided not to use, and polishing up the paper so that the information flowed seamlessly from one thought into the next. When I was completely satisfied with the finished work, I submitted the paper before bedtime Saturday night so that my Sunday was free for 'life'.

I never tried to work on any schoolwork during work hours. Everything had its place and time slot. Fortunately, my online MSN program didn't require any exams, but those papers more than made up for it and they had to be on point. I took two courses at a time and was able to complete my program in 18 months. Half of that time was spent searching for a preceptorship site for the practicum experience; otherwise I would have finished in a year, maybe less. 

I hope these tips are helpful for you. For what it's worth, there was 24 years between my LPN to ASN; 4 years between my ASN to BSN; and 6 years between the BSN to MSN. So, forget about the years away from school and just go for it if this is what you want. 

I just graduated in May with my MSN in education. The best advice I can give you regarding time management is to make every moment count. You'll have to set aside some things that aren't top priority; for example, my house didn't receive any sort of deep cleaning while I was in school! When tempted to start non-school-related projects, I had to remind myself that the time was not right, and someday I would get to it. 

When working on assignments, the system that worked best for me was to set a timer for an hour, then turn my focus to schoolwork for that entire hour. The timer helped me keep my attention on my work instead of checking the clock every few minutes. After the time was up, I'd get up, grab a snack, take a quick walk, then sit back down and set the timer for another hour if needed. 

Going back to school really helped me become more aware of how I spend my time and helped me become much better at managing my time. 

I would also recommend taking advantage of resources offered by your school. I didn't use the writing resource center at my school until a professor required it in the final semester, and they were so helpful. I wished I had gone to them sooner. 

Melissa Blossom said:

Hi.

Congratulations on going back to school. I also did my MSN and took a maximum of two courses at a time, to manage the workload and home. But even these courses were a burden because there was so much paper work involved and on top of that the stress for exams is no joke. I couldn't do it alone so I took help from someone with all the paperwork so I can better focus on my exams, work and also home. I would also recommend you to get help if you think you wouldn't be able to maintain a work-life balance. I can connect you. 

Hi Melissa,  I am looking for MSN - Nursing education program and worry about balacing work, school work/exam, and person/family/kid life. May I connect with you?  Can you send me private message here?  I would be needing someone/tutor to help and would like to get more info if you don't mind.  Thank you!

SCB_RN said:

I just graduated in May with my MSN in education. The best advice I can give you regarding time management is to make every moment count. You'll have to set aside some things that aren't top priority; for example, my house didn't receive any sort of deep cleaning while I was in school! When tempted to start non-school-related projects, I had to remind myself that the time was not right, and someday I would get to it. 

When working on assignments, the system that worked best for me was to set a timer for an hour, then turn my focus to schoolwork for that entire hour. The timer helped me keep my attention on my work instead of checking the clock every few minutes. After the time was up, I'd get up, grab a snack, take a quick walk, then sit back down and set the timer for another hour if needed. 

Going back to school really helped me become more aware of how I spend my time and helped me become much better at managing my time. 

I would also recommend taking advantage of resources offered by your school. I didn't use the writing resource center at my school until a professor required it in the final semester, and they were so helpful. I wished I had gone to them sooner. 

Thank you for these helpful tips!  

Melissa Blossom said:

Hi.

Congratulations on going back to school. I also did my MSN and took a maximum of two courses at a time, to manage the workload and home. But even these courses were a burden because there was so much paper work involved and on top of that the stress for exams is no joke. I couldn't do it alone so I took help from someone with all the paperwork so I can better focus on my exams, work and also home. I would also recommend you to get help if you think you wouldn't be able to maintain a work-life balance. I can connect you. 

Hi Melissa, can you PM me to connect? I m interested in knowing about the tutor help you got. Thank you.