Is it all over?

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Hey everybody,

I am going to get down to the point pretty quick and will try and be concise.

I am an OR nurse and have been since graduating nursing school. I have recently just received an increase in my VA disability from 20% to 70% because of BOTH my shoulders. Needless to say nursing is hard on my body. I am young, 29 and can still work and have been promoted to a clinical shift supervisor I am well liked at my facility by the staff and MD's...

The question:

With my increase in disability rating I can apply through the VA to go back to school... But for what? I can't think if a masters prepared nursing specialty I would want to pursue... Maybe MSN-MBA.. BUT my wife and I are very nomadic at heart and travel nursing sounds like the life we want. But I don't want to miss the opportunity to obtain a masters for free.. So I was wondering if this community could give me some ideas to pursue for my masters. Ideally it would provide freedom to travel.

Does something like this exist?

Thanks.

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Is travel realistic if you have shoulder limitations? I genuinely do not know but probably should be considered. Most travel positions I see/hear about are direct care positions, which would probably entail a lifting requirement.

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Specializes in SICU.
Is travel realistic if you have shoulder limitations? I genuinely do not know but probably should be considered.

Stop it, do you really think he hasn't considered his own physical ability? He said he can still work, not that he's incapable of moving. At this point, it sounds like he's looked into travel positions much more than you. The only difference between travel nursing positions and local positions is the pay.

Have you heard about Gift of Life? With your experience in the OR, this may be right up your alley. It may require additional certifications, but to my knowledge, not graduate school. I work in a Level 1 Trauma ICU that functions in close collaboration with the GOL organization (organ donation). So may young patients with much to still give, and the GOL nurses have the opportunity to present the idea to families, manage ALL of their ICU care following GOL decision making, and scrub up when the time finally comes for the organ harvest... the fruit of all their labor unfolding before their eyes. They are physically handed the organs that they will leave to deliver by flight or by ground to surgeons waiting for them on the other side of the state. It is such a unique and specialized career.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you and have fun with it!! Don't feel like you have to go back to school just because it's paid for.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

An MSN in Leadership and/or an MBA will qualify you for some medical and/or pharmaceutical sales positions, some of which involve a great deal of travel; however, you sound like you would prefer "nomadic" over just plain "business trips" types of travel. I thought I would toss the idea out there in any case, just in case it would turn you on.

There are a LOT of things you can still do even with your shoulder limitations. Good luck!

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Specializes in retired LTC.

You have an opp'ty for a free grad degree and you're hesitating? Start it.

What about an MPH? For public health, epidemiology, inf diseases, etc.

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Thank you for the reply, I do have certain limitations to my physical ability but I am not an invalid. I can preform the duties necessary to complete my job. I just won't be able to be doing this in 10-15 years without surgery etc. No matter what we decide we will be traveling come January 1st. I'm trying to set fourth a 5-10 year plan. Thank you for comment though.

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Stop it, do you really think he hasn't considered his own physical ability? He said he can still work, not that he's incapable of moving. At this point, it sounds like he's looked into travel positions much more than you. The only difference between travel nursing positions and local positions is the pay.

Have you heard about Gift of Life? With your experience in the OR, this may be right up your alley. It may require additional certifications, but to my knowledge, not graduate school. I work in a Level 1 Trauma ICU that functions in close collaboration with the GOL organization (organ donation). So may young patients with much to still give, and the GOL nurses have the opportunity to present the idea to families, manage ALL of their ICU care following GOL decision making, and scrub up when the time finally comes for the organ harvest... the fruit of all their labor unfolding before their eyes. They are physically handed the organs that they will leave to deliver by flight or by ground to surgeons waiting for them on the other side of the state. It is such a unique and specialized career.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you and have fun with it!! Don't feel like you have to go back to school just because it's paid for.

I think that's my hang up!! I know it's paid for so feel like I must pursue something! I have worked with procurement company here in Alaska and do tremendously respect their job! I will def investigate the opportunity. Thanks for the comment!

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An MSN in Leadership and/or an MBA will qualify you for some medical and/or pharmaceutical sales positions, some of which involve a great deal of travel; however, you sound like you would prefer "nomadic" over just plain "business trips" types of travel. I thought I would toss the idea out there in any case, just in case it would turn you on.

There are a LOT of things you can still do even with your shoulder limitations. Good luck!

I have looked in to an online MSN/MBA program and am leaning in that direction but when I sit back.. I feel like there could be other viable options out there.

Thanks for the comment!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Education is never wasted. If you have the chance to get a free master's degree, go for it, even if you're not sure how you'd use it. If someone handed me an opportunity like that, I'd do it just for the pure joy of learning.

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I agree, You never know when that education will come in handy and it will most certainly never hurt.

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