MBA or no? Need Major Advice

[milmom35]

Sounds like you're not committed to this MBA program so may be best to leave and return later on. This is what I would recommend:

1. Before you drop the class, talk to someone who knows more about your academic background and strengths--ie your faculty advisor and even one of your former nursing professors.

2. Get more clear about your career goals. When your academic pursuits and career goals aren't aligned, there's no guarantee that getting this degree will get you your dream job in management. When I used to be a staff nurse, I worked with a float nurse who had an MBA but never even used it.

3. If you're going for an MBA and want to get to a higher level, get into a top-tier graduate school. This will likely cost more but will offer you many advantages. This is true for any specialty. Talk to someone who's successfully working with their MBA and find out what they did. if you don't have someone in your personal network, then your school should be able to tell you what their alums are doing.

4. Yes, getting a refund back is helpful in the short-term but rather than focus on the money, think about your education as an investment. You've already invested a significant amount in your education and are willing to do so again. So make sure you're doing it for something you love.

I've had to make similar decisions and know others who have as well. Planning to offer coaching services to help others through these challenges. Wish you all the best with the next steps!

[AJJKRN]

I will look into them!

Even though I don't know much about Capella, I think they have similar qualities but WGU was how I did my BSN to MSN in 14 months and I may go back soon to do their MBA.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm in the same boat: I originally completed an MSN with a concentration in management and leadership, then did two post-MSN certs.

So...unsure if I need an MBA or can just rely on my MSN. Up in the air about what I want to do this late in the game (I'm about 6-10 years from retirement)

[Accolay]

It sounds like you already know what you want to do, but just need someone to say it's ok to drop the class.

You're young. You have time. You can still get the MBA or switch out to something else later. If it were me I'd focus on the current job, do the continuing education (which can be found free oftentimes) and continue to pay off current debt before taking on more. A couple of years wont hurt you.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

Anywho, I enrolled in this MBA which is going to cost me about an extra $35,000 to pay off (in addition to my $60,000 debt already). I am in my first week of classes and I am already thinking to myself "what am I doing?!" I don't NEED this degree to become a clinic manager one day, i need to put in my time, gain experience, and this degree will take me about 2 years to complete anyways, it's not going to get me to becoming a manager SOONER.....

Since you asked...

Get out NOW and concentrate on getting the experience you need, getting your money back and paying off your first degree. Any debt, other than a mortgage, is always bad and is going to feel like an albatross around your neck. You would have almost $100,000 in school debt alone. That is without interest.

If there is any part of you that thinks you can survive and pay bills without that degree, do not do it. The best advice I ever got was to make sure one degree was paid for before going after another.

[AJJKRN]

Did you work full time during the msn? What program did you do and how was it?

Worked full time plus overtime! I went through WGU's Leadership and Management program (WGU has a forum in the student section along with other schools). It is a respected nonprofit school that is self-paced and very affordable when not drawn out. WGU is under $4000 per six month semester and each class is the length of time you take to do it. If you are a stay on task person then this school is awesome but if you tend to procrastinate, you will most likely lose the benefits by stretching it out for too long.

I know someone who did thiers in 7 months but was off for three with their newborn. This includes their capstone time as well.

My plan was to do the program in just under a year and I was so close but slacked during the holidays...hence the 14 months including my capstone. The capstone was not bad in any sense. WGU knows you are a working student, and that many students will be in varied areas of nursing, so this makes it easier to keep rolling in the capstone portion.

If you plan on staying in nursing then I would advise on the MSN first and the MBA second. Nursing is well known for not really recognizing degrees outside of nursing hence maybe why one of the posters observed "a float nurse that never did anything with their degree"...

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

the only advantage a masters in another field is that i didn't have to take the GRE to get into my MSN program LOL. I have one in teaching. It helps because I know the material, so I may do a post masters CNE so I can teach if I wanted to. Oh, it also allowed me to NOT have to take any electives.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

I am in dire need and need help.

I enrolled in an MBA degree because i want to be a clinic manager one day. I chose the MBA vs MSN/MHA because I do not have time to complete a practicum while I work full time, and do not know if dropping down would be an option for me between the company's needs but also because of my need to work full time for those full time paychecks. Also, most practicums are 150+ hours, and i doubt I could take 150 hours "off" during a semester.

Currently i work M-F full time in a family practice clinic as an RN Team Coordinator (this gives me experience supervising 4 LPNs/MAs). I know that to be a manager i need to put my time in as a nurse and gain more experience supervising (I just started this position in October).

Anywho, I enrolled in this MBA which is going to cost me about an extra $35,000 to pay off (in addition to my $60,000 debt already). I am in my first week of classes and I am already thinking to myself "what am I doing?!" I don't NEED this degree to become a clinic manager one day, i need to put in my time, gain experience, and this degree will take me about 2 years to complete anyways, it's not going to get me to becoming a manager SOONER.....

I made a hasty decision because I was unhappy and not confident at my job and made the decision to go back to school now while I'm younger but I thought to myself tonight, why not put in the experience and pick up some continuing education courses/classes and some nursing study books to FEEL more confident instead? Maybe I could take a few managerial/leadership courses but not necessarily an MBA.

So, now i am in this position of do i give it the "college try" and finish this course and see how it goes or drop now and get 100% refund back? My mind is kind of made already to be honest..... (drop now and get my full refund vs having to pay back $2,300 for this 3 credit course).

ANY advice is greatly appreciated, sorry for the long post. I really need advice from fellow RN's and managers.

My MSN has a concentration in quality and patient safety, which I had chosen because I wanted a graduate education in nursing but not education, management, or nurse practitioner.

Here are my thoughts on MBA/MHA : In my opinion, the MHA degree is more or less useless. During my MSN I had two classes with folks from the MHA program (project management and something else I do not remember). I do not think that the MHA prepares people sufficiently for leadership roles that are significant.

I know a few nurses who got their MBA and some with a concentration in healthcare, which makes sense to me. All of them are happy with their choice and work in leadership or/and have their own business.

It really depends on what you want to do in the future. There is also the Clinical Nurse Leader - which is a graduate degree. And I met somebody who went to law school because she was not so happy anymore with being a nurse - she is very happy now...

[Leedeedee]

Have you checked out Western Governers University? You do not need to spend as much as you are nor take as long as two years to get your degree...

This. I think getting an MBA is a great idea, but do not even think of spending $35k. There are so many self paced options for MBAs,where you can get the degree for a fraction of that price. Look for WGU, Capella University Flexpath, Walden University Competancy Based MBA, Patten University, Davenport University Competancy Based MBA. You pay per month, 3 months, 6 months (depending on the university) and can go as fast or as slow as you like. Even going slowly it's cheaper than $35k unless you take many years. Good luck!

[featherzRN, MSN]

I did my MBA (and MSN) from WGU - YMMV, but I was able to do it under a term for under $3.5K. No need to spend that much!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I think at the end of a $35K MBA one of your biggest points of learning would be that you spent way too much! Drop this program now. My boss has an MBA and it serves her well in her role as a VP, but she is 20+ years into her career ... and that MBA did not get her where she is.

[AJJKRN]

Have you checked out Western Governers University? You do not need to spend as much as you are nor take as long as two years to get your degree...