MSN in admin to MD

[Alana J]

Hello! Two part question - I'm a bit confused on what I want to do. In and out of all different specialties for ten years now. So I have a few years of med surge under my belt, which I do enjoy for sure but I wouldn't call it my dream job. I have my masters of science in admin and am in the slow transition to entry level supervisory managerial rolE. Firstly any advice on making that big transition from floor nursing to nurse manager??

I'm also a medic in the national guard and they pay full tuition for me to go back ...I have my first degree- bio pre-med (before nursing school- ) im 36 single, and living with the parents . Honestly thinking of scraping the whole thing, taking the MCATS and just going back to med school if I can pull a decent score out of my butt. Any advice opinions?!? I also want a family and children!! I would greatly appreciate some personal experiances and constructive criticism ������

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Are you an RN? If you want to climb the nursing career ladder to an administration role, you will need an MSN. That is OUR (nursing) graduate education. This is the credential for nursing leaders that is recognized by accreditation agencies as well as Magnet. You'll also need to begin moving ahead by seeking roles with increasing leadership responsibility - e.g., team leader -> charge nurse -> manager -> director, etc. The pathway is a bit different in LTC, where becoming a licensed nursing home administrator is generally the way to go.

The best way to begin your career climb is by going beyond the minimum and seeking out opportunities to expand your skill set and learning to lead others. Volunteer to participate in committees, task forces, etc. You'll be exposed to aspects of the organization that are not evident to rank-and-file staff. At the same time, you'll become more visible to higher-ups that actually make those promotion decisions. If there is a career ladder, get engaged in that process also. Start moving toward that MSN - since you already have a Masters degree, this could be a much simpler process for you.

Honestly, if you want to become a physician (I don't use the term "doctor", because that includes a lot more than MDs), by all means go for it!! Especially if you are eligible for funding to support you. In the long run, you may actually achieve that MD sooner than you could have moved up into Nursing administration.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

If you need someone to tell you how to make personal decisions, you are asking far more than an anonymous forum can provide.

36 and living with mommy and daddy are not exactly leadership qualities but if you can get a free ride from them AND the government maybe you can make something of yourself.

Grow up first before you start making children.

There, hope this constructive criticism helps.