MSN vs MPH vs MBA????

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I have been an RN for 15 years.

I have worked in various areas including Critical Care.

I can't decide what I want to do for the next 18-28 years....

which would you choose: MSN, MPH, MBA.........???:innerconf

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Good post.

For the record, my program is a generic Master of Nursing with no advanced practice implications. I chose it because it provides the best training in the fairest amount of time for my limited dollars.

I will graduate a bedside nurse with graduate training (who may be allowed to take the new CNL exam, but that's another kettle o' fish :rotfl:)

I intend on honing my entry-level nursing skills in a kick butt internship before I move on. Education, NP, CRNA, CNS- maybe, but not for another five years, if not more.

The best graduate degree is the one that fit your career goals and your pocketbook.;)

I am way off topic, I know. :lol2:

Great! Now that's what I'm talking about. That's the way it should be. If you happen to discover your niche sooner than you expect, then you'll know it and be ready to do whatever you need to do to pursue it. If it takes a little longer, you won't have made any terrible mistakes wasting time and money on something that really won't suit you.

Good luck with whatever career path you choose.

llg

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Specializes in Educator/ICU/ER.

I have met a few nurses who wish they had gone for the Masters in Nursing Ed or CNS because they wanted to teach. These nurses went for the MPH and can only work in Public Health. It is a good idea to know what you want to do, or at least have an idea of it, when you start your program. Good luck, since it is a lot of work!!!

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The OP in this thread has 15 years of nursing experience many of which seem to be in clinical nursing - ya' think she ain't ready for graduate studies?

I'm ready! I started a distance NP program 10 years ago and found out after a semester that I did NOT want to be a NP-too much like an MD-not for me.

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I have talked with many students who say, "I want to be a NP" or "I want to be a CRNA" or whatever without knowing much at all about what those roles entail.

Excellent point.

I've had fellow students like that all the way back from my LPN program through today in my BSN program who want to be CRNA's and it always disturbs me how so few of them know anything about the CRNA profession outside of being extremely quick to point out the high salaries that they command.

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Excellent point.

I've had fellow students like that all the way back from my LPN program through today in my BSN program who want to be CRNA's and it always disturbs me how so few of them know anything about the CRNA profession outside of being extremely quick to point out the high salaries that they command.

This seems to be a distrubing trend. There is nothing one with tring to get a high salary, but settling on a career path before you've even seen a CRNA or CNS or NP at work seems strange.

As a CST I was fortunate to see CRNA's at work. They are one of the main reasons I decided to look into nursing. All of them had positive things to say about their bedside experience.

Follow a CRNA for a day or two. Watch a new CRNA try to sleep crunched up sofa in the docs lounge with a cotton blanket. Watch an NP deal with a disgruntle patient in a hot waiting room at an urgent care or in a packed ED. Observe a CNS trying to put out staff fires while dealing with hard head docs and noncompliant patients

.THEN decide! They do work for that money.

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I am in the FNP track right now. While I feel I will enjoy this field and think I will be good at it, it was not my first choice.

I live in a rural area and had to take into consideration the job demand before I decided what to do. There is a big demand for NP's in my area so I know I will have job security.

My passion was to do Psych NP but was too afraid I couldn't find a job and I don't want to relocate.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Excellent point.

I've had fellow students like that all the way back from my LPN program through today in my BSN program who want to be CRNA's and it always disturbs me how so few of them know anything about the CRNA profession outside of being extremely quick to point out the high salaries that they command.

Hmmm, does it disturb you because you think they will not make it through such a program or you think they're just being arrogant? Usually, the nurses I know that wants to pursue a CRNA route are those that are motivated by the salary, but that is not to say that they didn't research the program themselves. These are 2nd degree accelerated BSN grads who are working in the SICU for their first professional nursing experience! Their whole plan is to stay in the ICU for a year, enough to meet the CRNA program requirement. They have obviously planned their career out even before they decided to enter the 2nd degree BSN program.

As far as those who think they can become CRNA's without even knowing what the role entails, they are in for a rude awakening. In my state, it is very tough to even get admitted to a CRNA program. Between the 4 programs that exist in the state, each one will only admit a maximum of 30 students per year while hundreds of applications are being turned in year after year. Shadowing a CRNA is also a requirement to be admitted to the CRNA programs. Not to mention the other grad school requirements of a decent GPA and GRE scores. So, all these talk about wanting to be a CRNA does not bother me at all. I figured the ones that are really serious about it are the ones that are going to make it through.

In my opinion, it is perfectly alright for anyone who are in the beginning stages of their nursing career to shoot for a goal for their future. It is not in my place to downplay their ambitions and who am I to judge their abilities anyway. To each his or her own. I have my own career to worry about.

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Hmmm, does it disturb you because you think they will not make it through such a program or you think they're just being arrogant?

No, neither one, really.

I'd say in most cases I've encountered this it was a matter of being mid-20's or younger, probably ambitious, but most likely naive about what's in store for them due to maturational age.

I haven't really encountered this in the second career type person you are referring to. Most of the over 27 or 30 not-my-first-time-at-the-rodeo nursing students seem to have done their research and have a better idea of what they want out of life period, in addition to career.

But who doesn't as they get older?

In addition, who's to say being a little naive and having unrealistic stars in your eyes isn't sometimes a good thing?

I'm not sure I would ever have gone to LPN school if I really knew what it was all about and I knew that I'd be spending a good share of my day getting abused by family members and given unrealistic patient assignments.

I could have stayed waiting tables and bartending and get abused by customers and management without having to go to college for it and have student loans to pay back.

So maybe it's a good thing I didn't know or I wouldn't be where I am today because I might not ever have attempted it.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
The OP in this thread has 15 years of nursing experience many of which seem to be in clinical nursing - ya' think she ain't ready for graduate studies?

I'm ready! I started a distance NP program 10 years ago and found out after a semester that I did NOT want to be a NP-too much like an MD-not for me.

I never said that SHE, personally, was not ready for graduate school. I said only that she should decide on a career path before she decided on a graduate program and not do it the other way around. I stand by that statement -- for all the reasons I have discussed in other posts.

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thank you all for your input! i do need to fine-tune what i want to accomplish with whatever master's degree i decide to go to school for. graduated 15 years ago and said that 'someday' i would have my master's.....we'll see what comes up when i dig deep enough.......

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Good luck! Feel free to bounce ideas off of this group. We'll always feel free to give our opinions. :-)

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Otessa - I did an MSN with a concentration in management and leadership. Originally, I thought I would want to go into management. However, I decided that that wasn't a viable option. However, with an MSN I can teach, go into management, etc. However, I realized that I really like the clinical aspect of nursing so did a post-MSN certificate as an adult health CNS and am very glad that I did.

There are many options because there are many goals - no one path is right for all people. Good luck.

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