Multiple masters?

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I'm only two years into my nursing practice but am already itching to go back to school. My eventual goal is to become a nurse practitioner (I'm probably going to go for FNP to help with job placement and first, but eventually try to get a post certification for women's health unless after working elsewhere I change my mind again;) ) but don't think I'm quite ready to make the jump between staff RN to NP. Partly due to me loving my current job and also because of other life events.

So at this point I'm wondering to do a MSN program to get my masters, then later on can do a post masters program for NP. With that being said I am not sure of whether a MSN-education or MSN-leadership/management would be a better fit for my ultimate goal of being an NP. At this point the education degree is more appealing to me (I don't ever see myself in a managing to team sort of roll other than what is expected and required of an NP and I could see myself later on doing some part time school teaching like a lot of my professors did). Has anyone else gone this route, or did you have different degree prior to NP?

Thanks for any input you may have!

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Neither of those are helpful for NP. Unless you want to teach, I would just wait until you are ready for NP.

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Unless you want to actually use those degrees for a specific purpose, why waste the time and money. If you want to be an NP, just wait to be an NP.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
I'm only two years into my nursing practice but am already itching to go back to school. My eventual goal is to become a nurse practitioner (I'm probably going to go for FNP to help with job placement and first, but eventually try to get a post certification for women's health unless after working elsewhere I change my mind again;) ) but don't think I'm quite ready to make the jump between staff RN to NP. Partly due to me loving my current job and also because of other life events.

So at this point I'm wondering to do a MSN program to get my masters, then later on can do a post masters program for NP. With that being said I am not sure of whether a MSN-education or MSN-leadership/management would be a better fit for my ultimate goal of being an NP. At this point the education degree is more appealing to me (I don't ever see myself in a managing to team sort of roll other than what is expected and required of an NP and I could see myself later on doing some part time school teaching like a lot of my professors did). Has anyone else gone this route, or did you have different degree prior to NP?

Thanks for any input you may have!

If you want to do women's health, then just go for women's health NP. There is plenty of demand for that.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I'd agree to wait until you are ready and get NP but also wanted to add that it is refreshing to learn there are actually new nurses who enjoy their RN job and value the experience it will provide. Your insight and good choices will pay off for your future patients.

Best wishes!

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

I totally misinterpreted the title of this thread.

I was envisioning a new home health nurse trying to please too many family members.

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Just do NP.

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If you plan on doing women's health just become a FNP that focuses on Women's health once you graduate. In case, you change your mind later and don't feel like doing Women's health anymore then you can go back to being full population practice. When you are WHNP you just do WH and that's all you do minus baby delivery. You might as well be a midwife (CNM). Midwives can do everything a WHNP can do plus baby delivery. I am working in one of the most rural areas in USA and we have 1 WHNP and the rest are midwives. So also think about job market. I also had a traveling WHNP friend who traveled here in the Rez and she could only find a job here for traveling she said it was hard to get a job in Minnesota because most practices are hiring midwives instead of WHNP because their scope is a lot wider but this is anecdotal from her and she's had 17+ years experience as a WHNP

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I went the Master's route because I thought I wanted to work in management. So I have an MSN in Management and Executive Leadership, and now I'm getting ready to start a post master's NP program. It worked out well for me because I took my time on the master's part while working full time so I could save some money, and now I'll need two years to finish the NP certificate. But I don't think it gave me any advantage, so all things being equal, just waiting and doing the NP all at once would probably be more efficient. Good luck!

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I agree with previous posts. Those other degrees will not give you any professional advantage.

If you are not ready to jump right into being an NP, you could just start by taking one class at a time.

At that rate, it'll take you about 4 years and a lot can happen in that time.

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