My future is muddy

1 hour ago, anne_marie_oregon said:

Is it more money/more career satisfaction or just more stress???

The simple answer to this question is Yes. Advancing your career is absolutely more stress and because of that, in most cases it is justifiably more money. Equally, how you manage that stress will make the difference on how satisfied you are. You will no longer be responsible for your capacity to safely carry out orders. You will be responsible for writing those orders and managing the care of a larger panel of patients both in your daily duties and extended in ancillary activities such as lab evaluation and follow up. What you want in a career should be your biggest consideration in whether you go here, pursue a degree in nursing education, or leadership. Beside money, look into what you want out of FNP school. If taking ownership for a patient's treatment, outcomes, and management isn't something you want first and foremost, then the other areas might be more appropriate.

You can make money as an RN in many capacities that don't even require a Master's degree. My wife has her ADN and is paid 6 figures by a national company managing RNs in a district of senior living communities. Her ownership of that job is a culmination of almost a decade with that company and many years before that working in geriatric fields. But if you ever interacted with her you would presume she had a degree commensurate with the level in which she works. Her drive and ability to communicate/interact with those around her effectively make that job look easy. The same can be said with a range of other areas of nursing. You can excel at anything with the right attitude and the right interest. But if pay and stress are your primary concerns, maybe advance practice are not the most appropriate areas.