Need help with career path.

[christyrn05]

I feel like I am at such a changing point in my career at this point and have no direction which way to go. Any advice would be helpful.

I currently am the manager of a very busy unit responsible for 50 employees. I have a fantastic manager and VP above me, but I am to the point where I am not sure if I can handle the stress anymore and maintain a decent family/work balance. I have had some really interesting odd HR situations come at me pretty quickly, my VP jokes that I just have a bullseye on my back. I really don't want to leave my position as I have so many hopes and goals for this position and such a strong support system but I also feel like it's probably not going to improve. I cry half the time on my way in to work trying to figure out who will call in sick today or what is going to go wrong. I just am starting to think this is not right for me anymore. I've always wanted to go into staff education, which I get to do a fair amount in my current role and love it. I just don't know if I really will succeed at it. I thought I could succeed at my management position too. My VP keeps telling me that I apply grad school concepts to my management position and really thinks that I should return for my MSN/MBA. I keep thinking I should get my MSN-Educator degree, but am not sure if the careers will be there when I graduate without a DNP (which I have no desire to get) I just can't decide what I should do.

If I should leave my positon, if I should get my MSN and in what field and what college I should go to. I need something online and flexible but has a strong reputation.

Yikes, this got really long. Any advice would be so helpful. Thanks!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Awwww -- (((((christymo5)))))) lots of hugs & kudos for what you're doing. Good and caring managers are hard to find, and it seems obvious that you are one of those rare birds. First line & middle management nursing jobs are the hardest - pressure from all sides all the time. Severe burnout is pretty much the inevitable consequence of making an effort to do a good job.

I can totally understand your situation - been there, done that. My background - Critical Care, moved into management & then fell back in love with nursing when I managed to escaped into education. I can enthusiastically encourage you to pursue your MSN in nursing education. MSN is pretty much entry level for nurse educator jobs in larger organizations these days.

One bright spot of your current position - you can probably flex your hours sufficiently to attend grad school. I attended full time while working full time since (as a manager) I could arrange to come in to work at 'odd times'. It was even fun to get to know my night staff a bit better & see what the department was like on a Sunday afternoon. I would recommend attending rather than online... it will really recharge your batteries to engage with others in that setting. Remember, grad school classes usually meet only once a week - so it's very do-able.