Not sure what I want to do.. ?

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I KNOW I want to go back but I do NOT want to be a NNP...or NP of any type for that matter. Are CNS still used? What for exactly? We have none on my unit (and it's huge). I have two years experience as a staff nurse in a levell IIIb NICU.

Anyway, what kind of job would I get with a MS in Nursing/Health Systems Management with a minor in Health Care Administration? What about with just a MHA? (The school I want to go to offers a MBA/MHA program, but the MBA part of it is through another university known to be pretty brutal.)

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Sounds like you're going at this backwards. Figure out what job you want to do first, then do the degree that will get you there.

[llg, PhD, RN]

The role of the CNS varies widely from location to location. So, you'll have to check out their status in your town to find out that information.

Have you thought about a NICU Staff Development role? I was a NICU CNS/Staff Development specialist for several years ... running the orientation program, providing education to existing staff, writing the policies, coordinating the performance improvement activities, etc. That's one way to use a CNS degree. You can also do that type of role with an MSN in nursing education.

... Just thought I would throw that in. Staff Development is a specialty that a lot of people overlook. They are really nice jobs because you get the advantages of a nice schedule along with the ability to "stay clinically focused" as you work to improve care. However, in a Staff Development role, you don't have the headaches that the manager has with having to worry about who is going to cover for the people who call in sick, etc.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

llg, that's exactly what I want to do. Also, we have a RN that is a physician liason. She trials a lot of products and does staff development...I'm not sure what her degree is ..or if she even has a masters.

[elkpark]

llg, that's exactly what I want to do. Also, we have a RN that is a physician liason. She trials a lot of products and does staff development...I'm not sure what her degree is ..or if she even has a masters.

As ghilbert said, the smart way to do this is to first figure out where you want your career to go (e.g., if you want a "clinical liaison" or staff development position) and then you can figure out what degree or credentials will get you there. Any graduate degree in nursing will cost you a lot of time, effort, and $$$, so it's well worth putting in the time and effort up front to make sure you're getting a degree you really want, that will get you where you want to be.