I have goals in mind - Need help getting there

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Hi Nurse Beth,

My question is about career planning.

I know many traditional students who really have no clue what they want to do with nursing, but a general consensus is they do not like med-surg. I tend to like med-surg, but I know it is not the end point for me. I have a plan, but basically I do not know how to get there yet, and being 44 I am more concerned about age and time than I am about "where" I will work.

Ultimately, I love teaching. I love helping the "next gen" of nurses, even though I am just starting myself. In two years, I want to precept students. In 4 years I don't know if I want to go for my DNP or my PhD in nursing. I love research, but I also see myself teaching clinicals.

Areas of nursing I love are cardiac, renal, endocrine (ie: metabolic disorders like diabetes educator).

So I have some goals in mind. I just don't know of requirements on how to go further than just the RN licensure - such as clinical requirements, job experience requirements, etc... Any advice would be appreciated.

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Dear Career Ponderings,

You've identified your passion and interests and have some inspiring goals - congrats! I love to see nurses pursuing education and skills.

You sound like a teacher to me. After you gain sufficient clinical nursing experience, you might consider being a clinical instructor in a nursing program. From there, you can advance to classroom instruction if you enjoy lecturing, or consider a role as a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Practitioner in a hospital setting (usually in Education and Training).

To be a clinical instructor, you need your BSN. To be a classroom teacher, you need at least an MSN. It is at the Master's level that you first specialize. There are core classes in Master's program which all students take, but then you choose your track, such as NP, Education, and Administration, to name a few.

After your MSN, you are well prepared in your area, and can then consider your doctoral degree. A doctorate degree is the terminal degree in nursing. There are 2 types of doctorates. Both are scholarly degrees. A DNP has a clinical focus whereas a PhD has an academic and research focus. So for example, a nurse practitioner (NP) would most likely choose to pursue a DNP, and a university based educator would most likely choose to pursue a PhD.

Another option is a BSN to DNP or PhD program. You end up in the same place, but take a fast-tracked route to get there. Probably for you, the primary choice will be whether you pursue a clinical or academic path.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth