Nursing Informatics to CRNA

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So I am in a crappy situation. I graduated from nursing school with my BSN in May of 2015. I am a new nurse working in the Medical ICU. I moved 3 states away from my home state and my family for this job because I plan to go to CRNA school once I get my two years of ICU experience. That being said, student loans have kicked in for repayment and most of them are from private lenders. My student Lon payments monthly are about $800 a month on top of rent and everything else I need to pay for. So I want to return to school to get my MSN in Nursing Informatics in order to defer my student loans. In the time it will take me to get my two years of experience I will also earn my masters in nursing informatics and then I would like to go to CRNA school for a dual program to get my masters and DNP. I've noticed that some CRNAs move forward and get there phD in nursing informatics. Anyone have any advice for me on whether this is a good idea or not. I'm doing informatics solely so I can defer my student loan payments because my true passion is CRNA. But informatics will benefit me as well. Thanks!

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This is not a good idea, it is a financially irresponsible idea.

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I know I'm old school but how about a couple of extra shifts per month to make those payments and get the loan paid down versus more work and no payments made?

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Specializes in Dialysis.
I know I'm old school but how about a couple of extra shifts per month to make those payments and get the loan paid down versus more work and no payments made?

And even more interest accrued

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I'm in informatics and I'm also a critical care nurse. I don't see the point of getting an MSN in informatics to go to CRNA school. It would not be a positive contributive factor. It would be a far better investment to get your CCRN certification and be working in the ICU for a while. Plus, CRNA schools won't care if you have an MSN, especially one that is non-clinical. They would rather see you get more experience in critical care in a clinical setting than having a useless informatics degree. I'm not saying it's a useless degree, just useless for getting into CRNA school. I don't have an informatics degree, and neither do any of my colleagues, and I've worked in informatics for 2 years. I'm going back to critical care now because I'm in NP school and I know it will be strategically more sensible to be in critical care the closer I get to graduation.

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Bad idea. I would be more worried about your ICU experience than deferring school loans by getting another degree.

I don't know what kind of MICU you are at, but if it doesn't have a lot of sick patients or varied cases CRNA schools may snub you. For example, MICU experience at a 8 bed rural unit wouldn't fly with CRNA schools.IMO SICU or cardiac ICU are much preferred and a better overall experience.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

You are only creating MORE debt, why would you do that??? Your plan make NO sense! As one person suggested work extra shifts and pay the loans down!

Annie

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

So you want to add more debt to get away from current debt, then add even more debt to that by getting an additional degree? That makes no logical sense at all, you do realize that, right? I would exercise your critical thinking skills that you'll need to be a CRNA at this time.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

This is where your career becomes a money pit. Do NOT add more loans on top of these loans! I know it seems like a great quick fix now to make your $800/month payment conveniently disappear, but those loans will still be there.

Do you know where you want to go for CRNA? Do you have a strong GPA and the required sciences? I agree with others to work extra to pay down your loan principle and focus on your CCRN. That will serve you better in the long run.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

P.S. I just completed my MSN in Nursing Informatics. It will be a waste of time and ultimately money if you want to be a CRNA.

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By the time you finish anesthesia school with a DNP (36 months full time), you will have probably $200,000+ in debt. You're payment will be $2000+ a month forever. All the money you make as a CRNA will be given for your loans.

Your goal before anesthesia school should be to gain experience and pay off as much debt/save as much money as possible. I paid off all of my undergrad/grad loans before I started CRNA school. I worked my ass off, working many extra shifts. For the last year before school, I worked probably 70+ hours a week.

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Isn't there a debt ceiling with student loans anyways? It would be pretty awful to cap yourself out trying to stave off your current payments, only to find you've screwed yourself out of CRNA school down the road.

Why don't you contact your student loan providers and try to get on an income based repayment plan? That should lower the monthly payment and give you some breathing room without adding more debt to the pile.

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