Please Help. I am really confused.

[Saaj]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the site. I need some advice and hope that all of the expereinced nurses\students out there can help me out.

I am an engineer by profession and always wanted to do nursing but could not pursue it for various reasons. I am 32 years old. I am planning to apply to UCSF MEPN program. Here is the delimma, my first choice is to get in to nursing profession and money is not the main focus, because I am making what an experience RN makes right now. However, if I am lucky enough to get admitted, I will be giving up 3 years worth of salary + tution to go nursing school. I also have kids and family to take care of. So here is my question. I am contemplating to either pick The Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, The Critical Care/Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist & Cardiovascular Advanced Practice Nursing. Can someone please explain how Acute Care NP is different from Critical Care Nurse field? (Nature of work,salary etc). Which track has better job outlook & growth options? I do understand that money/job growth should not be the sole criteria and that is not the case for me, but i would have to give up alot to be a nurse and I want to make sure I am choosing the right track. Any advise,suggestion or recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Jules A, MSN]

Hi and welcome,

You don't have to take off years from work to go to nursing school! Many of us worked and were very successful without racking up a bunch of debt. Good luck with it.

[caliotter3]

I know that you are concerned about maintaining the ability to care for your family, but you should also consider your practice interests. You might not be able to identify a strong interest until you have been exposed to a clinical area while in school, or an area that you choose to work in after graduation. Most people who pursue the advanced practice degrees, do so from a solid base of employment experience. Perhaps those who are already in these fields can give you some first hand info that will prove helpful. You should also seek out those who are already working in these areas. Maybe you could shadow someone for a time and get a better idea of what your choices would entail.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Generally, and extremely simplistically, the NP may diagnose and prescribe and therefore work independently of a physician. I don't believe that the CNS may.

[Kangaroowho]

Good info above, I agree-- generally speaking you really need to be 'in it' to see where you want to go. I used to be an engineer as well! My paycheck cut in half as a new nurse- but love the work. I ended up in Emergency and love it!

Good luck to you- I was 40 when I switched career's, you will be fine!

[znov11]

Generally, and extremely simplistically, the NP may diagnose and prescribe and therefore work independently of a physician. I don't believe that the CNS may.

She's right.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

Suesquatch isn't totally right about CNS's not being able to practice independently and NPs being able to. Where I live, Indiana, both are autonomous in practice but must have a collaborative agreement with a doctor to prescribe. I think the independence varies depending on where you practice.

[Saaj]

Thank you so much for all of your feedback. I really appeciate it.