PhD student who is also a New Grad! So Confused!

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Hello All,

I am recently finishing up a Entry Level Masters Program and graduating in a few weeks and will be taking the NCLEX really soon. I was very excited to get out there and work, however I received the opportunity to attend a PhD Nursing program, starting this summer, which I accepted because I really enjoy nursing research.

However, I still have a lot of loans from my ELM program plus I want to get my experience as a new nurse. The PhD program discourages anybody working because of the heavy workload so I wanted to work in a nursing specialty that wouldn't be so stressful and difficult to handle while I am in school for the next four years. I do love Psych and wanted to work in a Psych facility part time, but many people, including current nurses, have discouraged me from this field, saying I won't get my necessary acute care experience and it's a lot more stressful than what it looks. I have a current offer for a rehab position as an RN in a hospital, but I am hesitant because I will be stressed and I am unsure it is the best choice. I am also discouraged to get a job as a case manager because some nurses say I don't have enough experience.

I am confused at this point and spend several hours on this website, reading posts and debating what I should do. I am sorry for this long post but I would love to have any one's input on what I should do or if I should even attempt to work. Thank you for reading and hope to hear any advice soon.

Yay for research!!!

There are lots of MD researchers who don't work clinically. There are some researchers that do both. Same with clinical psychology, many in the field only conduct research and do not do therapy or function in a clinical capacity, others do both. I don't see why nursing would be any different. Sounds like you have an exciting career ahead of you, good luck!

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

You seem to have made up your mind. OK. As long as you are aware of your limitations as a nursing leader, researcher, and teacher .. I am OK with that. There are some topics that don't require actual nursing experience. As long as you stick to them, you'll probably be OK.

I have a similar experience (PhD while working with the help of tuition/fees/benefits covered by the university).

I 100% advocate for getting the nursing experience in psych (working part-time/per-diem) while working on your PhD. I did it and it was not a struggle at all.

The only issues I had were the nursing school administrators' negative perception of working while getting a PhD. IGNORE THEM! I assume that none of them have the personal experience working while getting a PhD, so they have no credibility on the matter.

You will have so much opportunity/marketability when you graduate with a PhD, have specialized clinical experience (unmet needs in psych and gero are growing rapidly), and being under 30 years old will give you a huge advantage.

Good luck!

I have a similar experience (PhD while working with the help of tuition/fees/benefits covered by the university).

I 100% advocate for getting the nursing experience in psych (working part-time/per-diem) while working on your PhD. I did it and it was not a struggle at all.

The only issues I had were the nursing school administrators' negative perception of working while getting a PhD. IGNORE THEM! I assume that none of them have the personal experience working while getting a PhD, so they have no credibility on the matter.

Why on earth would you assume that? I've been in nursing a few decades now, have taught in a few different programs, and every doctorally-prepared nurse I have known personally was an experienced RN who continued working through her/his doctoral program. I'm sure there are nurses out there who didn't work while in their doctoral programs, but you certainly can't assume that that is the norm.

Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.
Okey dokey - one more time.

ELM graduates are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to hiring. They are just as un-qualified as all other RN new grads, but have much higher expectations. Hiring managers actively avoid new grads that feel that they are "entitled" to special treatment. ELM does not have any confer any additional value in terms of clinical ability or other value for an entry level job. In my part of the country, new grad hiring preference is: 1) generic BSN, 2) ADN, 3) ABSN, 4) ELM.... So, considering the glut of BSN new grads, the chances of getting an acute care job are very slim for ELMS.

Having done the educational 'thing' myself, I can't even imagine pursuing a PhD in nursing without any clinical experience. A likely outcome would be becoming unemployable with huge student loans.

I must respectfully disagree with this. I have been hired for each position to which I applied. While I agree the playing field is level clinically, an ABSN or ELM graduate brings maturity, time management, soft skills, ability to relate to patients from personal experiences, and interdisciplinary (interdepartmental) team work experience to name a few. I would much rather have a 40 year old new grad ABSN nurse over a 22 year new grad BSN nurse without any or very limited work experience.

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