Preventive medicine - Graduate programs

[svspag01]

Hi! I'm a recent graduate looking for some post-bachelor advice! This may or may not be the right group of professionals, but any help is appreciated!

I graduated with a B.S. in Health and Human Performance with a concentration in Public Health Education. I'm really passionate about disease prevention, community health, health and wellness. I have been job hunting and thinking about my master's degree. Both are affecting each other; which job do I want and what credentials are going to get me that job?! I thought a Community Health MEd was what I wanted, but now I'm very unsure. I have heard from other students it is a repeat of undergrad (two of our undergrad courses were master's courses) and I want to add new skills to broaden my career choices. I'm directing my career towards health promotion so I want to be in the community creating and implementing programs. I want to be a role model, coach and helping hand.

Credentials I want:

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)

Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)

Nutrition, exercise, wellness coach?

Some of my fellow grads have gone into graduate nursing programs. I have the prereqs (minus pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics) to apply for an MEPN. Upon completion I receive a B.S.N and M.S.N. I could become an RN after the program and there have been quite a few health education jobs requiring an RN license. The RN also qualifies me for the CDE without any hassle. I was in nursing before HHP and switched because I want to prevent disease rather than treat disease as in weight loss, smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, healthy eating and more. But now that I have a base for community health I thought a master's would be different. Does this open the doors to nutrition, exercise or wellness coaching? Any set backs with getting it during the masters rather than undergrad?

I have thought about a master's in exercise physiology. It would allow me a pathway in exercise/human performance - hospital physical activity or fitness specialist. I have read mixed reviews about the degree though, mostly saying it is limiting. Thoughts?

Community Health.. or Public Health? Similar yet very different. I want to be hands-on in the community and I'm not too interested in extensive research. I love what the CDC, NIH, ect. do and they have been a godsend in my undergrad career for research. Though, I want to be utilizing the research to prevent disease and help people, not collecting and analyzing it first hand. If that's how I feel does that discard public health? Or am I being too narrow?

Does anyone have any personal advice or have colleagues, friends or family with success in these areas? Any recommended B.S. - Master's combos for me?

Thank you!

[LJ_RN]

Hello! I have been browsing through this site for several weeks and came across your post. I know it has been several years since you made it, but I was wondering if you were able to reach your goals? And if so what advice would you give someone else who is in a similar situation. Currently I am an ICU nurse at a level 2 Neuro/surgical/cardiac/trauma/covid ICU.That is a mouthful.  It essentially operates like a level 1 but we currently do not have a burn unit and do not do ECMO. I am approaching my second year as a nurse. I started in February 2020 in this unit and was in for a huge awakening. Now that I have some experience in such a vast ICU setting, I feel that my passion for preventive medicine is not being fulfilled. My previous experience was personal training and manual therapy for almost 13 years. I changed from personal training to nursing in hopes of helping even more people. Though I know I make a difference and have helped many people I feel like I could do even more in another area to help improve the quality of life for my patients. I apologize for the long rant, but if you are able to and willing I would love to hear your opinion.

Thanks

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Welcome LJ to allnurses.  Unfortunately, the first poster has not visited allnurses in several years. 

Look at  Home Health as a venue to provide tons of education and help improve patients quality of life, especially if agency has a telehealth program designed to keep CHF/COPD/Diabetics out of the hospital.  Steep learning curve to master required government OASIS assessment forms, case managing clients, home wound care-- after 6 months it gets easier.

[LJ_RN]

Thank you for responding. I have wondered honestly about home health or clinic/public health nursing. Since I am fairly new to the nursing profession and went straight into the ICU setting I am not very familiar with how other fields operate. Maybe it is time I investigate other options. Where I currently work is a large hospital system and has opportunity to grow. However, it would be frowned upon due to our critical staffing ratios for me to try to venture out of the ICU setting. I would not be supported in my decision. This is also another motivator for me to obtain more information for other fields. The idea of home health does make me anxious to be in a patient's home without support from other care team members around. So many decisions.... But I am hoping to find something that fulfils my passion and makes a difference.