Golden_RN MSN

It depends on the region and job market. I was lucky enough to receive 2 sign on bonuses years ago - one at a SNF corporation and one at a large acute organization (both great jobs). If there is a shortage in the region, then I don't think it necessarily indicates anything bad about the employer.

I totally agree with your response. Sometimes I had an audience that was a mixed group - CNAs to RNs - and you don't want to get deep into A & P that is over some of the group's heads. It definitely would be insulting as an RN to be shown hand-drawn anatomy though! And we made tons of exceptions for people on night shift. I often came in at 6am, or flexed my schedule to an evening shift to prevent noc shift from having to come in during their sleep hours for mandatory trainings. It is possible for educators to get creative to reach everyone.

You shouldn't need an MSN to work in case mgt. You don't mention pre-reqs, so the time to finish those is something to keep in mind. The different programs might have slightly different pre-req requirements.

My MSN is in nursing education. At my job, there are technical IT staff that have the background and IT related degrees. The nurses are valued more for their ability to teach and knowledge of nursing processes. It would not have been a good idea for me to pursue a masters in the IT field because I do not have the technical foundation.

Meet with a counselor at both university and community college to see your options. You can probably do all pre-reqs at community college, then enter the BSN program at the university. Live at home and debt will be minimal. Go full time, do not take semesters off, get a very high GPA. Your high school GPA doesn't matter if you take pre-reqs at community college. Also look into training for nursing assistant (community college might have the class), and look into getting a part time hospital job, preferably one that provides some tuition assistance.

What about working as a CNA for a few months to get your feet wet, get reacquainted with basic patient care again, and gain some confidence?

Agree. I did it and loved it. Other nurses do day shift with 40 residents. Busy, busy, busy but do-able.

When I was in RN-to-BSN program, a patient told me, "you'll make a good nurse one day". My uncle once said that my RN cousin was "practically a doctor". People frequently know only what they see on TV about healthcare. Don't pay any attention.

I went to an aromatherapy class (taught by an RN) at my last hospital. The hospital was doing an aromatherapy trial for just lavender for calming and ginger for nausea. The RN that taught the class said that aromatherapy had peer-reviewed scientific evidence to back it up, but did not offer any. My thought is, if much of the info out there is offered by an MLM (multi-level marketing) company, then "buyer beware". I don't buy it. I find the oils pleasant, but I remain skeptical that there is any medical value.

I have an MSN-Education. I was already working as an Educator in a hospital but the MSN would have made me qualified to apply for a higher paying job, like Director of Education for the hospital. The MSN also qualified me to teach at a community college, which paid quite a bit less than working in the hospital did. Some instructors did clinicals in the AM, and some did PM. I ended up taking a job in informatics, which doesn't require an MSN, but definitely gave me an edge, because the job duties are mostly education-related. THIS is the job with the good schedule and decent $. Good luck!!!

I happen to see that in CA, the RN board has a posting for "Expert Practice Consultants". I wonder if other states's boards do the same thing. https://www.rn.ca.gov/enforcement/expwit.shtml

If you are to not have any access to narcotics, LTC may not work out. Licensed nurses usually work pretty independently in LTC, meaning you may be the only nurse on a wing/unit, and there isn't someone else around to pass narcs for you. Additionally, narcs are locked in the same cart as the other meds (albeit in an additional locked drawer). I don't know what the solution is, but I suspect a traditional nursing role in LTC isn't appropriate.

Some other ideas, especially after you finish BSN: school nursing, informatics, public health

Unfortunately, when nurses sit at the table with rehab staff, pharmacists, physicians, administrators, etc. we are often the least educated. What a shame, as nurses spend the most time with patients. If we want to be part of the team that not just provides the bedside care, but also makes big decisions on how healthcare businesses are run, conducting research, how policies and legislation are written, and how future health professionals are educated, we have to strive to match the educational background of those with which we work side by side. NO class that I've taken has been a waste of time. Micro, pathophys, chem, etc. all come into play. While I don't use (or even remember) the knowledge from these classes on a daily basis, it helps me have the background knowledge to understand research papers or understand what a physician or pharmacist is talking about.

Best of Luck, please let us know how it goes! I did CNA training at a community college and I really miss my CNA days. I did it for 4 years. I never worked so hard and no job since has been as rewarding. I learned a ton.