ans2680

It's been over a year since I've been on here. Needless to say, I did not get the staff development job offer and ended up working as a Family Nurse Practitioner at a primary care clinic for the entire year of 2012. It was a year of HELL. I accepted another job and the safety issues and poor pay forced me to resign. Stopped work on my PhD to resume work on DNP. At this point, I am burned out with the nursing profession....PERIOD. After five years of horrible job experiences (verbal abuse, financial instability, etc.), I really just want out. Thanks for the reply and I'll have to figure out what my next move is...

After spending only a year and a half in academia on a full-time basis, the faculty-to-faculty incivility, major faculty overload, and faculty layoffs has diminished my dreams of being an academic nurse educator on a full-time basis. I resigned from my assistant professor job with the job offer of becoming a statewide nurse consultant for my state's Office of Public Health in the continuing education department; however, a $16 million dollar budget cut has this position on the chopping block. I recently applied for a staff development coordinator position at a local hospital in which I used to work. I have a Master of Nursing degree and am a certified family nurse practitioner. I am also currently pursuing my PhD in Nursing Education at Capella University. The job wants a minimum of 5 years in education with experience in curriculum development. Due to the numerous amount of internal and external applicants, I feel like my chances of landing this job are slim. I know that I can take a staff educator course through Indiana University, but how else can I gain experience in staff development? Teaching CE courses? I know these jobs are hard to come by and just want to know what will give me an advantage. Meanwhile, I plan to return working as a nurse practitioner in a school-based health center and possibly create a more formal orientation program for nurses in school health. A curriculum course is included as a requirement in my PhD program, but I thought about taking a continuing education course on curriculum development as well. I also plan to teach as an adjunct faculty in an online RN-to-BSN program. Any other suggestions? P.S.- llg, you also offer wonderful words of wisdom. please feel free to comment!

Thanks for all the information! I decided to enroll; however, I was going to do a December 2010 start date, but after all the new things going on this semester I am going to begin in January 2011. I just haven't decided whether I want to handle 2 classes. I truly admire all that you are doing. I don't have children or a husband and I'm struggling to keep up with everything on my plate now! (New faculty role, commitee meetings, and new PRN NP gig)You will be my inspiration for completing my doctoral studies no matter what obstacles come my way! May God Bless You and thanks again for sharing your experience with me!:)

Hi, Denise, PhD©!! I am currently enrolled in a PhD in Nursing program; however, I work full-time as a faculty member in the BSN program. The current PhD program has made it difficult to oblige to my committments as a facutly member and a PhD student. I wish to transfer to the PhD in Nursing Education program at Capella; because, nursing education is very new for me and I would like to know more about it from a didactical perspective. Did you take one course every 10 weeks? How long did it take you to complete your coursework, write your comp exam, and begin the writing of your dissertation? Congrats on finishing your coursework and beginning the writing of your dissertation!!! Thanks for your previous postings and sharing your experience with allnurses.com!! ans2680

i completely feel you! i will be teaching maternal-child nursing on the bsn level and be a graduate teaching assistant on the msn level until i complete my phd. once i complete my phd, i will probably be teaching full-time on both the graduate and undergraduate nursing levels. i have been a preceptor and clinical instructor previously, but never have officially taught full-time as faculty. the world of academia is very different than actual practice. i am very nervous but excited about the new endeavor i will be pursuing. teaching is always something i have wanted to eventually do; i guess i just didn't think my opportunity to be a nurse educator/faculty would happen this soon! any pointers from seasoned nursing faculty are welcome!

GiBalerio, Thanks for the information! I have found clarification regarding this issue and plan to start a program sometime in 2011.

No. I had not thought about the post-master's in public health route. That may be something I need to look into. Thanks for the info.

I have seriously been researching a post-master's certificate as a public/community health CNS. I have been corresponding with several program directors. I was told today by one program director that the public/community health CNS option no longer exists. However, the ANCC website states that it is still an eligibility option. Does anyone know any public/community health CNSs in their areas? If so, what master's/post-master's programs did they complete? I am already a family nurse practitioner, so I have taken the major courses according to the new APRN Concensus Model. I have been working as a school-based NP and rediscovered my love of public health nursing. I think that it will be beneficial to obtain certification as a public/community health CNS since I would like to work in some capacity for my state department of public health and teach community health to undergraduate nursing students. Any advice/suggestions are welcome! HELP:confused:!!!

Hi, nursie76! Where did you go to complete your MSN/CNS in Community Health? Did you enjoy the program? What were the clinical experiences/hours like? How was the ANCC Public Health/Community Health CNS Certification Exam? What study materials did you use to prepare? Thanks!:)

I'm really not sure traumaRUs. It doesn't specify on their web page. I will contact their office directly to ascertain this information. My first love and the majority of my nursing career has been spent working in low-risk neonatal nursing and maternal-newborn nursing, so the parent-child CNS would be the best fit for me.

Hi! What are you planning on doing with your CNS in Community Health?

Hi Myethpio! I would like to enroll in the parent/child CNS program within the next few years. What did you think about the program? Also are you planning to take or have taken a certification exam? I know that the CNS Core Exam will be obsolete after July 1, 2010. If parent-child CNS's aren't allowed to certify will this decrease job opportunities and will it diminish the parent-child CNS specialty?

Hi! I would like to know what you thought about the parent-child CNS program at Cal State- Dominguez Hills. Also being that there is no certification exam (CNS Core Exam will be obsolete July 1, 2010), will this affect your employment opportunities/credibility?

Yes, my university does have a Graduate School of Education. I guess I just didn't think about taking classes there! As a matter of fact, my program has 9 semester hours of cognates (electives) that are required. I will look into picking up some graduate courses in the education department. Thanks!

Hi, everyone!:loveya: I am a new member to allnurses.com even though I have been perusing the site since I was an undergraduate nursing student. Over the last six months, I have made some major educational decisions. Since my undergrad days, I've always had a desire to pursue doctoral studies. When I was working on my Master of Nursing degree with Family Nurse Practitioner specialization, I first learned about the Doctor of Nursing Practice. I had always wanted the PhD but thought that maybe I should get the DNP due to the possibly of higher reimbursement for NPs with the DNP degree. So, for the Fall 2009 semester, I have been enrolled as a DNP student. But, it just didn't feel right. I wasn't enjoying the educational process like I wanted to. It seemed more like a chore. I also know that I really want to teach as a university professor one day and had concerns about tenure-track with a DNP degree. After speaking with the graduate chairperson of a PhD program, the choice became very clear. I needed to transfer to the PhD program. Besides, I happen to love theory and research as much as I enjoy patient encounters. So, for the Spring 2010 semester, I will be enrolled in a PhD program and I am very excited. However, the next endeavor I would like to get is some type of formal education in nursing education. Since I work full-time as a school NP and working on my PhD part-time, I figured it would be better to focus on this endeavor after completing my PhD which will hopefully be within the next 3.5 to 4 years going year round. My question is should I complete a post-masters certificate in nurse education or complete a MSN in Clinical Nurse Specialist- Nursing Education? For some reason, the CNS in Nursing Education seems more appealling, but it is really necessary? Thanks, ans2680:redbeathe

Hi, everyone! I am a new member to allnurses.com, but I have been perusing as a guest for several years. To Whispera and lovelylpn, there is a CNS in Nursing Education offered through Michigan State University. It also is offered completely online except the clinical component.