janetthomasrn

Thanks for the reassurance traumaRUs. What are you doing now- are you using your CNS? Had you at first wanted to go into management but then changed your mind and when for the CNS? Thanks!

I am about to finish my BSN through the University of Phoenix online program. I'm an RN with 18 solid years of NICU, PICU, and adult and pediatric heme/oncology experience. I've also done a year of assistant nurse management. I am looking at continuing on for my master's degree- this is the reason I pursued my Bachelor's and I am torn by which route to go in. I have 3 kids and support my mother so it is imperative that I work full-time. UoP has been a great fit for that reason and absolutely I feel like I have learned a lot from their classes. It's not a cake walk and I am not "buying" my degree. However, I have heard some speak dispargingly about online degrees. I am wondering in the future will pursuing my MSN/MBA through UoP hurt me? I don't want to spend all the time and money on the degree if employers will look at it as an "easy degree". I have read on here several people that are in the dual MBA/MSN program. Is there any happy successful UoP graduates out there. I am tempted to continue on with UoP just because I understand their program, I've been successful at it. I have the APA formatted papers down, their tools for research are comfortable for me. Again, though, I don't want to be stuck with a lame duck degree. Anybody's thoughts and opinions on the subject are valued and thank you in advance for sharing.

I was hired from outside of a hospital into a management position having no management experience. It was as the other poster stated a learning experience. There was literally no orientation and my director had numerous issues of her own. There was a reason they had to hire outside the unit to find a manager. However, I saw it as an opportunity. I saw challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for personal growth and the fact that everything wasn't perfect was a great opportunity for me to make changes. I did a lot to education myself, when there was a nursing leadership conference I went, I enrolled in seminars on how to supervise others, I subscribed to leadership organizations like AONE and read books on leadership. I stepped down because to me it became apparent that I should have my degree and that seemed more possible while doing a staff nurse position because management positions are typically much more than 40 hours a week.

It sounds to me like your best bet would be to take a staff nurse position. This may seem like a step back since you have been practising as an ARNP, but I work with many staff nurses who have their masters. Its all in doing what you love. Once you are a staff nurse on a floor you can apply for an assistant management position. This will give you an idea if you really will love managing nurses, or being a manager in a hospital- which is vastly different that managing your own business. You do not have to have a masters in business administration but to me it sounds like a degree that will help you understand your role better as a CNO. However, before you spend all the money to pursue a degree I'd make sure that working in for a hospital or hospital corporation is something you want to do. I am currently a staff nurse and have done the assistant management thing in the past. I stepped down from that role becaue I realized I needed a degree and that working on my degree would be easier if I was in a staff nurse role.