NTPinky

The thing that turns me away from UX is all the programs I've looked at seem to only focus on design, whereas I'm more interested in the UX Research side.

Hi Lisa, Thanks so much! I've narrowed my choices down to a few informatics programs. But now I'm also getting interested in UX research, since I do a lot of pt education and am always looking for ways to make pt education materials more usable for my pts. I'm at a large HMO and there are people at headquarters with the UX Researcher title. I'm just having a hard time getting a hold of them to learn more and see if that's a better fit for me. I guess I could do certificate programs in both informatics and UX ?

Hi all, I already have an MSN (focus in public health) and have been thinking about getting into informatics. Since I already have an MSN, do I need to do another one specifically in informatics or is it OK to just do a certificate program? My BA is in Technical Writing. Thanks! Pinky

Just wondering how those who've graduated since this thread first started -- I'd love to hear updates on the job front from grads of this WGU program, thanks!

Hi all, I feel like I've hit a wall professionally. I'm 43, have been an RN for 10 yrs (my second career, before that I was a technical writer), mostly in the outpatient setting as a diabetes educator. I work for a big HMO and feel stuck, there's no real opportunity for advancement, and am not learning anything new. Most of our patients just have poor eating habits and don't want to change. Also, most of my time is spent on the phone with patients because the HMO wants it this way, so I've never even met the majority of my pts (the only time we see them face-to-face is to teach insulin injections). I have a master's in nursing, and have thought about getting a post-Master's FNP certificate but the job market here (I'm in the SF Bay Area) is very competitive. Plus I'm not sure if I'd even like it, so I'm hesitant to spend all the money to risk ending up not being able to find a job. A coworker said to go for the DNP, but honestly I'm still not even sure what a DNP actually does or how the job market is for them here. Nursing informatics seems even tougher in terms of actually getting a job. I don't get any support from mgmt either. I speak Spanish but barely have any Spanish-speaking pts despite my asking them for 2 yrs to give me more of them. A coworker suspects this is because of another RN (native Spanish-speaker) who doesn't want to transfer any of her pts. Sometimes I think of going for the FNP or other academic program just for the opportunity to learn more, even if I don't get a better job. That's how bored I am. Thanks for letting me vent! Pinky

Hi all, I was originally accepted into 3 different FNP distance education programs: Gonzaga, Frontier, and George Washington University. I finally decided on Gonzaga, but health issues made me defer enrollment twice. My health has improved, but now I'm struggling with the decision of deferring again vs withdrawing altogether. I live in San Francisco, and I never see or hear of jobs for new FNPs in this state. I don't want to pay at least $32,000 for a program only to find that I never find a job as an NP. I've also read negative comments on this site from those who don't think these distance learning programs are very good, so that concerns me too. Also, I've taken the last several months to try and get my health on track, and rest a lot, while still working 32hrs/wk, and I must admit I like my time off and being able to go out w/ friends or take a last-minute vacation for a few days. I'm afraid of having no social life. I also like being debt-free, and the thought of incurring debt from the FNP program makes me nervous, especially since new grad NP jobs seem non-existent here. I feel so lost... not too long ago I was so excited to do the FNP program but now the doubts and fears are more present than ever. I don't know what I expect from this post - maybe I just needed a safe place to vent.

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I'm going to start working on my application materials next week :)

Wow! You're my hero :) Depending on the school I get into I may not be starting clinicals right away, so that's a plus as I'd have some time to prepare and figure out my schedule... oh and accrue more PTO :) Thanks for sharing your story!

Which school are you going to? I haven't even sent applications yet!

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm in an outpatient clinic so it's a M-F schedule. I know of other clinics that are open on weekends and/or evenings, I'd have to find out if they accept NP students to do clinicals there.

Forgot to add that the FNP programs I'm looking into are all post-Master's certificate programs.

I'd definitely do NP school part-time if working full-time... I doubt I could do both full-time. Thanks for your feedback! :)

There aren't any part-time jobs in my area so I'm stuck with full-time. I'd love to be an FNP and have several online programs I'd like to apply to, but I'm worried about pulling off both work and school, but I'm single and don't have kids so I'd have that much more time to dedicate to my studies. Is anyone here doing an NP program AND work full-time? I'd love to hear from you. I don't want to give up on my dream of being a FNP but I want to do it well! Thanks guys! Linda

I got an email that a message was posted in this thread by "kismet44RN," but I cannot find the message! Kismet44RN, please re-post or send me a private message. I'd like to hear about your test experience. Thanks!

I don't understand how if you just got passed the NCLEX in February, how you were allowed to take the CDE exam? Before you even apply for the exam you have to have spent at least 2 years doing diabetes education, plus have a minimum of 1000 hours of diabetes ed (with a minimum 4 hours a week).

The Core Curriculum is no longer published, unfortunately.

I'd say "no" as well. More importance is placed on charting than actually caring for patients, and I'm sorry to say that there are many nurses out there with horrible attitudes who make life very unpleasant for everyone else, at least in my experience. And considering the many stresses of our work, we are DESPERATELY underpaid.

Hi Suzanne, Right now I have some seniority, but only over other per diems, and they can let me go whenever they want, though for the next couple of months I'm probably safe. The hospital administration's end goal; however, is to keep just one RN in each outpatient clinic. They have already announced plans to make another round of drastic cuts in June, and I'm probably going to be hit in that round.

Interesting turn of events today... The medical director of the clinic today asked me to let her know asap if I get another job. I told her my situation and that I wasn't planning to leave. She said, "Good, because we're going to need you a lot more." (Because they're reassigning 5 RNs to inpatient units, but they can keep per diems like me for now.) And then I got a voicemail at home from a nurse mgr from a diabetes center at another major hospital in SF. It's a position I had applied for weeks ago, and I thought it was a long shot since I don't have the 2 yrs of acute experience listed in the job ad. I'll call her tomorrow! I'm just nervous that, as Suzanne said in one of her replies, that this hospital will cut staffing due to decreased census thanks to the economic crisis. I'll keep you all posted. And thanks for the support and information.

Wow, quite a few responses since my last post! The latest postings I've seen for LTC facilities were for LVNs. Seems they hire very few RNs and more LVNs because it's cheaper. I'll keep looking though, of course. I've seen new grad programs available in Southern CA lately, but they pay much less there (curious since the cost of living isn't much cheaper). I get very conflicting opinions about selling myself as a new grad vs. not. I do a lot at the clinic, including managing gestational diabetic pts, triage, and even training more experienced RNs. And I don't understand the rationale behind hiring someone fresh out of school vs. someone like me. As for ratios, I hear they get violated all the time. There is no such thing as break relief for inpatient RNs at my hospital, and the only one I know of in SF that for sure has break relief RNs is Kaiser. My friends who do inpatient at other hospitals are often asked to cover for another RN while he/she is at lunch. Isn't that technically breaking the ratio? If I knew then what I know now, I think I'd have gone to medical school instead. Only reason I didn't is because I wasn't sure if I'd like the healthcare field and didn't want to end up in debt paying for something I didn't even enjoy. And here I am in a field I like but constantly worrying about job security. And to top it off, I found out today that one of my high-risk pts and her baby died When it rains it pours!

Yes js408, I feel like we're in a depression too. I work at a public (county) hospital though, so I would think we'd see MORE patients as those who can't afford insurance due to job losses will be turning to our hospital. County officials are still planning to cut outpatient RNs though (replacing us with medical assistants) and they've already gotten rid of most of the LVNs (inpatient and outpatient). I don't understand it but no one seems to care what nurses' concerns are. Getting back to my original post/question though, I started experiencing my particular job problem way before the current economic crisis came about.

No, I'm not a traveler... they require floor experience too. Eriksoln, what didn't you like about Kaiser? Seems like a lot of RNs here want to work for them because of their benefits. I'm not picky, I just really want floor experience... even just one year so I can be more marketable. It's discouraging hearing potential employers flatly say "Oh" when I tell them I work at a clinic and then never hear from them again.

After finishing nursing school, it took me several months to finally get a job (I live in San Francisco and the market is tough here for new grads). Other RNs advised me to start anywhere, such as a clinic. I finally did get a position in a women's outpatient clinic (yay, income!), but I've always felt somewhat envious of my friends who started on the floor, because most RN attitudes that I encounter are that of "you have to start on the floor to be considered a 'real nurse'". I do a lot at the clinic, but other RNs seem to think that working in a clinic is not "real nursing." Even a couple co-workers who started on the floor have made comments. Now we are facing layoffs due to budget problems, and I'm likely to get the axe in the next couple months because I'm per diem (though I work 5 days a week). I've been looking for another job but the problem is that even though I've been at the clinic for over a year, all the available RN jobs require the famous "minimum one year acute care experience," which I don't have. I had an interview at a hospital a few months ago (maternity unit), and was hopeful because they had six openings, and the Nurse mgr said my chances were good because they had so many openings. But I didn't get the job, and when I called to ask why or what suggestions they had for me to improve in future interviews, they told me they preferred to hire new grads. So I don't qualify for new grad training programs because I'm not a new grad, but I don't have floor experience either. Is it only like this in the San Francisco Bay Area??? When I tell people I'm a nurse they often say "Oh good, you'll always have a job." And on a recent news report about the economy they reported that healthcare is one of the very few industries to not be affected by the national economic crisis, but I'm not feeling safe at all. And I have about $40,000 in student loans to pay off. I don't know what to do. Anyone else been in this situation? I've looked into relocating, but I'm living rent-free here and salaries seem much lower in other areas, so I don't know if it'd be a good financial move.

Thanks again, MagsMom. If you don't mind, I'd like to PM you my revised goal statement (when it's finished).

LOL Zenman :chuckle