Susan H.

When I was in a similar situation, I bought a policy through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. I paid about $125 a month for fairly good coverage. Depends on what state your are in, but you might want to check them out.

I did two years on a med/surg floor then transferred to a Peds office. I loved the office setting! However, I am in the process of applying to FNP school and most of the schools in my area require at least two years of acute care experience before applying so you might want to look into that. When I worked in the office, I spent most of my days running around like crazy just getting patients into rooms, taking histories, answering the phone, giving nebs, immunizations, etc. but didn't really learn a whole lot that will help me as an FNP. I worked for a great, friendly doctor and if I could do it over I would have tried to glean more knowledge from her regarding assessment and diagnosing.

Thank you all for the comments - I have read over them several times and am taking the advice to heart! I am very excited about the possibilities!

Are there any health insurance companies in your area? They offer a wide variety of jobs for nurses, some would even offer jobs that would let you use your NICU expertise as a case manager, triage nurse, health line nurse, chart reviews, etc. Good luck!

I am thinking through the exact same thing! While I was in nursing school, I shadowed a WHNP in an OB clinic and LOVED it - I've always dreamed of getting to that position someday. Now I've been working as an RN for 7 years, none of it in OB, but am seriously looking into applying for NP school. I just can't decide which route to go, but am leaning towards FNP - from what I've researched, there are more options available with this degree plus I figure I can always go back and get a post-master's certificate in Women's Health which I think would make me more marketable to OB/GYN offices while still having all of the FNP options open. I don't have any experienced advice to give, but wanted to let you know there are others in the same situation! Good luck on deciding!

Would love to hear some advice on my situation! My background: I received my BSN in 2003. From 2003-2005, I worked on a surgical unit caring for GYN, urology, and head/neck patients. From 2005-2006, I worked as an office nurse for a pediatrician. I loved that job, but the doctor cut her hours and I needed full time work. So, from 2006 to present time I have been working for a major health insurance company, first as a pre-certification nurse and now as a clinical auditor/compliance administrator. My question is, I would love to obtain my FNP degree. Based on the fact that I have not been in a clinical setting since 2006, is it going to be hard for me to get into a degree program? I am looking at schools in the Indianapolis area, mainly IUPUI and University of Indianapolis. So many other thoughts and questions running through my head! Is it possible to work full time while completing the degree? What are the job prospects like for a new FNP with my experience? Would it be beneficial for me to try to get back into a clinical setting while attending school? I apologize for rambling! I'm just excited about the prospects and would appreciate any and all advice and/or information! Thanks!

Hello, One option you might be interested in is a health insurance company. I don't know what area of the country you live in, but a lot of the big name companies have offices all over the country (Anthem, Aetna, Humana, etc.) They hire nurses for several different types of jobs (precertifications, case managers, clinical auditors, etc.) and none of them involve direct patient contact. Another plus is that you don't typically have to work nights, weekends or holidays!