majik91

Again, I must extend my deepest appreciation for the time you all have taken for my benefit. My meeting with my Director and HR yesterday was productive. They are still confident that I can balance this position and my school obligation, but as an insurance policy they have agreed to hired a float pool nurse to work my staff position for 3 months. Now, I know that my curriculum will become exceedingly more difficult in the months beyond, but it should allow for me and the staff to adjust to the change. There are two coworkers waiting in the wings for the manager position who the Directory thinks need a little more mentoring before they are ready for the role. I will also have off every Thursday and it turns out to be an hourly position somehow, which works in my favor to eliminate overtime. School starts in Sept., so I will see how things go. My wife has warmed up to the idea as long as I have it in writing and have my escape plan. Furthering my self from an educational perspective is my number one priority, besides my family of course. It is not so often that I will have such an opportunity to purse this goal. In fact, I was never even the type to believe I would achieve graduating from college period. Now, here I am having graduated from U of Maryland BSN and beginning NP school. Looking at it from that vantage point, I could never live with myself if I walked away from this chance. If I feel that I am unable to keep up with my studies I will not hesitate to step down from this position. No ego tripping, I owe it to myself to do the right thing. For those of you who advised me to think twice about stepping into management, please don't feel like you wasted your breath. I will not let this job come between me and my goal. As things continue I would be happy to update this post. Sincerely, Mike

Well, University of Cincinnati's curriculum is a quarter system. So, each of the first 4 quarters have 2 classes. I am optimistic that I can hang in there until at least next June. I work with two exercise physiologists who are interested in the role, but my director(who is an exercise physiologist by trade) feels that they both need more mentoring before that are ready to assume the manager role. So, my ideal outcome would be to accept the management position until it doesn't work for me any longer and then hopefully one of my co-workers will have proven them selves to my director. Then I could which roles with the staff member who takes over for me. Anyway, it is very complex. Thank you all for participating in my professional dilemma.

Wow, thanks so much Carachel2. I really appreciate you taking the time to be so detailed in your reply. Your insight is so meaningful since what you described is exactly my situation. My wife and I are currently in a comfortable position financial to survive my NP program. So, there is no strong financial incentive for me to become manager. I have a meeting tomorrow with my director and HR, so I will be able to see the terms on paper. I need a guarantee that I will have the option to return to my current position when I see the need. Otherwise, I will not accept this role.

I feel very strongly about remaining close to patient care no matter how others think about my management skills. Also, I do not want to put a stumbling block between my wife and I. She is quite unhappy with the thought that I will be pulled in to many directions.

First, thank you both for replying to my question so quickly. My wife and I do not have any children yet, but she is anxiy.ous to begin a family. I have a great director and she reassures me that I will have the option to resume my current position if my program become to much with work. I am willing to give it a try, but have the feeling this is going to blow up in my face. I have worked for this hospital since I was 16 and now I am 31. Everyone knows me and I feel like I am being steered into management because of my personality. It makes me question whether I should stick with NP school or not, but I feel like NP school is not an opportunity that comes around very often. I am not interested in the money aspect, we do well enough for the life we want to live. NP school will open more doors for me to further my career. I hope that I will someday be able to offset my wifes income to enable her to work less someday to have more time with our children.

Hello Everyone, I am writing all of you with deep concern. I am scheduled to begin ANP online this Sept. at University of Cincinnati. I currently am a nurse in outpatient cardiac rehab...which is a dream job. That is part of the reason I took this job to decrease the amount of work load I had while in school. I was formerly an ICU nurse at a teaching hospital in an open heart recovery unit. I am now faced with pressure from my director to become the manager of cardiac rehab. I have repeatedly turned down the position citing the fact that I begin NP school in Sept. Nevertheless, I am being pressured in to this and assured that everything will be done to aid me in my personal and professional life. My wife is concerned that this will ultimately blow up in my face. I currently work 3 11 hr shifts and one 6 hr shift, generally off either Tuesday or Thursdays. My new position would most likely make it difficult for me to be off as much, but they are putting it in writing that I will be able to take off at least one day a week. I really don't know how my life will look when I am in school with exams, papers, and clinicals...along with working. So, I just need to know if there is anyway anyone thinks this is possible at all. I really appreciate your input. Thanks, Sleepless in Maryland