I'm Katie and I a soon to be 26 year old BS in management and MBA. I work as a business manager for a successful company and do really well, I've been promoted twice in the last 4 years and my next promotion would make me a category manager which is a great bonus level position. And....I really get no satisfaction from my work. I've been reading (rather obsessively) the forum. The posts on why people became nurses -- all the positive aspects and why people are frustrated with their jobs.
I have recently applied to a night/weekend ASN program. It's not really a whim, in college during my junior year I decided I had some aspirations to look into the medical field. I took bio and chem and orgo and I worked as a nurse's aid at a local medical center on the med/surg floor. I really enjoyed my time and work there. But during my senior year the opportunity in business surfaced and I figured I should give my degree a go. When the company paid for my MBA I figured I should complete that too -- and did in June. But the enjoyment I got at the hospital never really went away and the experience I have in business pales in comparison.
My other issue with my current role is that it's a 10 hour a day 6 days a week lifestyle. And to continue getting promotions and making more money those hours will increase. I, personally, see this as no way of life. As I enter into married life and consider starting a family in the next few years I can't imagine how we will balance 2 business work schedules and kids. Part time options in real management positions in the business world are hard to find. I see so much more flexability in nursing. Evening shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts. Am I dillusional to think nursing would offer my family a better way of life? It's not really the money, I make excellent money, but the time (and lack of satisfaction) makes my current business career seem so much less appealing than nursing.
So for those of you who have raised families while nursing has it offered the flexability to be with your families? I realize you have holidays and those things but overall in my current role I work 50-60 hours a week 49 weeks a year with 6 additional holidays.
Where I worked as an aid the nurses were clearly busy and some jaded and frustrated as I read but I was lucky I met a lot of really happy nurses that enjoyed Med/Surg. It was a great exposure that I felt was realistic but also positive, a hospital that seemed to do a fairly good job against the odds of too many patients and too little staff.
Down the road after kids families and experience I would imagine my business background could mix with nursing experience well and open many doors. I just want to hear some thoughts from any of you with experience!
Actually I was thinking more the other way around, there are businesses out there that would care about the RN status. Pharmacutical companies, health care companies -- there are a variety. I actually knew some nurses in my MBA program and their combo was appealing in the BUSINESS world. Not the nursing world wanting a business degree.
Consulting as flexability? I know many consultants that work from their home -- if they ever see it. They are road warriors, no thanks! They make $150,000/yr but it wouldn't be worth it for me. Maybe if I lived in a larger city -- but to work for one of the big consulting firms would not be appealing to me, personally. Many of my friends did it out of college though, some have stuck with it and the travel.
KatieM123
37 Posts
Actually I was thinking more the other way around, there are businesses out there that would care about the RN status. Pharmacutical companies, health care companies -- there are a variety. I actually knew some nurses in my MBA program and their combo was appealing in the BUSINESS world. Not the nursing world wanting a business degree.
Consulting as flexability? I know many consultants that work from their home -- if they ever see it. They are road warriors, no thanks! They make $150,000/yr but it wouldn't be worth it for me. Maybe if I lived in a larger city -- but to work for one of the big consulting firms would not be appealing to me, personally. Many of my friends did it out of college though, some have stuck with it and the travel.