RN to??? Suggestions on where to go from here

meluhn · Apr 13, 2009

Why not go to med school? If you are young and have no kids/husband and you are up for it. Some people join the military after med school and it pays for their loans.

WalkieTalkie, RN · Apr 13, 2009

- cna's - not a bad option again; however, why not just be a real anesthesiologist. those that i've spoken to say the work is the same, but the pay is close to triple.
- med school - with the amount of time invested in a ms program, why not invest a couple of more years and be a dr.?

really? this is going to open a can of worms, for sure. i could be a doctor, and i could go to med school. however, i don't want to. i have the grades, i could invest the time, but why? i like being close to my patients and families, and i want to be a crna. if i went the md route, i would have an additional 4 years of school, plus 3-5 years of residency plus 2 to whatever years of fellowship, all to make a measly $40k or so a year until i am done.

however, i am now finishing up my pre-reqs to be a crna. once accepted to a program, i will be in school an additional 2-3 years. once i am done with school, i am done. no residency, no bs, no trying to pay back loans while making crap for money and working crappy hours. nope, i can make a good deal of money being a nurse, especially if i work in a state which allows crnas to practice autonomously.

trust me, i've thought about med school, but it's not for me. i like being a nurse.

i guess if you really want to spend that many more years in school, then have at it. to each their own oh, and by the way, crnas are real anesthesia providers... in fact, if you look at the mortality rate between crna and md cases, we actually fare better.

by the way, i don't mean to sound derogatory, but when you compare mds to crnas in such a way, such comments are going to occur. :)

Lovely_RN, MSN · Apr 13, 2009

Do you have to go anywhere from here right now? Why the big rush to further you education? If you're employed, happy with your job/salary then why stress yourself out with more school when you don't even know what you want to pursue?

There is more to life than school and nursing why don't you pursue a non-nursing interest for a little while?

Lena202 · Apr 13, 2009

:yeahthat:

couldn't agree with you more, c0ntagion !

sunray12 · Apr 13, 2009

i'm a recent graduate and am seeking information on what my next scholastic pursuit could be. here is a list of my quandaries:
- rn to bsn - why? there is no motivating factor for me where i'm employed, unless i want to move into a managerial position (which i don't). been there done that...no thanks.

an opportunity you like might come up in a "bsn only" - or "bsn preferred" hospital - and with a bsn you'd be eligible. keep in mind that more and more hospitals are moving in the "bsn only/preferred" direction. i think it would be a different situation if you had been in the field for decades and were closing in on retirement but as a recent graduate there's a good chance that you'll do some moving around in your career. a bsn can be earned in as little as 3 semesters. why not take the step to make yourself as marketable as possible?

- rn to msn - unless it's an np the only other options that i've explored have to deal with education or administration...again no thanks. also i've heard that the np's are soon to be doctorate required positions.

the dnp is a proposed requirement would take effect in 2015. if you get your np prior to 2015 you'd be grandfathered in with your master's credential. (i don't get the resistance to the doctoral degree considering the perks, professional recognition, and expanded scope of opportunities one has access to from having a doctoral level degree ... but that's another story and not relevant to your thread).

- pa's - not a bad option, but bsn nurses where i'm from do the same thing. i've also heard that dr's are wanting more np's vs. pa's.

pa's and np's are mid-level providers. in my state hospitals consider both for the same openings. bsn's are regular rn's. if bsn's are doing pa work isn't this outside the scope of rn practice?

- cna's - not a bad option again; however, why not just be a real anesthesiologist. those that i've spoken to say the work is the same, but the pay is close to triple.
- med school - with the amount of time invested in a ms program, why not invest a couple of more years and be a dr.?

this is the common "why not med school?" question. not everyone wants to go to med school. some people are content to work their way up the nursing career path instead of switching over to the med path. it's of no small consideration that the nursing path takes half the time (and expense!) that the med school path takes. however if time and money is not an issue and med school is what you prefer then you should start working on your prereqs (if you don't have them already) and preparing for the mcat, etc..

any and all suggestions/insight would be greatly appreciated. i fully realize the importance of interest/passion fueling motivation (especially to make a continued educational/financial commitment), which is why i've posted this question. i'm typically motivated by the practical aspect of things (if i need to do it i'll do it) and admittedly monetary as well, but i also need to weigh those against the investment of time over work. i'm looking for a direction that will provide me with the most return for my investment. i don't need to make six figures, but if i'm going to invest x amount of time i want the greatest return for that time. one last thing, i want to enjoy life in the process. i've traded years of 70-80 hour weeks for a fat bank account and it's not worth it. i work so i can live, i don't live so i can work.

i suggest spending some time reading the np and crna boards here at all nurses. there's a lot of discourse and information that might give you an idea whether you want to look into going in one of these directions.

FA to CRNA2b · Apr 13, 2009

i'm a recent graduate and am seeking information on what my next scholastic pursuit
- cna's - not a bad option again

i vote for cna! :lol2:

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 13, 2009

Unless you are seeking to become a professional student, focus you energy on work.

As a recent graduate, you will do an amazing amount of learning in your first job that no classroom can teach you.

They also pay you too.

With a little experiences, you can have a better direction about which direction you want to take your career.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2009

MD = 11+ years of training.

You must be dedicated, more than just a couple of years!!!

Plus top MCAT scores and mucho mucho dinero!

I recommend you check out SDN, student doctor's network, onlinehttp://www.studentdoctor.net/

This site can also give you more info regarding your other potential persuits, ie. NP, CNA (certified nurse anesthetist: YOU must learn how to spell this specialty first!!!)

PA etc.

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 13, 2009

I'm w/Bx_RN and RNperDiem - why not just focus on your new job for now? If that doesn't wipe you out, then having a life outside of work. There's a lot to learn by working and as another noted, you get paid for that learning! There may be certifications or committees or cross-training to give you new challenges. Full-time work experience might give you a better idea of what direction you might like to head next so you can be more clear about what further education you want to invest your time and money in.

Rhone · Apr 13, 2009

with the amount of time invested in a ms program, why not invest a couple of more years and be a dr.?

one last thing, i want to enjoy life in the process. i've traded years of 70-80 hour weeks for a fat bank account and it's not worth it. i work so i can live, i don't live so i can work.

i think you answered your own question.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 13, 2009

You mentioned that you are a recent graduate. I would focus on working right now to see where you want to go. It may be in a direction that will require that you obtain additional nursing education, or you may decide that nursing is not your thing at all! Like others have mentioned, there is no lesson like on the job training. The textbooks will make it all look neat and pretty, but meanwhile, real life is a shocker...or at the very least, not what was read about.