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Discussion

Should i start my masters degree?

hey! so i am a new grad just started my first rn job in may lol. posted on here a couple times. im starting to think about getting my masters degree. i have my bachelors now but i dont know where to even begin to figure out the masters programs? what do i get my masters in general nursing? a specialty? do you need x number of yrs of experience before u should do it? how long are programs? i would eventually like my masters i know it opens up many opportunities later on if i desire. i live in massachusetts, work in rhode island. anyone able to help me out?

thanks!

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    • Featured Replies

    What is "general nursing," and why would you get a master's degree in it? Pick something you can get a better income and hours with.

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    • Author

    no i want to learn how to be a nurse i love my job its just im looking into options for later on lol. i figured id start researching sooner rather than later. and by general nursing i meant do masters programs do a med surg component or do they do more specialties such as pedi or ob?

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    • Experts

    I'm not one of those who believe you must have years and years of experience before entering graduate school ... But I do believe you should have enough experience to have successfully completed that transition from student to competent professional -- and that takes at least a year. In most cases, it takes more than 1 year. Become a competent nurse before you move on.

    Also ... give yourself a chance to discover "who you are" as a nurse. What aspects of nursing are you good at? Education? Being in charge? Emergency situations? Academics? etc. Take advantage of opportunities in your workplace to participate in projects and committees that give you a chance to try out doing a little staff education and/or charge nurse activities. Get to know the people in the various leadership and advanced roles and talk to them about their jobs. That's how you find out what role would "fit" you best -- you try things out and see what fits you -- and learn more about the various options -- and learn more about yourself, your talents, your preferences, etc.

    That process usually takes 1-3 years, sometimes longer. When you are ready for grad school, you'll know it. Until then, focus on becoming a competent staff nurse and start learning.

    Master's programs prepare people in different specialties. You'll need to pick a specialty before you apply.

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    excellent advise from llg , you need to discover what area of nursing suits your abilities and interests, then look to see what course will help you develop in that area .

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    • Author

    thanks guys thats great advice!!! i do eventually want to get into a specialty so i think ill just stick with figuring out how to be a nurse and working in my specialty of choice. plenty of time to do the things i want to do! thanks again :)

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    This is pretty much what everyone else is saying, but with a twist: If you're asking us (online forum responders) for our opinions, that means that you are not burning with any particular career goal. Perhaps you're only thinking of pursuing a Master's because you feel that you "should." Advanced degrees take time, money, effort and enthusiasm and should optimally be approached with a real certainty of your goals.

    After a year (or more) of experience, you may find ideas percolating in your head as to what you would love to do with your life/career. A Master's Degree may be the way to obtain it and you can figure that out at the time. You will have no need to ask others' opinions because you will have a plan that fits your goals. Certainly, come back here and read the advanced practice forums to figure out the myriad of ways that a nurse can form an advanced practice.

    For now, why not put all your energy into your brand new career?:D

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