So many options for furthering my career. Would LOVE opinions/advice!

[Gmlwhite]

Hi Nurses,

I'm thinking about furthering my career by getting advanced degrees. I invite you to read my story and tell me about your experiences, if you can relate. I would love to read your stories and advice. I have my ADN and have been working as an RN for 10 years now (a stint in telemetry but mostly postpartum). I worked in long term care with Alzheimer's patients, geriatrics, and home care before I got my RN degree, for about another 10 years. I have a Bachelor of Arts in a non-nursing field. I have a heart for community service and take on volunteer projects and roles every year. The main reasons why I want to further my career are because I am ready to be off night shift and I want to make more of an impact in my community.

I am enrolling in Western Governors University's RN to BSN program. I plan to spend some time volunteer in psych roles and doing a job shadow in order to figure whether an MSN-PMHNP is a field I would enjoy or be good at. I'm attracted to that field because there is such a critical need for mental health clinicians, and because of the positive impact I could make in the community as a PMHNP.

In the meantime, I'm considering - since Western Governor's programs are so cheap and seem to be good quality - perhaps I should choose one of their RN-MSN programs (informatics, leadership and management, or education). I could become a more well-rounded nurse and would learn skills that could help me as a PMHNP anyways. It may also give me a little edge when applying to jobs? If I did get an RN-MSN this way through WGU, then I could go on to get a post master's certificate in PMHNP - and hopefully go on for a DNP.

Do any of you have opinions on what I should do? Any of you been in the same boat? Anyone in hiring positions who has opinions on what you'd like to see in your job candidates?

Thank you for "listening,"

Grace

[Matthew RN, MSN]

One thing to be aware that WGU doesn't always transfer well. The do have national accredidation, but because of the way WGU grades their nursing sometimes it transfers as pass/fail without transferring actual grades or it can transfer as a B average (some programs require a 3.5 GPA which is higher than a B). I would double check schools that you would be interested in pursuing your post-master's and see how well WGU degrees transfer there.

However, I have heard some pretty strong rumors that WGU will have a NP degree soon.

[Gmlwhite]

Thank you for the feedback. That would be a dream come true- if WGU were to have an NP program! I’ll go ahead with the BSN for now and see what happens.