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Discussion

Time off before grad school?

Hi everyone.

I have been an RN in a hospital for about five years. I currently work in a very specialized area that is mostly focused on patient education. Frankly, I'm kind of tired of it and feeling like I want to do something different. During my undergrad program, I always thought I would go to grad school, but that idea went on the back burner after working for a while, especially because there seem to be so many new grad NPs who struggle to find jobs. Now I'm thinking it might be time to start planning for it again.

However, I'm not sure that now is the right time, since I have two small kids (ages 5 and 2) and I am currently only working part time. It seems that it might be better to wait until until they are both in school. If I quit my job and don't work (or only do some small things like volunteering at the free clinic or seasonal flu shots) for 2-3 years and then start an FNP program full time, would that hurt my chances of getting a job after graduating? I don't feel that my current specialty is very applicable to primary care, but I wondered if not having a job and staying home with family for a few years would just generally look bad.

Thanks for reading!

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    Yes.

    Not only that but also your chance of getting into grad program.

    Also, I recommend replacing your current job with a positon in primary care to give you some experience.

    Best wishes.

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    Some people choose not to work while they are in the program. What about working PRN at say an urgent care center or a clinic that is more geared towards primary care?

    Something else to consider, and I don't know if all NP programs are like this - but some programs I applied to required their students to carry health insurance at all times, either through your own employer or through the school. Just something to think about since typically PRN positions do not include those benefits.

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    • Author

    Thanks for your thoughts. Benefits are not a problem for me because we are on my husband's insurance. I would be happy to work in a primary care setting and will keep my eye out, but I'm not counting on being able to find something that will work for me because my child care situation with my 2 year old has become more difficult so my availability would be limited. That is why I was thinking volunteering some at the free clinic might work out better. My career is not my priority right now but I know I will want to develop it more in a few years, so I appreciate the input from all of you because I don't want to utterly sabotage my future opportunities in the meantime.

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