Tons of student loans, pursue DNP still?

[MystyqueOne]

hello all,

it's been quite some time since i've posted on here. i am currently a rn, bsn that graduated last august. i have been employed as an rn for almost 9 months now. i am looking to further my degree and move into the position i've always wanted to be, that is a family nurse practitioner. so, here i am now, looking to pursue my degree and i think i'd rather just go for the dnp degree rather than the msn in fnp. i've already checked into quite a few programs and am very interested in them.... my issue?

well, i already have a ton of student loans from when i was in nursing school to attain my bsn (it was accelerated, so i had to take out private loans for living expenses). i really don't want to add more student loans, but if i want to pursue my dream, i think i'm going to have to. yes, i've already looked into tuition reimbursement at my employer (which they don't for this profession because they have too many), and scholarships.... but none of that is guaranteed anyhow.....

the other thing i don't know is, how much time does graduate school take per class for studies and homework? is it like nursing school was: for every 1 hour in class, there are 2-3 hours of studying and homework? i am still working full time and i will continue to work full time, but i also have two younger children that i don't want to be absent from (like i felt i was during nursing school).

any advice?

thanks so much!

[cruisin_woodward]

ACTUALLY RNsRWE..... I've been working, therefore unable to respond to ANY of the recent posts past that one day..... So, don't be so quick to make an assumption based on lack of my response. I'm still reading all of the responses and no, I haven't decided what I'm going to do. Thanks for your so called "supportive" response. My patients are more important than responding on here, obviously.

But, after reading all the responses, I think I'll look for the MSN program instead of the DNP program, take a little bit of time before beginning a new program, payoff some more of my current loans, and apply for loan forgiveness programs in the meantime..... So, I think that's my plan for now.....

Being in the exact same position, that is what I would do if I could do it over. It's almost $1000/credit hour here, and I am not in a hoity toity school. You can't take your boards and work until you graduate, and working full time is nearly impossible. I think that is an excellent idea to get your MSN and go back for your DNP.

[fathertod]

At this point, the debates generated within this forum topic are completely and mostly relevant for future readers of this topic who face the looming spectre of debt and graduate level, or more advanced, education. The real debate here is how to balance life, continue your education, career goals, and not to get swamped by debt along the way. Essentially, it boils down to time management, examining what your real goals are, forming plan "A" "B" and "C" to eventually get you where you need to go. I believe it is important to have a general goal in mind and then have multiple interventions you can use in order to get there, whether it takes 1 year or 10 years. Do not be a clueless sheep when it comes to managing and prioritizing your career, because you will get lost in this whole complex world, breakdown, and simply not accomplish anything worthwhile. Then you will find yourself, your family, your education, and your career related hopes and ambitions crushed, stale, or not met because you do not have the foresight to make a plan which extends more than one week from the very day you are living in.

Your options for financing things are numerous, do not count out any possible option.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

Comments like these completely ignore the fact that tuition has skyrocketed in this country, and is actually rising higher than healthcare costs. We are literally saddling an entire generation with seemingly insurmountable college debt. This isn't 20 or 30 (or even 10!) years ago, when college tuition was far more reasonable. I do agree that it's hard to sympathize with someone who has paid 100k+ for a degree in communications or sociology. But really, how are people supposed to advance their careers and education in this country in a reasonable way? I will be attending a public school the tuition is now 30k+/year! It was 20k/year one year ago. It jumped up that much in one year.

Arguing that people should wait to go back to school only works if that person has a job. We live in a world where most jobs require people have college degrees for entry level positions. The bachelors is the new high school diploma. Something has to change, because like I said, right now the costs of education are absurd.

On a side note re the cost of education I was listening to NPR a few months ago when a rep from UCLA was talking about having to spend millions on techonology upgrades because the students demand it and they also demand lower tuition. Somethings got to give. Is pen and pencil and paper learning really that bad? It's certain cheap. Students are not happy with run down dumpy old buildings. The more tuition rises the more they want, the more they get they more tuition rises.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

thank you....

for now, i think maybe i'll just take some time to teach clinicals or something for a short while before committing to a dnp program.

with 9 months experience? what exactly are you planning on teaching them. i'm all for encouraging a good idea when i see one but i'm also all for recognizing grandiosity in my own ideas and dreams.

get your financial house in order first. the economy is bad right now (still). wait a couple of years, interest rates will drop and lending will become looser. take some core grad cores that will apply towards the np

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

In your shoes, I would not put off NP school. The demand for PCPs is going to skyrocket, and you want to be in on that boom. The DNP is a subject onto itself. I am a big proponent of the DNP, but make no mistake, it is much harder than either the undergraduate or MSN programs. It was far more rigorous and much more demanding time wise. It is not for the fainthearted. I think if you want to do a DNP, you need to accept that it will be the number one priority in your life for those 2-4 years (depending on your matriculation plan). If you aren't willing to make that kind of commitment to it, don't do it. While I am of the opinion that the DNP is going to offer the holder great professional advantages, I don't believe that a DNP is ever going to be necessary for entry to practice. Good luck, whatever you decide.

[cruisin_woodward]

In your shoes, I would not put off NP school. The demand for PCPs is going to skyrocket, and you want to be in on that boom. The DNP is a subject onto itself. I am a big proponent of the DNP, but make no mistake, it is much harder than either the undergraduate or MSN programs. It was far more rigorous and much more demanding time wise. It is not for the fainthearted. I think if you want to do a DNP, you need to accept that it will be the number one priority in your life for those 2-4 years (depending on your matriculation plan). If you aren't willing to make that kind of commitment to it, don't do it. While I am of the opinion that the DNP is going to offer the holder great professional advantages, I don't believe that a DNP is ever going to be necessary for entry to practice. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Well said BlueDevil. I honestly had no idea hard doing the BSN to DNP would be... VERY demanding. When people call it "fluff" I want to scream. I agree with your advice. She can always get her DNP later...