Undecided MSN

[StephRN08]

I am in my first semester of graduate school. Right now my concentration is undecided, and I am devoting my first year of the program to the core MSN classes. I met with my advisor last week with the impression that I must choose a concentration by the end of this semester. Has anyone gone through their first year of an MSN program and discovered an area where they wanted to concentrate?

[elkpark]

Every nurse that I've known who has gone to grad school (inc. me) has known what we wanted to do before we started grad school. Most graduate degrees in nursing lock you into a particular role and career path -- what is the thought process for getting into a grad program (and how do you talk a graduate program into taking you) if you don't know what concentration you want to pursue, and what your specific career goal is? I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just sincerely curious. I've never heard of a grad program where you didn't apply and get accepted into a specific concentration/track, not just into the program in general.

[StephRN08]

The school I am attending has only two options - education and administration. I went into the master's program hoping to gain exposure to more advanced content that would help me find my path between the two. And there are several other students in my shoes. Within the core courses, you are exposed to both areas. I could see myself as both an educator and manager, but I know for sure that I do not want to be a bedside nurse forever.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

The school I am attending has only two options - education and administration. I went into the master's program hoping to gain exposure to more advanced content that would help me find my path between the two. And there are several other students in my shoes. Within the core courses, you are exposed to both areas. I could see myself as both an educator and manager, but I know for sure that I do not want to be a bedside nurse forever.

Ok that makes more sense. I was sitting here thinking you were still trying to decide between such things as CRNP and educator. But if you only have two choices that's not as bad. Is there anyway you could do both?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

My grad school offered combo MSN in education and MBA. Two degrees that are flexible. I cannot conceive of doing that much work without a passion for the material. If they are truly equal in your eyes do the shorter one then opt for the other degree after that. You would have a lot of the hours behind you already.

[AgentBeast, BSN, RN]

Which ever way you choose to go most schools will offer a post-graduate certificate program in many of the other specialty area. Obviously for MSN graduates only.