Undecided and out of time

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Hi All,

I am in a bit of a tough situation with little time and ability to solve this problem on my own so I am looking for help from you all who have more experience and insight than I have.

I am 1 year post-divorce with two littles, ages 6 and 4. While married to my now ex-husband, I switched careers from teaching to nursing and gained two years medsurg experience. Afterwards, I had my two babies and planned to stay home for quite a while. My future has been turned upside down and after my divorce. I fortunate enough to arrange for childcare for one year while I gained experience at a teaching hospital in the Neuro ICU. Since then I was accepted into an AGACNP post BSN-DNP program online. Truly, I am blessed and fortunate for this opportunity. I am almost done with my first semester, there are ten total.

My problem lies here: I do not know if AGACNP is what I really want. Because of my situation, I do not know what the future is going to look like. One of my kids is borderline special needs so sometimes I think I may need to work part-time. Will I want part-time clinic work? Part-time shift work? What will childcare be like? Maybe I will need to work from home? What about aesthetics? Counseling from home as Psychiatric NP? Work in the stroke unit? Maybe a government primary care clinic? I actually like womens health and specifically don't like baby delivering, is womens health for me? But what if I can't find part-time clinic work? My mind is everywhere, and I am willing to do whatever that will pay well, have a good working environment, and give me a good home-life and work-life balance. The only thing I know is I don't want to do Peds.

So my question is this: With so many unanswered questions, and the inability to work in different sections to see what I like (I don't have childcare options right now to work at a womens health or psychiatric unit or clinic), is the AGACNP route the one to keep my options open the most? I'd like to graduate with a DNP specialty and then, from there, if I need to do an extra exam or some extra training to go into, let's say, psychiatric NP if that's what I end up loving after clinicals or let's say the best job opportunity in my new city, I'd like to know I have my options open. Could you please give me some insight or advice on how to proceed with my education?

Please, my life has been hard enough and I don't want any negative or belittling comments. If you don't know how to help, thats OK, please continue scrolling. and if you have some great advice and insight, please share in a caring manner. I appreciate you.

Love

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm so sorry you are in this situation. None of us know what the future holds. Lots of time I wish I had a crystal ball - LOL

My take - education is always worth it. If you end up not liking the specialty you get into, as a NP you can change it. (Of course if you choose psych or CNM or something there is specialty education/certification that has to be obtained). However overall options as an NP are usually more. 

Best wishes with this decision

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Thank you! Is it better to go for AGACNP and then if I decide to do womens health after I graduate, I can? Easier than getting a women's health NP degree and then trying to do ICU (I guess more like impossible), am I correct?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

If the education is a good return on investment it is always worth it.  An NP degree is usually worth it unless you are attending an extremely expensive program and have limited years of expected practice before retirement. 

Fortunately you don't need to make big decisions on specializing yet and even if you do need to commit to an education track fairly soon you should have the option to rotate into another area before graduation or you can  always obtain certifications later if you change your mind on the direction you want to go. You certainly don't  need to worry about employment and what kind of schedule you will work yet. 

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As others have posted, if you are able to gain more education at this point, then do that. Like others have said, try not to worry about where you will work, child care, schedules, etc. As you already know a lot can change in a short period of time personally and professionally so who knows that things will look like/be like another year or two from now for you.

 I can tell you is unless a lot has changed, primary care in the VA (federal) does not allow for flexibility in scheduling - at least at the VA's I worked at. They did not not offer part time positions. All were short term contract or FT. Orientation was also 2 1/2 hours away from the clinic at the main hospital and it was M-F for 2 weeks so keep that in mind when applying for VA jobs that may not be housed at the main facility.

Though you had a tough time, it sounds like you have a very bright future ahead! 

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

Good luck with whatever you decide. For me, when I was looking into my ACAGNP program, they were trying to push the DNP route. That was literally twice the price as the NP Program. And the DNP, in my case, was going to be of no benefit as far as jobs or salary. I do not want to work in academia (at least not now), and there really aren't many jobs that I know of that require the DNP above NP, unless you're in administration. Those jobs, to me, would seem less likely to have flexible work arrangements or part time options.

For the other people I know that went the FNP route, finding preceptors in women's health and pediatrics is one of the hardest parts. I had some friends switch from FNP to ACNP because they couldn't get these rotations. So if you're considering those fields at all you might want to target only programs that offer to set up clinical rotations. 

Best wishes!

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You are wise to ask the questions about where you want to work.  In my relatively short time of 5 years of having been a NP I have found employers are becoming MUCH more interested in background and area of study. Acute prepared NPs do have a lot of options outside the hospital (thinking specialty outpatient with often inpatient mix).  I am adult-primary focus and am in nephrology, and part-time positions arise in my field not uncommonly.  FNP would honestly provide you with the most options in regard to flexibility and the like.  That said, employers are much more picky about capturing evidence for targeted preparation both in RN and NP roles because sadly the light is ON that NP licensing does not necessarily confer preparation for practice.  All the best, and congrats on all of your accomplishments.  

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

Did you make decision?  If so, what did you decide. 

I am late to this thread.  Reading your post, it appears that flexibility and the ability to work from home are very important to you right now due to having 2 young children, including 1 with special needs.  If that is the case, then PMHNP is hands-down the clear choice.  With a PMHNP you could work from home full-time.  Most mental health practices, especially in telehealth, offer flexible hours.  The preceding is not going to be true of any other specialties.

I think you could also create your own specialization in women's health and psychiatry.  We can use more PMHNPs with deep knowledge of issues like premenstrual dysphoria, post partum psych issues, menopause-related mental health issues, etc.  Those topics would likely lend themselves to a DNP program.

If you end up hating psych (or any other NP specialty), it is not the end of the world.  Most of them have post-Master's certificate options that allow an NP to get additional education to change their specialty while continuing to work.  

Best wishes and please let us know what you decide.

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Hi everyone for your kind, informed, and compassionate responses. I am still in the AGACNP track, just starting my 3rd semester out of 10 that need to be completed. Someone recommended psych due to the option of working from home, but I just do not like psych unfortunately. 

I have decided to stick with AGACNP but I also want to do executive managerial positions however I cannot get into the executive program without managerial experience. 

I am 37 and with a change in career and having to stay home with my first born due to medical issues, I feel so behind. I have gray hair already lots coming and barely a career started :-(

* The AGACNP program is 3 years and a semester long. It is a post-BSN to DNP.

* The Nurse Executive program is post MSN-DNP and is 2 years.

* a Post-BSN to MSN for AGACNP is 2 years as well.

I am almost one year done with my post BSN studies on the AGACNP track. My alimony (which pays for my school and allows me to be a stay-at-home mom while pursue my studies online - my kids are 4 and 6, and I don't have family support for childcare) goes through May 2027.

I guess I need career advice or how to get career advice. What would you all do in my situation? I have two years med surg experiecne and 1 year neuro ICU experience.

 

 

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I would focus on school and kids and only school and kids if I were in your place. You are thinking WAY too far ahead and creating anxiety that doesn't need to be. You have several more years to go before graduation. A LOT can change for you personally and in the professional world before then. FOCUS ON SCHOOL AND YOUR KIDS right now. You are fortunate to afford staying home as a mom AND to be able to go to school without worrying about the cost for the most part.

The jobs, the managerial interests you have will ALL be there once you have graduate. Trust me, as many nurses that are leaving the field coupled with the overall demand in healthcare for staff now, you will do fine WHEN the time comes for you to apply for a job. 

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
mooshgigila said:

I am almost one year done with my post BSN studies on the AGACNP track. My alimony (which pays for my school and allows me to be a stay-at-home mom while pursue my studies online - my kids are 4 and 6, and I don't have family support for childcare) goes through May 2027.

I guess I need career advice or how to get career advice. What would you all do in my situation? I have two years med surg experiecne and 1 year neuro ICU experience.

As others have commented, please just focus on getting through NP school right now.  Between school and your kids, that is more than enough to keep you busy.  

During NP school, clinical rotations are an opportunity to discover areas of interest.

Once you are working as an NP, you will also refine your interests and may discover new areas of interests.  After working 1-2 years as an NP, you will have a much better idea of the career path you wish to pursue.  

You could also join your local chapter of the American Nurse Practitioner association and go to meetings to network and talk to practicing NPs.

Your NP faculty are also good sources of advice.

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