What type of nursing might suit me best?

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Hello everyone! Currently, I am a public middle school teacher and I am making my transition into your part of the working world! I am about to take my last prerequisite class before applying for schools. I will be shooting for accelerated BSN and MEPN programs. I am most interested in the MS-RN program at the University of Arizona, which is just a unique name for their Fast-Track BSN that they manage to call a master's degree, even though it isn't officially an MSN. (It is an MS-RN.)

My main goal is to eventually enter the US Army Program of Nurse Anesthesiology. However, I realize that this is competitive and I want to be sure that I know all of my other options. About me, I am a world traveler before anything. I am a very hard worker but I love getting away. If I am going to leave my vacation-vacation friendly teaching career, I want to move into an area where I am at least not held captive until I retire! I am very interested in ER/ICE work but I wonder how those in the field would compare the schedules of different types of nurses, from RN's, to Nurse Practitioners and finally nurse anesthetists. I can't stress enough that I am not only leaving education for more money. I won't to be happy too! I am ready to work. Hard work, dirty work, late night work, twelve-hour work... I am ready. Now I just need some more direction. What should I be when I grow up? I look forward to your replies!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Welcome I moved your thread for best response

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Given your goals forget about ER and aim for ICU, Peferably surgical and / or CV ICU and aim for the highest level ICU you can get into.

I would suggest you look into hospitals that offer nurse residency programs that train new grad RNs to work directly into ICU.

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Specializes in ICU.

If your goal is to get into CRNA school (especially the Army program), you MUST have ICU experience...and working in a level I trauma/academic hospitals tend to get you the best experience. I would do a lot of research on different schools because a lot of CRNA require different pre-reqs. (I.e. Some want organic and bio chemistry, while others want statistics, etc. Some require 1 year of ICU experience, while others want 2-3 years.) My recommendation would be to either get a CNA job or find someone to shadow in the hospital if you have never worked in healthcare before...especially in the ICU. I had a lot of peers in nursing school who thought they wanted to do ICU nursing (and eventually do CRNA), but once in our critical care rotation, realized it wasn't for them. (Not to say that would happen to you! But you never know.)

Also check with the CRNA schools you are interested in to see if a MS-RN degree will be accepted. All schools require you to have BSN degree, and they will most likely except that degree, but I would definitely double check.

As far as schedules go, I think that nowadays, the majority of RN's who work in a hospital setting, do three 12-hr shifts a week. I know in some areas (PACU/OR/Procedural), their schedules may vary more. In an outpatient setting, hours can vary as well, but from what I've seen, most work M-F 8-10 hrs a day.

For any advanced nurses (NP's or CRNA's), again it depends on the type of setting you are working in. At my hospital, the CRNA's work similar schedules to RN's and can choose to work three 12's or four 10's. (And they work days/nights and have on-call shifts as well.) In an outpatient/private practice setting, their hours tend to be more regular M-F hours.... Again it just depends on where they are working.

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ICU for CRNA. Sounds like you may enjoy travel nursing if you don't have roots. Good luck! I work with many people who were teachers before being nurses.

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Thank you for that tip. I had never even heard of nurse residency programs before your post. This is why I am here.

Given your goals forget about ER and aim for ICU, Peferably surgical and / or CV ICU and aim for the highest level ICU you can get into.

I would suggest you look into hospitals that offer nurse residency programs that train new grad RNs to work directly into ICU.

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Thank you for all of your information. For my lifestyle, you help me solidify the fact that I am on the right path. Three 12's is perfect for me and four 10's isn't bad. I will go after the higher salary and what I am most interested first. If I fall short, meaning I remain an RN and do not reach CRNA, I make the best out of the dynamics that come with that.

If your goal is to get into CRNA school (especially the Army program), you MUST have ICU experience...and working in a level I trauma/academic hospitals tend to get you the best experience. I would do a lot of research on different schools because a lot of CRNA require different pre-reqs. (I.e. Some want organic and bio chemistry, while others want statistics, etc. Some require 1 year of ICU experience, while others want 2-3 years.) My recommendation would be to either get a CNA job or find someone to shadow in the hospital if you have never worked in healthcare before...especially in the ICU. I had a lot of peers in nursing school who thought they wanted to do ICU nursing (and eventually do CRNA), but once in our critical care rotation, realized it wasn't for them. (Not to say that would happen to you! But you never know.)

Also check with the CRNA schools you are interested in to see if a MS-RN degree will be accepted. All schools require you to have BSN degree, and they will most likely except that degree, but I would definitely double check.

As far as schedules go, I think that nowadays, the majority of RN's who work in a hospital setting, do three 12-hr shifts a week. I know in some areas (PACU/OR/Procedural), their schedules may vary more. In an outpatient setting, hours can vary as well, but from what I've seen, most work M-F 8-10 hrs a day.

For any advanced nurses (NP's or CRNA's), again it depends on the type of setting you are working in. At my hospital, the CRNA's work similar schedules to RN's and can choose to work three 12's or four 10's. (And they work days/nights and have on-call shifts as well.) In an outpatient/private practice setting, their hours tend to be more regular M-F hours.... Again it just depends on where they are working.

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Yes, I am highly interested in travel nursing. I wish I knew more about it and how solid of a career it is but I have a lot I need to do before that.

ICU for CRNA. Sounds like you may enjoy travel nursing if you don't have roots. Good luck! I work with many people who were teachers before being nurses.
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Yes, I am highly interested in travel nursing. I wish I knew more about it and how solid of a career it is but I have a lot I need to do before that.

You need experience first and foremost. Then you find an agency and work with them to travel. I don't know tons (I'm sure there are resources here!) but we had a traveler on my unit and we miss him! Seems like a really awesome gig if you can do it!

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Specializes in ICU.

Once you get at least a year of experience working in the ICU, you can start working with travel agencies if you want to travel for a couple years before starting CRNA school. I have never traveled because family commitments didn't allow me to, but several of my coworkers did and loved it. There are a lot of great agencies to work with and they pretty much do all the hard work of finding you a job in the location you want. You just have to get yourself to the location and follow-up with HR orientation and such. Some of the agencies my coworkers worked for are American Mobile and Cross Country Travel nurses.

I know that is still a couple years away for you, but it's good info to have in the back of your mind. That way if you do choose to go to CRNA school, you can travel while still getting the ICU experience you need.

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Yes, I have to get at least that year in to apply for CRNA in the Army. If I don't get into the ARMY, I am stuck travel nursing on the East Coast, the West Coast, and maybe Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Damn.

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Yes, I am sure that I will get a wide variety of experience traveling. It is all a couple of years away but want to minimize the number of surprises in the future.

Once you get at least a year of experience working in the ICU, you can start working with travel agencies if you want to travel for a couple years before starting CRNA school. I have never traveled because family commitments didn't allow me to, but several of my coworkers did and loved it. There are a lot of great agencies to work with and they pretty much do all the hard work of finding you a job in the location you want. You just have to get yourself to the location and follow-up with HR orientation and such. Some of the agencies my coworkers worked for are American Mobile and Cross Country Travel nurses.

I know that is still a couple years away for you, but it's good info to have in the back of your mind. That way if you do choose to go to CRNA school, you can travel while still getting the ICU experience you need.

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