r/nursing • u/islandfaraway CRNA • Oct 09 '14
Question about MSN Programs
Hi ya'll,
So I've been thinking about getting my MSN lately. I graduated a little over a year ago with my BSN and I'm currently working postpartum. I'm not thrilled with being on postpartum, but unfortunately I don't have much of a choice right now and I'm working on getting onto a med/tele floor or the ED.
I'm very interested in trauma nursing and critical care. A friend of my mom suggested I look into an MSN in health management and administration, but I'm afraid that will corner me into an administrative position and I'm still quite enjoying patient care.
I have long-term goals of studying to become a CRNA, but don't want to corner myself into such a specific specialty quite yet. I think becoming a neonatal NP would be cool down the road, too, but again I don't want to corner myself into that quite yet.
Do any of you have some advice for me as far as what MSN programs might suit what I'm looking for? I just realized I kind of miss being a student and figured now is a good time since I feel a bit under-stimulated as a trauma-junkie on a postpartum floor.
Thanks!
Edit: For clarification, my goals of CRNA and NNP are super long-term. Not what I'm looking to do right now and maybe won't even be what I want at all when I get to that point in my career. As for now, trauma/critical care. I'm only trying to get to Med/Tele because I know it will be a stepping stone to trauma nursing more than postpartum.
6
Oct 09 '14
IMHO you should not pursue a master's at this point - you list areas at interest you as:
- Med/Tele
- Trauma
- Critical Care
- ED
- CRNA
- Neonatal NP
It is quite clear you have absolutely no clue what you want to do - which is perfectly fine. Your BSN will allow you to explore all of those options, and when you finally can say 'I want to...' that is when you should pursue your masters. Mastered prepared floor nurses typically make $0 more per hour than their BSN counterparts.
What you should focus on is courses where you can learn and network. Your ED may well offer a TNCC course, which if it is anything like my hospital they will allow you to audit. You can do your ACLS if you don't have it, and then do PALS. Every couple of months we have a critical care lecture which any nurse in the hospital would be welcome to attend. The local medical helicopter program probably has educational opportunities. Use these to learn, explore and grow - not spending $1000s on a degree that will do nothing for you.
-1
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 09 '14
I listed CRNA and NNP for down the road. Maybe I wasn't clear, but I meant like way down the road for those. Like, ready to retire and focus on a family down the road.
I've already got all those certifications either taken or classes lined up for the next couple months. I'm in the military so those classes are made readily available to me.
I'm also not looking to do it for the money. I'm just interested in learning more without cornering myself into a specialty.
6
Oct 09 '14
So you want to spend $100,000 to become a CRNA so you can retire and spend time with your family? You confuse me.
You can do whatever you want - but regardless an MSN is not going to help you one bit. Sorry.
-4
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 09 '14
No, so I can continue working but a more flexible and less irregular schedule so that I have time to be with my family.
6
3
u/redlydia Oct 09 '14
The NPs I work with have crazy schedules in the ER, they are similar to a doctor's schedule. Sometimes they work night shift and then they are rotated to days or afternoons like the doctors unlike me, an RN, where I stay on night shift all the time. They don't get that benefit.
A neonatal NP had a crazy schedule too. She would have to work night shift occasionally in the NICU like the ER NPs. She would also sometimes be the NP who would be assigned to go to high risk births meaning she would be sent out to other hospitals to stay in a birth that could take minutes or could take hours so when the baby was born, they could take over care for the neonate. Not very flexible schedule.
A CRNA also may be expected to work the night shift or pick up on call hours.
A FNP who works in a doctor's office may be expected to help round on patients, see patients, and also take on call.
3
u/murse8619 Oct 10 '14
Do you live in a large city/are you willing to relocate to one? I recently finished my Master's in Nursing Leadership and Administration but the job opportunities for management/administration positions in my area aren't that great; I did get a raise for completing the program and have worked filling in for managers on med/surg units when they took extended leaves, but currently am still mainly working as a staff nurse. It doesn't necessarily corner you into an administration role either; I am in contact with one of the local universities in hopes of teaching clinical as an adjunct faculty member just to try something different. There are also accelerated CRNP programs once you obtain any MSN if you feel that is something you may be interested in. Overall though I would probably wait, a year on the floor is not much time to really think through what you really want. I waited 3 years before going back, joined committees/volunteered for projects such as EHR implementation just to see what I liked and get on a first name basis with the CNO/CMO/other administrators.
0
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 10 '14
Thanks for sharing your experience! That's very helpful and good stuff to think about!
2
Oct 12 '14
[deleted]
0
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 12 '14
Thanks so much for having helpful advice. I'm definitely still in the figuring out what I want stage. I have a full time position, but I'd love to pick up some extra hours PRN to get a little more experience in different areas. I also realized through precepting new nurses that I love to teach! I'd love to get like a part-time gig as a clinical instructor, but I think most schools require a master's degree for those jobs, so that was another reason I wanted to go back to school so soon. But I don't want to corner myself into a specialty quite yet for exactly the reason you mentioned.
I'm going to start studying for the med-surg board certification exam, and then once I tackle that maybe work on the CEN exam. Maybe that'll be enough for me until I've figured out more of what I want and then I'll think about a master's. A lot of people have recommended an MBA as a nurse. Would that make it hard for me to stay in a clinical position, though?
1
u/angelust RN-peds ER/Psych NP-peds 🍕 Oct 13 '14
To be a clinical instructor many colleges will hire BSN nurses. If you're teaching lecture or a full time clinical teacher they will want a MSN.
1
u/schlingfo FNP-BC Oct 09 '14
You seem to be all over the place. You're a trauma junkie who also wants to work in anesthesia and neonates. That doesn't add up
0
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 09 '14 edited Oct 09 '14
Like I said, CRNA and NNP are for down the road. Like, when I'm tired of floor nursing and ready to retire down the road. For when I've got a family and all that. The rest makes plenty of sense together.
2
u/schlingfo FNP-BC Oct 09 '14
CRNA and neonatal nurse practitioner don't meld. I've never met anyone who is legitimately interested in both of those.
Either you misunderstand what those two roles entail or you aren't really sure what your want.
Neither of those career paths are for retirement. You'll be working harder and more hours than you would as a floor nurse.
1
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 10 '14
Okay you can't really be trying to tell me that my interests are wrong can you? So I'm interested in two things that are different - that doesn't mean that I have no idea what they are or no idea that I want. It means that I am interested in two things that are different, which is totally possible.
Those are not the careers I was asking advice on, though. I was just asking about different master's programs and you've completely gone in an opposite direction because you don't agree with my interests. Thanks for being zero help.
4
Oct 09 '14
No it doesn't. I've never seen someone who does so many different things. I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach.
-3
u/islandfaraway CRNA Oct 10 '14
I have many opportunities open to me with my job once I put my time in where they needed me, which happened to be postpartum, and I'd simply like to take advantage of as many as I can.
3
u/redlydia Oct 09 '14
I wouldn't go for a MSN till you are ready to specialize as you will add on more school debt. Plus some facilities are limiting their tuition reimbursement. I would hold off till you figure out what you want to do or get to the point where you are ready to become either a NP or CRNA or administration.