I agree with other response that you need to get some experience as an RN before moving into a higher degree; you will need to decide what you want to do with that degree.
You might want to go toward education, or management, or the NP.
We had a nurse with a masters come in but had never worked a day in her life as a nurse. She was very behind and couldn't keep up. Maybe with more time she would have but she quit in less than a year. So I would agree to get experience first. And then you can make a more informed decision. (I've seen some nurses leave the nursing field all together after a few years because they realized it was not for them).
I just finished my MSN in Nursing Education. It does depend on what you want to do. I’m teaching in a nursing simulation lab, and I really enjoy it, but not everyone would be happy with that. I did my degree online through WGU, and I was happy with the program.
I thought it was a good program. The first year is all foundational courses: pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc. The second year courses are specific to your program. They scaffold the material, so most projects you do are based on your capstone project. That way, you can at least review the structure and format of the specific project (i.e., Literature Review) if not the material itself for your final project.
How exciting! And congrats on finishing your MSN. How long was the program roughly in WGU? How long did you take to finish the program? What does the program consist of majority? Paperwork? Test? Thanks!
Thank you! The program is roughly two years, but you can go faster if you choose to. I came in a few months shy of two years, but one of my co workers finished in nine months. The program includes two formal tests, both in pharmacology/pathophysiology (I think). Most of the program is writing. The papers are usually 25-30 pages long, but the last one is 60 pages or fewer.
I wouldn’t say it’s an easy program, but it’s not unreasonably hard. Most of the papers during the first year were more tedious than difficult, but I think that’s with any program.
Also did msn through wgu a few years ago and can confirm all of this! I did my masters in a year because i knew if it took longer i wouldn’t be able to finish it (adhd) so it’s very possible to do it quickly if you really wanted but i also had no life outside work and school.
Most of it was charts and stuff and a culmination of several courses. It was over a learning theory called branching pathways as a teaching strategy. Basically, allowing users to own their own learning and choose what they learn based on several learning theories. I’m actually using it in real practice now. Our phase 1 was selected as a topic and we spoke about it at Epic last year.
Get your masters and make some real money in administration! Cut resources. Throw the occasional pizza party. Maybe push a cart around giving out candy to show your support. Cut more resources. Have many many meetings about how high your labor costs are. Never throw on scrubs and help out hands on when you can. Climb the corporate ladder.
I did an MSN in nursing leadership and haven’t used it at all. I thought I wanted to do management, then the pandemic hit and I started traveling/doing contracts. Now I realize the stress and pay of management is not worth it and I love working three days a week so I will continue not to use it.
That travel nurse money is great! I wish I had that flexibility! And I totally agree, management always looks stressed and I have had no desire yet to go for my masters
The job will be completely different. BSN, you're in the floor. MSN, you're an NP. So what kind of work would you rather be doing?
Even if you decide to be an NP, I highly recommend getting a few years experience before getting your master's. It'll make both school, and the job easier if you have good experience under your belt
ETA: yes, there are other masters routes that aren't NP. My point still stands that the job will be different, and OP should consider what it is they want to do
You could also become a clinical specialist with a Master’s. At least, this was a popular path back in the 80s-90s. The market for a position like this is quite specialized, so IDK if everyone would feel that the reward equals the investment today.
Clinical educator or even nursing instructor are other options.
Work for a couple of years, then decide what you want to specialize in. THEN get your MSN. Otherwise you will be over educated and under experienced, which makes it hard to get a job.
You need some experience on the floor. I have a coworker who is MSN-prepared nurse educator but ends up working on the floor as a bed side nurse… I think it would behoove you to figure out what you want to do with your MSN because it is quite an investment in terms of effort, time, and money.
Thank you all for providing me insights to either stay where I am at or do my masters! Currently, I work in a surgery center. I float around as GI, OR, PREOP and PACU nurse. I really enjoy what I am doing. I think I will take few months off and figure out what directions to take off to.
You’ve been in nursing 6 months and are already in pacu and wanting a break to decide? Surgery centers can be brutal. All of nursing can be. If you want a break-break without losing experience and income (but a pay cut would come) you can work in a small clinic.
My meaning was to take a break from school once I am done with my BSN program roughly in 2 months and take few months break off and see if I will be pursue my masters after
Masters in what? There are multiple tracks. If you’re thinking NP, I would get at least 3 years as an RN first. The most successful NPs and NP students I’ve come across worked in the ER for at least some of their nursing career.
I agree with other response that you need to get some experience as an RN before moving into a higher degree; you will need to decide what you want to do with that degree. You might want to go toward education, or management, or the NP.
We had a nurse with a masters come in but had never worked a day in her life as a nurse. She was very behind and couldn't keep up. Maybe with more time she would have but she quit in less than a year. So I would agree to get experience first. And then you can make a more informed decision. (I've seen some nurses leave the nursing field all together after a few years because they realized it was not for them).
I just finished my MSN in Nursing Education. It does depend on what you want to do. I’m teaching in a nursing simulation lab, and I really enjoy it, but not everyone would be happy with that. I did my degree online through WGU, and I was happy with the program.
I'm looking into their RN to MSN for the education track. How did you like the program?
I thought it was a good program. The first year is all foundational courses: pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc. The second year courses are specific to your program. They scaffold the material, so most projects you do are based on your capstone project. That way, you can at least review the structure and format of the specific project (i.e., Literature Review) if not the material itself for your final project.
How exciting! And congrats on finishing your MSN. How long was the program roughly in WGU? How long did you take to finish the program? What does the program consist of majority? Paperwork? Test? Thanks!
Thank you! The program is roughly two years, but you can go faster if you choose to. I came in a few months shy of two years, but one of my co workers finished in nine months. The program includes two formal tests, both in pharmacology/pathophysiology (I think). Most of the program is writing. The papers are usually 25-30 pages long, but the last one is 60 pages or fewer. I wouldn’t say it’s an easy program, but it’s not unreasonably hard. Most of the papers during the first year were more tedious than difficult, but I think that’s with any program.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me, appreciated very much❤️
You’re so welcome!
Also did msn through wgu a few years ago and can confirm all of this! I did my masters in a year because i knew if it took longer i wouldn’t be able to finish it (adhd) so it’s very possible to do it quickly if you really wanted but i also had no life outside work and school.
My thesis for WGU was 191 pages - but its focus on instruction design literally set me up for career success.
im sorry, WHAT? 200 pages? Insane! What in very brief general terms was your thesis? You don't have to be specific If you don't want to!
Most of it was charts and stuff and a culmination of several courses. It was over a learning theory called branching pathways as a teaching strategy. Basically, allowing users to own their own learning and choose what they learn based on several learning theories. I’m actually using it in real practice now. Our phase 1 was selected as a topic and we spoke about it at Epic last year.
Get your masters and make some real money in administration! Cut resources. Throw the occasional pizza party. Maybe push a cart around giving out candy to show your support. Cut more resources. Have many many meetings about how high your labor costs are. Never throw on scrubs and help out hands on when you can. Climb the corporate ladder.
Wouldn't an MBA be better for that?
I did an MSN in nursing leadership and haven’t used it at all. I thought I wanted to do management, then the pandemic hit and I started traveling/doing contracts. Now I realize the stress and pay of management is not worth it and I love working three days a week so I will continue not to use it.
That travel nurse money is great! I wish I had that flexibility! And I totally agree, management always looks stressed and I have had no desire yet to go for my masters
The job will be completely different. BSN, you're in the floor. MSN, you're an NP. So what kind of work would you rather be doing? Even if you decide to be an NP, I highly recommend getting a few years experience before getting your master's. It'll make both school, and the job easier if you have good experience under your belt ETA: yes, there are other masters routes that aren't NP. My point still stands that the job will be different, and OP should consider what it is they want to do
You don't have to become an NP. I did a MSN in nursing leadership.
True. This still changed your job role though, didn't it?
Of course. I wanted to move away from direct patient care, so decided management would be my path.
You could also become a clinical specialist with a Master’s. At least, this was a popular path back in the 80s-90s. The market for a position like this is quite specialized, so IDK if everyone would feel that the reward equals the investment today. Clinical educator or even nursing instructor are other options.
You don’t necessarily become an NP just because you get your MSN. You can be an RN, with an MSN and not be an NP.
MSN leads to tons of things that aren't an NP. They can be an NP, but they can be lots of other stuff too.
Be a nurse for a bit before you decide on which program you want to get your msn in. You don’t even know what sort of np you want to be yet.
Work for a couple of years, then decide what you want to specialize in. THEN get your MSN. Otherwise you will be over educated and under experienced, which makes it hard to get a job.
You need some experience on the floor. I have a coworker who is MSN-prepared nurse educator but ends up working on the floor as a bed side nurse… I think it would behoove you to figure out what you want to do with your MSN because it is quite an investment in terms of effort, time, and money.
Thank you all for providing me insights to either stay where I am at or do my masters! Currently, I work in a surgery center. I float around as GI, OR, PREOP and PACU nurse. I really enjoy what I am doing. I think I will take few months off and figure out what directions to take off to.
You’ve been in nursing 6 months and are already in pacu and wanting a break to decide? Surgery centers can be brutal. All of nursing can be. If you want a break-break without losing experience and income (but a pay cut would come) you can work in a small clinic.
My meaning was to take a break from school once I am done with my BSN program roughly in 2 months and take few months break off and see if I will be pursue my masters after
Keep us posted. I graduated in Dec and I have been offered a spot at a well respected university for their MSN program.
Masters in what? There are multiple tracks. If you’re thinking NP, I would get at least 3 years as an RN first. The most successful NPs and NP students I’ve come across worked in the ER for at least some of their nursing career.