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Nurses or anyone!? MSN education now or later?
Hi all! Anyone with school experience and children or extra purchases and school, your input is appreciated even if your not a nurse!
Here is a brief background about me. I'm 22 y/o. Live in midwest. In 3.5 weeks will have my BSN completed. I have worked as a nurse for 2 years. I'm currently attached and want to get married in another year and buy a house. Within the next 2 years I would like to start a family.
I have considered all the advancements and options such as NP etc. and would prefer the MSN educator role. I like to teach and share knowledge and I feel like I can provide information to people in an easy to understand manor.
I personally like my current job and wouldn't want to leave but I also suspect that in 10-15 years the overnights and 12 hour shifts may get to me and my body.
In the back of my head I have been thinking, I will work for another 10 years ish and obtain all my clinical experience and knowledge. I would then obtain my MSN and become an educator on a hospital unit or at a college.
I will also add that I am debt free and have been able to pay for my tuition out of pocket as well as I have obtained some money from my current workplace. We would really like to purchase a home though and want to put 20% down.
Does it makes sense to obtain the MSN degree now and just not use it for a while? Or wait, gain the clinical experience then obtain the MSN?
Also-anyone out their know about what MSN educators make?
Thanks!!
Re: Nurses or anyone!? MSN education now or later?
I'm a nurse, too
. I'm starting to think about my future as well... I'm considering similar options as you for my career.
I've been told by many of the nurse educators at my hospital that nurse educators make less than staff RNs working the floor, but that annual salaries differ regionally (much like wages for staff nurses). I live in the northeastern U.S., for what it's worth.
I would not go to school for your MSN, and then not use your degree. If you really want to pursue your degree now, is it an option for you to go part-time, while you gain experience, and then start working as an educator a bit sooner than your current timeline?
If you're very adamant about your 10-year mark, you could buy your house now, start your family as you have envisioned, and then consider going back to school when your children are school-aged as well.
Glad someone responded! Thanks!
I think your right about the pay, which is sad. Even with my BSN I won't make anymore unless I took a management position but I was at a point where I had the time and money and knew it would be smarter to get my BSN now then when I had kids and life kicked in!
I think I will wait. A lot of my co-workers are going back to get their NP and I felt like I had more to give and should be attempting to go onto a higher degree as well. But I think I'm satisfied where I am at now.
Thanks!
It's rare that PRN pay isn't more, but in many places it is more than what you'd get compared to being a full-time/part-time staff nurse. In most cases, PRN nurses don't get benefits like everybody else (401k/403b, health insurance, long-term disability, life insurance, etc.), so hospitals feel like they have to provide incentive for you to work PRN. I know for certain this is the case throughout the northeastern United States, which is where I work, as well as most of my friends.
I'm a nurse as well. BSN in Dec. 2011 and have been working now a little over a year. I was struggling to find a job and decided to pursue an FNP degree (since that's what I've always wanted to do!) Shortly thereafter, I found a job.
My situation sounds similar to yours. I got married in Jan 2012 (at age 23), started a RN job part time in May, and bought a house that December. Now I'm in school part time and working part time. Some people will look down on you for futhering your education without much experience, but truthfully, I'm so happy I'm doing it now. Before kids! It's definitely not easy, and I know there will be a steep learning curve when I graduate with my masters BUT I'll be able to spend my entire career doing what I want to do and not in a constant struggle to get somewhere else.
Best of luck to you!
My mother has an MSN and is a nurse educator (and has been for years). She went back to school when we were little kids and drove an hour and a half to class every day and worked part-time and she and my dad paid for it out of pocket.
She has made upward of $80K some years, depending up on how many clinicals/summer courses she's picked up (she teaches on a 9 month contract, so any summer courses are extra $$). She loves her job and works very hard at it and is very good at it.
She has also worked as an RN throughout her career (hospice, home care, etc.). Her job has afforded her the time and energy to do so. Hope this helps!