Scholastic Calamity

Very positive and uplifting post. However, it is not quite reality-based. Many people idealize nursing as a career that in which they can fulfill their "passion". It is a shock to discover that: 1) it may be very difficult just to be accepted to a nursing program due to previous life choices, cost, or other hard-to-modify circumstances; 2) it's impossible to 'start over' in another program without sacrificing time and $ already invested if you don't like the one in which you (finally) were accepted; 3) employers aren't hiring for those positions; 4) currently, insurance & other 3rd party payors do not cover those services (e.g., holistic, alternative therapies, lifestyle enhancement, etc.); 5) in order to be considered for that glamorous, well-paid, "satisfying" job, you have to have extensive experience - AKA, years of toil in less-desirable jobs or in a hard-to-get specialty area. But I do love the optimism!
This will probably come out wrong, so bear with me.This is article is kind of a "Sound of Music" scenario. It's highly idealized. In that perfect world of sunny days and witty children, nurses can afford to make choices based on wants and ideals. Most of the nurses I know, including myself, go back to school because we have to. For me, it's because I have a diploma and it's getting too hard to get hospital jobs without a BSN. For others that I know, they are getting their BSNs and MSNs to get into management and administration because their bodies are getting worn out and can't do bedside anymore. A couple of people I know were fortunate enough to know what they wanted to do from the get-go, and chose a path in the same way as the OP. One's a psych NP and another is working with a Doctors Without Borders kind of organization and is a true humanitarian.But, for me, at least, back to school questions are more like "How long can I afford not to go back? Which school will get me to my goal the most quickly and for the least amount of money? Should I get a permanent position so I get tuition benefits?" I am having to deal with the poor choices I made in life before becoming a nurse and reaching my ideal is not practical at the moment.But if I were Maria... I would definitely go back and get my MSN in education. My golden ticket is that "A-ha!" moment on students' and patients' faces when they finally understand.
I understand both of your points about it all sounding like sunshine and butterflies. I am a serial optimist, what can I say? There are so many points I want to make here, it's tough, because this article isn't the root of what I want to portray at the max. Otherwise, this article would be entirely too long and wordy (I have a gift for that)! ; ) Anyways, I can totally understand feeling the pressure for a BSN because it's getting difficult to get hired. I'm having that problem as well. And I say this not to minimize your life experiences in the slightest, so forgive if this comes out wrong... I don't want to settle. I don't think nurses should HAVE to settle in order to make management happy. YES, we need education and YES it should be a must-- but to make ourselves miserable and in more debt than we may or may not already be is a total injustice to OUR lives. It's YOUR life. You should be able to do what YOU want. Yes money is ALWAYS a factor. (By golly, it's a HUGE factor). But it kills me to see so many miserable nurses. I hate it. I know not every day is happy or wonderful, and usually we have to take small wins from every day just so we can go home, sleep at night and do it all over again... I just feel this immense pull and desire to encourage nurses to follow their dreams. To focus on what they really want. Until we find it, we will burn out, we will quit jobs frequently. We will stay in once place because we feel locked in and scared. We all have so much potential it's hard for me as a person, as a nurse, to accept and swallow "well that's just the way it is." I love all of you and support all of you in what you do. But I truly can't accept the tides just because someone said so. Nursing as a whole needs a massive overhaul of the system starting at the political level. We will continue to be repressed and told to take on more every day as the big whigs continue to hold our licenses in their hands and dictate how we are to conduct our profession. Last time I checked, many other professions have the choice for degrees, advancing education, and so forth. I know that is a general understatement.. But I really think we all need to put our feet down and really proclaim our rights and desires again and again until it sinks in somewhere.I want to move forward and be educated. But for me, it may sound immature or even childish, I refuse to go back to school just because someone thinks I am not good enough in their eyes because I am missing 9 leadership classes to complete a BSN. I love leadership, and I love being a nurse, but having or not having a BSN doesn't affect my ability to be a great nurse on a day to day basis. Therefore, for me, I will take my time until I find what fits for me. If I need things to supplement my income because my nursing job isn't quite meeting my daily needs, I will do it. I will do it because I want to be me, the best me I can in my life because I have just one life. Yes, I'll be a nurse, because I love it. But I burns me to have someone dictate how I will spend 30,000-80,000 dollars on another diploma just because they said so. So I agree with you both entirely. My article is all butterflies and rainbows. Why? Because that's what I want. That's what I expect. I WANT us to be able to do what we want, what truly drives us. But it's hard when orders trickle down from above dictating our lives. I'm not saying be anarchist towards management and education.. But I am asking everyone to evaluate their life and determine what is important to them, and if they are willing to give up time and money for something they believe in. Because you're right.. That's what education is, time and money. So, when it comes to me. I believe in doing what I love, and therefore money will find it's way when it comes to getting experience in what I want and need.I believe in Paul Coehlo's philosophy that when you go full-throttle into the world and you are fighting to claim your dreams that the "universe conspires" to help you obtain that goal. Serial optimist? Absolutely!Butterflies and rainbows? Unicorns and Maria with the Von Trap family? You got it!It's time for nurses to be happier in their work and for their passion to fuel their lives. It will burn all of our souls out to just do what we need to get by. That's a tough life. I am sure we've all had a taste of it.Xx Thanks for the great reviews so far all. I hope this lends some more explanation to the above. XxHappy Reading!
Thanks for your article. I'm an optimist (and dreamer) too. So, yes I believe in doing what works for me and never settling (at least never long term) for something I really don't want. We only have one life, after all. However, unfortunately, to reach my dream, it's meant a lot of sacrifice (moving far away to a very rural area where I know absolutely no one) to advance my career and hopefully have opportunities in the future that simply aren't open to me now. I always say there's no price to achieving your dreams and being happy, whatever that means for you. Thanks again for your article!