Nursing Graduate Programs

A recent Yale School of Nursing study reports that although annual graduation from MSN programs has increased, nurses on the job complain of overwhelming workloads and "unacceptable communication patterns" between healthcare providers.

 

Perhaps you've heard of the U.S. nursing shortage? It's already severe, and one report published in 2009 found that it's projected to grow to 260,000 nurses by 2025. This is due to aging baby boomers, low nursing school enrollment, insufficient faculty and insufficient staffing on the job, which raises stress level and causes quick job burnout.

 

If you can get past the stress and politics, you might enjoy this challenging and rewarding field, as well as the hefty paycheck that accompanies it: nurses earn anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 annually. You're also pretty much guaranteed your pick of jobs.

 

 

A typical graduate nursing program runs 18-24 months, and candidates often begin with a bachelor's in Nursing. Once you're enrolled in your graduate program you can specialize in a variety of areas. A Nurse Practitioner has similar responsibilities as a physician but less schooling and no residency. A Clinical Nurse Specialist focuses on one particular health care specialty such as mental health, oncology or pediatrics. And a Nurse Anesthetist administers...you guessed it...anesthesia.

 

As always, it's best to round out your research with personal anecdotes from those in-the-know. A Yale School of Nursing study reports that one in four nurses leaves his or her first job within two years of starting - often because they haven't been prepared for the realities of the working conditions they encounter.

 

Read on for a no-holds-barred look at the field from three individuals who have pursued it as a career, one of whom chose to remain anonymous.

 

 

Carolyn Bernstein, who obtained her MSN at University of California San Francisco, states "I thought nursing would combine many of the aspects of medicine, holistic health and social work that I wanted in an education and career". Lynn Bodensteiner and Anonymous were initially interested in becoming midwives.

 

 

This question elicited a wide variety of replies. Bernstein says, "I love working with people around their health - to me one's health or struggle to regain it, is the foundation of how we operate and function in the world. There is an automatic intimacy in the relationship. I also love the flexibility I have in my career given the range of jobs for nurses out there." Bodensteiner graduated from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center's nursing doctorate program in 2001, and went back in 2006 to earn her NP in psychiatry. She enjoys the "autonomy in making clinical decisions and helping people solve problems".

 

Like any job, nursing has its drawbacks. Bodensteiner has difficulty with "the compensation for amount of responsibility. At times, it's also a thankless job, particularly in my specialty". Bernstein struggles with "the hierarchical structure that still exists - the "old boys club" that treats nurses secondary to physicians." Anonymous, who obtained an MSN at UCSF, echoes some of these sentiments, citing "stress, rushing around, intense pressure, so many patients and lack of respect" as some of the problematic aspects of this career.

 

 

"There is no one type of person that should be in nursing since nursing matches many different personalities," says Bernstein, "The ICU is a great match for the detail oriented while the ER is the best place for adrenaline junkies. Those with endless compassion will likely fit well in oncology or pediatrics, and there is even a place in research and education for those who don't like patient care." She cautions that "nursing is tough for those who don't want to pay their dues," referencing the unglamorous jobs of emptying bedpans and administering medication. Bodensteiner suggests a potential nurse should be "a caring and hard working person with a positive attitude." She warns those who are not team players and who are motivated by money, should find another career. Interestingly, Anonymous states that "good nurses are ones who aren't overly sensitive because they can handle the long hours and are able to witness patient suffering without experiencing job burnout. They are more linear thinkers. Sensitive types, non-linear thinkers and those who are creative should avoid it."

 

Although it's clear that anyone who can obtain an MSN is no dummy, each interviewee explained that lack of respect can be rampant in these settings. Some have an easier time letting it slide off their backs than others. Anonymous said "I hated it. Everyone in the medical system is in a hierarchy... doesn't matter if you're a MD, JD, PhD, you're still struggling to be on top. So then, if you're a nurse who's automatically not on top, you're just treated with condescension." Bernstein, who referenced this dynamic earlier, said "It is still alive and well, especially outside major cities. I used to be a little headstrong about asserting myself as a nurse. Now I actually don't mind deferring at times, and not having my judgment being the bottom line. It's an exercise in humility." And Bodensteiner reminds us that not all settings are identical: "I've been quite lucky thus far in that I haven't dealt too much with it. However, the biggest 'issue' is that many clinicians and other healthcare professionals are unaware of what we do and how beneficial an NP can be."

 

 

"Take an anatomy and physiology class, shadow a nurse, talk with a nurse you know about their work, visit a relative in the hospital and watch what nurses do," Bernstein suggests. Anonymous, who is no longer a nurse, advises "do what you love in nursing, and don't settle."