Sunday, February 1, 2015
The struggle is real...is it worth it?
As I sit here contemplating my future, I look at where I am right now and can only hope that my struggle to successfully complete my MSN degree is worth the time, effort, and money. I work full-time. My endeavor to complete school has been solely my desire. I am happy doing what I do...where I do it. No real incentive to increase my education except that's just me. I enjoy challenging myself. The government does not require it; my employer does not require it; simply something I felt like I wanted to accomplish, based on an uncertain future. A wife, mother, grandmother, and full-time nurse; I sit here and I can honestly say that the struggle to get through school is definitely real. Only time will tell if it is really worth it. Is it true that higher education improves patient care? Do nurses who have completed higher degrees find that it has made a difference? Are there nurses who are considering advancing, but are holding back? What are your reasons for waiting?
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I believe someone that pushes to better them self solely for the sake of being a better person is the true definition of a caring nurse. I am so proud of you, and honored to be your husband. I love you.
ReplyDeleteEric,
DeleteI agree, pursuing a higher education solely for improving oneself, definitely improves patient care and shows a nurse that cares.
I think this is a great blog and such an important topic to talk about! As we are all working towards our upper level degree it allows us to be able to relate to our peers whom might be struggling as well. I absolutely think it is worth it as I just personally keep looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for creating a blog about this topic!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
DeleteI agree, this has been a struggle to juggle all the responsiblities. The blog is a great spot to vent and share those feelings.
Sue Matson
I agree with you Sarah. I have had those same thoughts and ideas during my pursuit of higher education. One aspect that is even more daunting to me is that I used some student loans. Paying those back will no doubt be a little stressful.
DeleteSarah and Suzanne, thank you for your encouragement! It is hard to juggle everything sometimes, but I know that we will all be glad we fought through.
DeleteSarah,
DeleteI agree that one pursues a higher level education for their own personal satisfaction and really helps you relate to others struggles. I know that many of my peers come to me for advice on how to manage it all because they know I am at the end. I work full time, 5 days per week, and still manage it. So I can assure them that they can to. Great blog topic. Good luck.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteGreat topic for discussion. Many of us are going back to school for our positions. I can say that since I have started this journey of completing my BSN and now moving toward completing my masters, many of my co-workers and employees have been motivated to return to school. There is motivation to return to school but I also think there is a lot of fear to make that investment. It has changed the way I look at nursing and how I react to situations.
Thanks for the Blog!
Suzanne,
DeleteI assisted with an educational fair for nurses several years agoat my facility. I lined up representatives from the area and online universities. We had a great turnout. Many nurses wanting to return for BSN or MSN degrees.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI initially was hesitant to go back to school for an advanced degree due to the cost of tuition but then I ask myself am I pursuing my goals of personal growth and development. Am I coming up with excuses due to fear of advancing in my career? Then I thought I will never know what other opportunities are out there in nursing unless I try, and in the process I am becoming a better nurse. Thank you for discussing this topic!
Leticia
Letty,
DeleteI was feeling the same way. I had always wanted to obtain my Master's, but it had been so long since I had been in school, I just wasn't sure if I wanted to put myself through this stress again, and would it be worth it in the end. Well, I'm here and will graduate next year, so I'm just taking it one class at a time.
Mary,
DeleteI was also hesitant about returning to school because of the time and costs associated with it. I think I can only benefit from this experience and really look forward to seeing how my professional life with grow when I am finished with this program.
Julie
It is unreal how many--and what type--excuses I can come up with to procrastinate. I had to just jump in with both feet. Thank you for the encouragement and letting me know I am not alone!
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI believe many of us can relate with you on the struggle it takes with returning to school. This is my personal goal, one that I have set years ago and will complete this year. I enjoy my job and learning; so to me, it is worth it!
Melissa,
DeleteI too have returned to school for my personal goal. There are times that I get tired or wonder if I am neglecting more important duties, but I am motivated by my personal decision to do this for me!
Good luck in your the rest of your program!
Dawn
Kerawalla, Minocha, Kirkup and Conole (2008) presented an empirically grounded framework that could be used by students and/or educators for use of blogging to assist in the delivery of e-learning. Semi-structured interviews revealed six factors that influenced student’s blogging: perception of an audience; perception of community; the utility of comments; presentational style of blog content; technological context; and pedagogical context of the course. Blogging behaviors of students varied depending on how the perceived the aforementioned six factors. The framework presented asked multiple other guiding questions related to: audience, comments, community, and presentation (Kerwalla et al., 2008). Do you feel that a guiding framework would have been helpful in developing a blog?
ReplyDeleteGunelius (n. d.) stated that orange, although not often used, could evoke feelings of excitement and fun. Yellow has been shown to evoke feelings of positivity and warmth. White has been shown to evoke a sense of purity and cleanliness. Do you feel that your choice of color reflected the meaning of the content?
I enjoyed reading your blog and could definitely relate to the content of it. I do not feel that the color scheme matched the message of the blog, at least not for me. Color is one of the hardest things to critique, in my opinion, because it is so subjective. I think you did a great job.
References
Gunelius, S. (n. d.). The meanings of colors matter in web design. Retrieved from weblogs.about.com/od/blogdesign/tp/How-Color-Psychology-Affects-Blog-Design.htm
Kerawalla, L., Minocha, S., Kirkup, G., & Conole, G. (2009). An empirically grounded framework to guide blogging in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(1), 31-42. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2008.00286.x
Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou are expressing many of the concerns that I have. I too am advancing my degree because I want to. The of Education position at my facility does not require a BSN. I have several peers that are pursuing their degree to work as a Nurse Practicioner, but I am the only one pursuing the education route. People definitely understand their choice, but not so much mine. I often get asked why? Will I make more money? Couldn't I pursue some type of certificate? Will I continue to work at the hospital? I believe the lack of support is one reason we do not see nurses pursue an advanced degree. I have a supportive husband as you obviously do! His support is bridging the gap for me!
Dawn
Dawn, I feel fortunate to work in a very supportive environment. My job does not reimburse much for going back to school, but they do encourage it. I receive e-mails weekly about different schools that will be on the hospital campus, or discounts that they are offering to hospital employees. I have yet to receive a puzzled look when I tell someone that I am going for my masters in nursing education. It is interesting even, I have received more comments about how much less I would make as a NP due to the cost of schooling and insurance I would need to purchase. Many say "Yeah, its not worth it to become an NP, teaching is the way to go." Hopefully more people will adopt a supportive attitude towards anyone furthering their education, no matter the topic. Keep up the good work, were almost there!
DeleteI detest all those questions because I feel like I just don't have the answer everyone is looking for. When I am asked what am I going to do after I graduate, I just have to tell the truth...nothing different. I just want to be a better nurse and preceptor. We get a lot of students and I just want to help teach them better. It isn't for money or anything except enhancing what I currently do. I love being a nurse and I cannot wait to be done with this program!!
DeleteI am also working on my MSN-Education, and as a instructor, the joy you get from changing a students life is so great. Not to mention the fact that you are not only changing the life of a student but every patient that they take care of in their career. Good Luck on your goals.
DeleteMary,,
ReplyDeleteWow, my sentiments exactly. I ask myself, why am I torturing myself with going back to school? Ok, other than I have always seen myself walking down the aisle with my black cap and gown and this has been a personal goal of mine. But will this really enhance my career or income? I don't know. I do know, I love helping people and I am a teacher at heart. In fact, that is my nickname at work, "teacher". So like Dawn, people were confused when I changed my major from FNP to education. Why would I give up the financial rewards? Well, it is not about the money for me, but about doing something I love in the "second" half of my life. So to all the educators out there, thank you for your support.
Gayla,
DeleteMy sentiments exactly. I returned to school after a hospital lay off of my Director position. I knew it was time I had put off getting my BSN long enough. I did really well in the BSN program, developed a love for learning, researching, and writing. Originally I was in the Leadership track but after finding out about the education MSN, I transferred. Even though it is longer and harder I think the path is right for me. No, I will not make more money after obtaining my MSNed but it will allow me to pursue my passion of mentoring and leading others.
Good luck to all who strive to better themselves, never give up!
Gayla,
DeleteMy sentiments exactly. I returned to school after a hospital lay off of my Director position. I knew it was time I had put off getting my BSN long enough. I did really well in the BSN program, developed a love for learning, researching, and writing. Originally I was in the Leadership track but after finding out about the education MSN, I transferred. Even though it is longer and harder I think the path is right for me. No, I will not make more money after obtaining my MSNed but it will allow me to pursue my passion of mentoring and leading others.
Good luck to all who strive to better themselves, never give up!
MY RN-BSN, and my current MSN journey have been worth every penny and every sweat stained second (although getting off work on Wednesday for the mandatory BB Collaborate sessions has been trying). Education is power. And how else would I have gotten the courage to institute a EBP change complete wit research project?
ReplyDeleteI am also completing a research project based on something I started in grad school, I was very surprised how much it in inspired me.
DeleteAlot of what you talk about in this post are my sentiments exactly. This was a degree that was required of no one but myself; I felt compelled to return to school in order to become an educator. I think this is a great cause to help with the growing nursing shortage; universities are limited in the number of qualified students they can accept each year because so few nurses are going back to school to become educators. Going back to school has led to my delving back into evidence based practice articles more-so than before; in this respect I believe it has helped to improve my patient care.
ReplyDeleteExactly. This MSN was required by none but myself. The RN-BSN degree, though not required, was very much encouraged by my employer. But it was still my decision. And I think it was an intelligent decision.
DeleteMary, I think that your struggle is already worth it because it is something that you wanted to do for yourself...not for other's reasons. Because you are not perusing higher education for more money or a better job, but for a sense of accomplishment and pride it has already proven worth it. Keep going and congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. The sense of actually accomplishing this is its own reward. It does get difficult late on a Sunday night when you are rushing to get the weekly assignments complete and you're already exhausted. Having a shiny new bonus or raise at the end would be wonderful, but counting the ways I have grown personally and professionally will always mean so much more.
DeleteYou pose some very interesting questions. For me, getting my MSN was always a part of the master plan. I never considered anything else. My intent was always to be in nursing education. Interestingly, I was promoted to my current job as staff educator despite not having the degree. Perhaps already being enrolled helped me get the job but I never considered not continuing with the education. My facility doesn't pay anything extra for furthering your education so the incentive is purely within myself. This type of blog could really be helpful to those that are struggling with either making a decision to attend or to stay when things get tough.
ReplyDeleteAs I am working to getting my advanced degree, I really am not 100% sure what I am going to do with it, but I know that working at a magnet recognized hospital. Master degrees are highly valued in positions of administration, so if I ever did want to take my career in that direction an advanced degree is a must.
ReplyDeleteI think we all struggle when deciding to go back to school, with all of the hard work and time that it takes. I know the driving force for me is to open up more opportunities in the future. As my vision continues to decline, my options for nursing are decreased. So if I want to continue to be a nurse, I need as many options available as possible, and I see education as a way of opening those doors.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to school while working and having a family is hard. As the years go by and my family life changes, its hard to imagine how I am going to finish the degree. I do feel that I am learning alot that can be applied to my job and that is what I tell my colleagues to encourage them to return to school.
ReplyDeleteI started on my MSN in 2010, but had to stop for a couple of years because I discovered my family needed me more than I needed my MSN. I would have been finished in 2013, but my family would have also suffered. I do encourage all of my co-workers to further their education.
DeleteI can't say that I would have gone back to school if I didn't want to be a nurse educator and the job didn't require it. I commend you for choosing to go back to school. It's definitely a challenge. It's hard for me to stay motivated sometimes even though it's for my job. The difficulty for me is simply the amount of time it takes and I don't have much energy left after working each week. There are of course many benefits to going back to school. My dad says "If it isn't difficult, it's probably not worth doing."
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your blog. I started my MSN as a challenge to myself, too. I wanted to further my education just because. I sometimes think about getting a PhD, but then I think about APA guidelines and how much they challenge me!
ReplyDeleteLeanne I also started my Masters as a personal goal and challenge. I really do enjoy school as I have two Bachelor's and am receiving my MSN. I also think about my PhD but I think it would have to be later on in my life. However at that point I wonder if I would want to really start back up in school? Ongoing internal debate!
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteIt is distinction getting a higher degree only if it just challenges you. Most of my colleagues in the emergency room do not want to even get their BSN because the feel they are too old or do not need the educations. They have an option at my hospital, either a BSN or higher, or be certified in a specialty by 2020. I know one hospital will not hire nurses without having a BSN. I am excited about getting my MSN/Ed because I work in our education department for the hospital, it is not required, but why not.
This is a great blog, as there are days I ask myself why am I doing this and should I just stop. But I've been pushing myself for myself and my family and I like the idea of a blog that reminds us all why we keep going everyday. This is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI can understand your feelings. I have often thought of them myself. I started my MSN program just before my first grandchild was born. After taking the first course she was here and I took the next year off. Boy how I wished that I would not have done so. Now that she is 2 1/2 I am so happy to be in my last course. There are so many things I have wanted to do but have had to put school first. So my advice to anyone out there wanting to obtain higher education, do it sooner rather than later. I am so happy to be getting my free time back ! Good luck to all.
-april
April,
DeleteWow your last class. I can only imagine the feeling. Good luck and congrats on finishing up!
Sharon
I can relate I ask myself weekly is all that I'm doing worth it? I contemplate on how the end results once my education is completed. I look at the various opportunities that I will have compared to this. The process of completing an education is just temporary.
ReplyDeleteI can relate I ask myself weekly is all that I'm doing worth it? I contemplate on how the end results once my education is completed. I look at the various opportunities that I will have compared to this. The process of completing an education is just temporary.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to what you are saying about school. I am not doing this for the money. I can not believe how much educators make when they are in such high demand. I have always wanted to be a teacher, even before I became a nurse. So far in grad school, I have never contemplated quitting until this class. It has been so hard for me to get into it. I think it is just the fear of not knowing. Stick to your plan, your desire to get an advanced degree. I think that an advanced degree will be more lucrative in the future due to Obamacare. I see nurses a being leaders in the the healthcare field. I am going to keep moving. I will get through this informatics class one week at a time.
Sharon
You ALL are so encouraging and have had some really great comments! Thank you. This is my last class before I begin the Practicum. I really appreciate everything you have to say. Knowing that we are in the same boat is actually reassuring. I knew this was something I had to do. Not everyone knows what they are called to do, but it is hard--even when you know it is what you are meant to do. Please keep posting...I hope that others will read and see that the struggle is real--but we all share common feelings. Good luck to all of you getting through whatever stage you are in! You've made it this far--and gone through too much to turn back. Whatever you strive to do, you are not alone. If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it!
ReplyDeleteI concur with others, our struggles had not gone unnoticed. Now that I am almost done with this program, I am amazed (and proud) to look around me and see colleagues enrolling in advanced degree programs...and others asking questions about it. Once I started thing about it, it took me two yeas to decide I wanted to pursue my MSN; I think eventually people would come around.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog.