Reassessing.

[pyrric]

I just finished my second term at Frontier Nursing University, enrolled in a Master of Science in Nursing program with the intention of becoming a certified nurse-midwife and women's health nurse practitioner. I did well both terms. I met great people at the orientation session back in late February, and took a brief trip to Philly in June to

Comments

[sagefemme11]

I cannot speak for anywhere else, but at my institution, starting salary for an RN is roughly $75,000, for a CNM it's roughly $110,000. Both of us are in the nurses' union, so we all get the perks of O/T pay, shift differentials, and holiday O/T. Also, I work three 13 hour overnight shifts a week. Only. I am paid handsomely for those 39 hours a week, too. There are all sorts of scheduling arrangements one can make in either profession

[aphorisic]

I was going to be much more glib about it, but the hardassness of Ms. Femme11 is right on the money. I'd just echo that if you're happy with your current job, then why change? I think you need the break to clear your head and just see if you miss it.

Also: are you sorting out the whys and wherefores, or are you looking for permission to quit? Because it's totally cool to not follow a path that doesn't quite fit.

But the things you're talking about are the normal strains any serious grad student goes through. Hell, my wife is going through a rather easy do-it-yourself master's program, and it's still a time commitment.

So if you're doing this because you like the occasional baby catch and you wanted to expand on that, then of course the impositions on your lifestyle are going to rankle. But if this is a calling, if this is something you want to devote your life to in a deep and serious way? The impositions will pass.

BOOM. Call me Sophia cuz I'm full o'wisdom. WERD.

(BTW, I am thrilled that you're happy!!!)

[pyrric]

Ooooh. The sorting-out-vs-looking-for-permission question is a really good one. I do feel a little bit of shame (OK, maybe more than a little) about quitting things when I haven't seen them all the way through. I get all wrapped up in feeling like I'm being weak-willed and that I'm not living up to my potential or something. So maybe I am looking for someone to say, "Jen, you're already successful, and leaving midwifery school does not make you any less so. It's OK to change your mind."

The break so far has been delightful, and I haven't missed school at all. That, I think, tells me something. Meanwhile, work is still fantastic.

[brigid]

^this

[atalanta]

I have no professional advice obviously, but the way you wrote the post makes it sound as though you're already leaning one way (actually it sounds like a pretty clear choice from this post). But take this with a grain of salt, as I am feeling pretty rueful right now about the total lack of free time associated with my own career (even though it is also very rewarding). So, I value those moments of free time very highly.

[pyrric]

Yeah, I feel a bit like I was taking my free time and general enjoyment of day-to-day life for granted until I no longer had it, and suddenly I was all, "Hey, wait just a gosh darn minute here."

[_perihelion_]

"Holy crap, my parents sold their house and packed up all their stuff and moved to California!"

you are such the only child. ;-)

[pyrric]

:-P~

[emcicle]

nice to see/read you!!!

I think everything you said here makes a lot of sense. and if you are general content in where you are and what you are doing (and because there is no guarantee of how things will be in the future) I am inclined to believe that staying where you are and enjoying the life you have right now is a really good idea. and it's really nice to hear that your job is really fulfilling and allowing you to do many things you want to do (both in and out of work).

but that's just my $.02. :)

[panzerkunst]

I have nothing to add, since I don't know what a job that makes one happy feels like, just glad to read your writing again.