Masters in Healthcare Admin or certificate?? Any ideas or suggestions??

[bsinsc]

Thanks for all of the replies. This helps me to put it all into perspective. Marianne hit the nail on the head! I got out of the healthcare field in 2003 becuse I couldn't stand working in the office with so many nasty, angry ppl.(not the patients-but coworkers). It was truly miserable. I took some time off from the field to raise a child w special needs. He is now in middle school and doing much better. I honestly never thought I would go back into healthcare b/c I was making a living elsewhere, but I knew I had it fall back on. Since being in the healthcare field, I've owned 2 small businesses and I've been doing some real estate investing-flipping. I also worked for a non-profit doing outreach and case mgmnt. Unfortunately, my last biz failed during the economic downturn 2 years ago. The non-profit I worked for has been cut to the bare bones, so no job there. Now I find myself trying make a living with what education I have and cannot do it!

So, the only job I can seem to land now is from my cert. medical asst. credential. Unfortunately, it pays crap. I have 7 years of experience in this field, but none recent other than my 50 ceu's to recertify last year. I've been offered less $ in that field than I made 10 years ago! Yes, I can go teach medical assisting, but have no experience doing this and don't know if this could be any kind of fit for me.

I have tried and tried to find a nursing school to get into w no luck. All are full and are taking app's for 2 years from now. This has been the story of my life here. Somehow the RN has eluded forever. That's how I ended up w the CMA credential when I was waiting to get in an RN program 17 years ago. Long story, but at the time CMA's were making almost as much money as RN's here. Not the case now. We do the same work as LPN's, so there's no benefit of getting an LPN other than bridging to RN but that would take too much time and $ to make it worthwhile. There is no CMA to RN bridge anywhere. I would have to start from scratch if I get in. I feel like this door is closed for me.

So, I am trying to put together something. Maybe the masters isn't the way to go and maybe I am grasping at straws. I thought maybe some sort of masters or certificate might blend everything I already have together. I am 41 yrs. old w responsibilites and just cannot take any entry level job. I cannot survive on that. I had hoped that by getting the BA (along with having clinical experience) I would get a job doing pharm sales, but that field has been cut big time. My cousin is a big whig in a pharm co and even he cannot help me w a job since he just laid off half of his staff.

I am open to any suggestions. Thanks so much!

BA and AA-General Studies TESC 2012
AS-Liberal Arts- Excelsior 1999
Certified Medical Assistant- 1996 (recertified 2012)
Nationally Certified Guardian-2012
Victim Advocate-2009
Master Gardener-2002
Ekg Technician-Trident Tech-1995
Certified Nurse Aide-Trident Tech-1994