Have master's degree, will work for food

There might be something to be said for playing by the rules, something at which I often fail. For instance, in my first year of university, I decided to take an upper level philosophy class. Even with the help of my friend and classmate Stephanie I was lost the entire semester (although did retain understanding of some of the concepts, which was useful in graduate school eight years later). I took the lower level classes in my final semester of uni and realized the error of my ways. But that hasn't stopped me from succeeding at making the same mistake twice.

I took the most direct way into nursing I could find: the entry-level master program. This is a relatively new concept in nursing education. One, I've realized, that hasn't quite made it to Colorado, which usually translates into curious and confused interview questions despite the explanation I offer in my cover letters. So, graduate level education was your mistake, you say? No, no, I assure all of those amassing copious amounts of debt for a string of letters after their names the education wasn't the mistake; it was my employment choices during and after that could prove to be my professional demise.

I had an interview at a local correctional facility during which the administrator told me she'd hire me, but she was afraid I'd be bored working as an RN when I'm trained to work as an NP. She used herself as an example of a person being happiest when she's met her professional goals. I appreciated her example... but where does that leave me?

That leaves me with my big principles and little income since I bucked nursing tradition and chose not to be a nursing assistant (moved to Colorado for a summer instead) then a floor nurse (hospitals make me nervous) thereby, in the eyes of nursing traditionalists, leaving me completely unprepared to work as a nurse practitioner (although I can make a good argument that one is not related to the other). So, if employers won't hire me to work as an RN or an NP has my disobedience to 200 years' worth of nuring 'rules' damned me right out of nursing?

Undetermined, but the application to be a sales associate at REI is completed and in the car. Although the discount on gear may very well negate the paycheck.