[TXNurse2B]

I'm considering a move from the Dallas area to Jonesboro for personal reasons. I've got family there and it would be a huge benefit to have them nearby to help when I enter nursing school. I've got a year of prereqs and core classes, and hope to enter nursing school in Fall of 07. I've been reading the other, somewhat old, messages regarding this area, but wondered if there is anyone who is in the area now and who could help me out with an idea of the job market there. I'd like to get in at a hospital or something to get a foot in the door for later, but have no training as a cna or anything. I'm pretty sure I'll take a dramatic pay cut moving from here to there, but cost of living is a lot lower too.

Also does anyone have any current experience with ASU's BSN program? I'd like to know, if I have all (or most) of the non-nursing courses out of the way could I work while doing the program? I've already got a chemistry degree, so shouldn't need too many non-nursing courses to graduate.

Enough questions for now. Any advice or thoughts are welcome.

[RazorbackRN]

Originally Posted by TXNurse2B

I'm considering a move from the Dallas area to Jonesboro for personal reasons. I've got family there and it would be a huge benefit to have them nearby to help when I enter nursing school. I've got a year of prereqs and core classes, and hope to enter nursing school in Fall of 07. I've been reading the other, somewhat old, messages regarding this area, but wondered if there is anyone who is in the area now and who could help me out with an idea of the job market there. I'd like to get in at a hospital or something to get a foot in the door for later, but have no training as a cna or anything. I'm pretty sure I'll take a dramatic pay cut moving from here to there, but cost of living is a lot lower too.

Also does anyone have any current experience with ASU's BSN program? I'd like to know, if I have all (or most) of the non-nursing courses out of the way could I work while doing the program? I've already got a chemistry degree, so shouldn't need too many non-nursing courses to graduate.

Enough questions for now. Any advice or thoughts are welcome.

Acutally the pay difference between Tx and AR isn't that dramatic, I don't believe. New grads around here are starting out about 18.00/hr, which I've heard is about what Tx is.

[TXNurse2B]

That's good to know. New grads here are said to make around 20, but that's not much of a diff with cost of living differences. I've got quite a ways to go before I get to that point, though.

Does anyone have any knowledge of a CNA training program in the Jonesboro area? I think that would be a good job to have while in nursing school, but can't seem to find any training programs online.

[richardjboro1]

several of the local nursing homes offer the CNA classes. Also, I"m in the program currently at ASU, so if you have questions, pm me or email me.
Good luck!

Richard

[RNlovesSTLCards]

I am an RN in Jonesboro and currently working on my BSN at ASU. I know that you can work at at least one of the local hospitals as a patient care tech after you finish the fundamentals class of nursing school. But you might consider working as a unit secretary instead because you wouldn't need that first semester of nursing school. It is also a great way to get to know the workings of the hospitals computer system and to get to know the nurses and docs. Just a suggestion.