advice on getting into an accelerated program??

[hushpupgrl]

hello. i have a quick question about getting into an accelerated nursing program. i graduated from college in december of 2006 with an accounting degree. however, i graduated HS in 2000 and due to some circumstances i had to transfer schools and thus it took me longer to get my degree. at first i really liked my accounting classes, however, after i got into my upper level classes and did an accounting internship, i realized that i really don't enjoy accounting. last year i studied abroad in china and while i was there i lived with some chinese nurses. through that experience and my past interests in nursing, i have contimplated purusing a 2nd degree in nursing. my question is concerning whether or not i should work in accounting for a few years and then puruse nursing? would it look better on my application if i had 2 or 3 years working for an accounting firm? i have had summer jobs, and an accounting internship, and study abroad time. i'm currently working, but not for an accounting firm. anyway, if i do decide to apply for an accelerated program, i have a bunch of prerequiste classes to take since i didn't major in science. i have an opportunity to take a job with a major accounting firm, but i don't know if i can do this and take all my prerequiste classes at the same time. that is why i wanted to keep my current job and take classes at the same time. then i would be able to apply to nursing school sooner.

any opinions would be helpful.

thanks

[Bill E. Rubin]

I'm in an accelerated 2nd BSN program (Curry College) at age 45, with 20 years of software engineering experience. There are others my age and older there from a variety of backgrounds. There are students there who are 23 who have little experience after getting their BS in another field.

You can do your prereqs as you work at another job ... it took me three semesters to get them all done while working around the time as a software consultant. Some community colleges may offer them at night. Some places may offer all of the prereqs in a lump sum (Mass. General Institute of Health Professions, for example has a "science summer" where some courses are offered online and some in school). These can be more expensive than if you just take them at a local community college, plus it's pretty much a full-time endeavor if you do it that way.

So the take home is, if you don't like accounting and are drawn to nursing, why wait?

Hope this helps.