anyone else changing careers to go into nursing?

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Hi everyone!

Is anyone else here totally changing careers to go to nursing school? I guess I'm looking for a little encouragement that it's OK for me to want to get out of the corporate/business world that I HATE and go into nursing!

What are your thoughts and reasons? Here's a little about me -- I have a degree in Advertising and I've been in the business world for almost 5 years now. I just have no interest in business-related things, and I have no desire to climb the proverbial corporate ladder. To me, nursing seems like something totally different from that. I can't say I've had a passion for it my whole life, like some people can. It only just occurred to me about 6 months ago. But I just want something different -- I HATE sitting at a computer and being bored out of my mind for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week!!

Anyone else in a similar situation?

amy :)

as a single mother of two children 15 years ago I was just as excited as all of you to be starting a new career as a registered nuse. Now 15 years later I can say it was a great decision from a financial standpoint and I do love nursing but I was not prepared for the poor way that nurses treat each other and when you couple this with the extraordinary demands of nursing, it makes it a difficult profession to stay in. Just remember there is a reason why there is a nursing shortage,many of the people I graduated with are no longer in the profession now. :uhoh21:

Can you please tell me how you did it. I am also a single mother of 2 children and am worried. DId you have alot of support and help. I dont know how i will be able to go school full time when accepted in nursing school, work part time study and take care of 2 children. I like to heaar how others did it, at least i know it can be done.

Can you please tell me how you did it. I am also a single mother of 2 children and am worried. DId you have alot of support and help. I dont know how i will be able to go school full time when accepted in nursing school, work part time study and take care of 2 children. I like to heaar how others did it, at least i know it can be done.

I started taking the prerequisites while still married,once I was in the nursing program my husband left(for reasons other than my going to school)I ended up going for financial aid (welfare) and found out that I could work partime and this would not affect my state aid.I had a good friend that I had met in one of my classes,her family helped me with babysitting my kids when needed. My family lives out of state so they were not able to help me as often. I studied with my friend and did pretty well,but it was hard--I had to go to court for my divorce frequently.My advice to you would be to continue with your plans to go to nursing school,apply for scholarships immediately-you would be surprised how many you qualify for,talk to the nurse recruiter at local hospitals to find out what they have to offer,enlist your friends & family to help with childcare.You already know it's not going to be easy!

Specializes in DDA / LTC / Oncology.
Hi everyone!

Is anyone else here totally changing careers to go to nursing school? I guess I'm looking for a little encouragement that it's OK for me to want to get out of the corporate/business world that I HATE and go into nursing!

What are your thoughts and reasons? Here's a little about me -- I have a degree in Advertising and I've been in the business world for almost 5 years now. I just have no interest in business-related things, and I have no desire to climb the proverbial corporate ladder. To me, nursing seems like something totally different from that. I can't say I've had a passion for it my whole life, like some people can. It only just occurred to me about 6 months ago. But I just want something different -- I HATE sitting at a computer and being bored out of my mind for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week!!

Anyone else in a similar situation?

amy :)

Amy let me just say that nursing is BIGGGG business and you will find that regardless of the size of the facility economics are a major part of your nursing 'day' !

You will have some extremely rewarding experiences but they will definitely be sprinkled heavily with the 'business' of nursing!

If nursing is your desire go on and pursue your nursing degree but understand clearly that there is no escaping business and economy!

My best to you !

Amy, I came to US with a BS in Geology. The first thing I did here in the US was to volunteer in a public hospital. I liked. Later I got a position in data entry (computers) in the same hospital. It has nothing to do with nursing but the hospital pays tuition/books/uniform to any employee that wants to go for a RN degree. So I jumped in. Now I am in my last semester and, since they paid my tuition for 2 years, I will work for them for two years as a RN.

I've been a nanny, stay at home wife/mom, medical transcriptionist for 5 years and now on to nursing! :)

hey amy, thanks for the great thread cuz i am in the same boat!

i have a bs in marketing and am just unhappy, i've always wanted to do nursing but always went the business route in school. i'm torn between the adn route and bsn route. still paying off first bs, do i really want to be in debt more? :crying2:

just doing pre-reqs at a comm college right now but really excited! :)

good luck to all of us!!

Specializes in SRNA.

just remember - you only live once. nursing might leave you unhappy or you might be happy. who knows? you know you're unhappy in marketing, so i say go for it!

hmmm .... i'm not sure that made any sense, but i think you get the idea. :)

-s

hey amy, thanks for the great thread cuz i am in the same boat!

i have a bs in marketing and am just unhappy, i've always wanted to do nursing but always went the business route in school. i'm torn between the adn route and bsn route. still paying off first bs, do i really want to be in debt more? :crying2:

just doing pre-reqs at a comm college right now but really excited! :)

good luck to all of us!!

I've been in administrative type jobs all my life and one day while working in HR in a hospital I came up with the brilliant idea to try nursing. I'm working on my pre-reqs now.

Hi-

I'm new here. I've also changed careers to go into nursing. i used to be a phys. ed. teacher at an elementary school in california. I'm not actually in nursing school yet, but I do look forward to applying. I had a question about going to school. Does anyone find it difficult to be in nursing school while trying to hold down a job at the sametime? I need to work or else I'll be kicked out of my Apartment. But, I'm also dying to go to nursing school. Is it possible to do both? Some people have said it's not because most nursing programs are very intense and take up most of your time.

If anyone has any advice I'm ready for it. Thanks, John

Specializes in ER, ICU, Cardiac, Med-Surg.

I am in my 3rd semester of a 4 semester program. Our instructors suggest that we work as few hours as possible. Last year I worked about 20 hours a week. (Before this I worked full time at a nonprofit youth agency) I switched jobs this summer and now work as a nurses aide 2 shifts a week - 16 hours. At this time this is manageable, but I wouldn't want to take on more if I didn't absolutely have to. I also have 2 teenagers along with their various activities. Nursing school is not like regular college classes. There is a lot of outside the classroom time spent practicing, reading, planning. There are clinical experiences as well. Each program is unique, of course. I would research the program you choose and find out what is suggested. Also, try to save as much money as you can and cut your expenses so you could work a very minimal number of hours. It is a short amount of time and well worth some sacrificing.

Hi-

I'm new here. I've also changed careers to go into nursing. i used to be a phys. ed. teacher at an elementary school in california. I'm not actually in nursing school yet, but I do look forward to applying. I had a question about going to school. Does anyone find it difficult to be in nursing school while trying to hold down a job at the sametime? I need to work or else I'll be kicked out of my Apartment. But, I'm also dying to go to nursing school. Is it possible to do both? Some people have said it's not because most nursing programs are very intense and take up most of your time.

If anyone has any advice I'm ready for it. Thanks, John

[John, I'm finishing my pre-reqs now and I hope to enter nursing school by next fall. Working full-time is probably not doable. I thought about working too, but most nursing classes are in the day time so a day job would not work for you.

Amy,

You completely took the exact words out of my mouth. I have a degree in MArketing/Advertising and worked in the field for almost 2 years, before i decided i just couldn't take in anymore. I, like you, had no desire to work my way up the corporate ladder to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life. I knew that a more fulfilling and satisfying job was what i needed. I had always wanted to go into medicine, but never did. So now i'm going back. I just got accepted into the program and will start clinicals in January.

So, YES...to make you feel better, you are not the only one. I wanted to make a difference in life, not sit at a desk and eat junk all day. :) Good luck to you....you are making a great decision.

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