Advice needed about changing majors... I feel like I've made a mistake

[jss1985]

Im 34 with a family. I've been on healthcare for 11 years. Im currently a Med Assistant. My employer provides tuition assistance, but only for *one* degree.

I was pursuing nursing initially and i was on a roll at first, passing A&P, micro,psych,etc... The only thing i had left to do was take general chemistry, organic chemistry, and pass an entrance exam.

So when i went for the general chemistry, i was doing fine until i got to the equations then i started failing... I had no choice but to withdraw instead of receiving a D or F. On a side note, i was also dealing with my father's death and my wife's unemployment all at the same time, so i dont think that helped either.

I got really discouraged and ended up changing majors to Accounting, thinking i could probably transition to the business side of healthcare instead.

Its been 18 months now since i switched and my excitement has slowly vanished due to my transition being unsuccessful. Ive gotten a few interviews for internships, ended up not winning any of them, no interviews for entry level positions. I know its because of my 11 years in Patient care but i chose to ignore it and be optimistic... Boy do i feel like an idiot.

This led to me taking another look at nursing, wondering maybe i gave up too easily last time around. Honestly, accounting school work wasn't really that difficult, it was interesting and i dont mind the work, but at the same time i feel kind of attached to patient care for some strange reason i can't put my finger on. I've been doing this for a decade, I've never been in any field this long before.

Problem is im supposed to graduate next semester from accounting, June 2020. I have 5 classes left (2 in accounting and 3 in liberal arts electives). Again, this is my first degree, no money out of my pocket, its being mostly paid for.

Should I switch before i graduate or just finish my BA in accounting first since its only 1 more semester?

As for nursing school options, im looking at the following:

1. Stay at my current school for the BSN. Science prerequisites have *no expiration* at my school's BSN program. So i would basically pick up where i left off, pass the two chemistry classes and take the entrance exam.

2. Go to community college for the ASN. While they only need 1 chemistry, i would have to retake only A&P 1 and 2 because this school has a 5 year expiration on sciences. I honestly don't care if i have to retake them, I'll do whatever it takes.

3. Go to an LPN school for 11 months. No prerequisites required. Just an GED-type entrance exam.

Im sorry for the long post but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

8 hours ago, jss1985 said:

But should i be concerned with not being eligible for financial aid or tuition assistance for nursing if i finish accounting first?

Talk to a financial aid person at your school. Best way to get the answer that's right for you

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

12 hours ago, jss1985 said:

But should i be concerned with not being eligible for financial aid or tuition assistance for nursing if i finish accounting first?

Are you for real? You have a FAMILY!!! Grow up! Get your accounting degree, get a decent job, and start providing a decent living for your family.

As has been discussed ad nauseum on this forum, there are inexpensive ways to get your RN. And if you are an accountant, you will be making enough money to save a decent amount and use it to get an RN in the future if you decide to do so.

You come across as someone who just wants to be a perpetual student and who can't finish what they start.

When new grads apply for jobs in any field, they get rejected, A LOT, unless they are just lucky or "know someone." When I was looking for my first NP job, I sent out HUNDREDS of resumes and applications, and interviewed dozens of times. Most of the time, I was rejected. I ended up with multiple offers because I persisted.

[popopopo]

20 hours ago, jss1985 said:

But should i be concerned with not being eligible for financial aid or tuition assistance for nursing if i finish accounting first?

No, still got financial aid with 1+ bachelor's. I still stand with what I said earlier, but looks like majority vote for you to finish your degree as a backup.

[srod79]

I keep getting comments from this thread in my email. I responded to your post before. I think at this point you need to do what you think is best for you. One thing I can say is that I am not an accountant nor have I gone to school to be one so I cannot say what you should or should not do as far as that degree is concerned. I am a Nurse Practitioner and have been a registered nurse for years and I do not regret not finishing the degree that I started in Psychology to do nursing. You need to figure out where your passion is, and go with that. I would also speak to someone who knows you as a person. This forum is based on experiences of people who do not even know you and some of the things that have been said to you is not appropriate. Sit down with your family, close friends, or your colleagues that you work with since you are already in the medical field and figure out what to do. I know you have to make a decision soon and I wish you the best.

[It'sYaGirlK, CNA, LPN]

I would say forget the accounting degree because once you have your bachelors degree you don’t get any more financial aide (that’s me assuming how you’ve paid nothing thus far) and go ahead and pick back off where you started and finish the BSN at your current school since they have no expiration date on your classes.. best of luck

[jss1985, ASN, RN]

I just thought I'd update this. So i am pretty certain, 95%, on finishing my BA in Accounting as a "back up" and then either 1) ASN then ASN-BSN or 2) Accelerated BSN.

#1 is the least complicated due to cost and work schedule. #2 may work if i get another PCT job that does 12 hr shifts vs 8 hr shifts.

My reason for going this route is because my family deserves the best opportunities possible. Going straight RN may get me wait listed or perhaps i dont score high enough on the entrance exam.

As anxious as i am to get back on the horse and kick chemistry and A&P's but this Spring, its risky and i have to put my family first...I've been working in psych for 9 years. Its dangerous, patients can get you in trouble. Ive been pretty careful but still... To spend another 3 years to get an RN degree without any back up while working there is risky.

With that said im kinda wondering if i should have went for health information mgmt instead of accounting lol. I sorta just came across this degree and sounds interesting. WGU has it and its accredited by CAHIIM. If i wanted i could just switch to that, complete it in 6 months with my transfer credits, for $3000 (before financial aid of course). Then i could sit for the RHIA exam.

Or i could just stay in accounting and finish in the same amount of time. I guess i figured Health info mgmt may suit someone like me with background in patient care(?).

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

11 hours ago, jss1985 said:

I just thought I'd update this. So i am pretty certain, 95%, on finishing my BA in Accounting as a "back up" and then either 1) ASN then ASN-BSN or 2) Accelerated BSN.

#1 is the least complicated due to cost and work schedule. #2 may work if i get another PCT job that does 12 hr shifts vs 8 hr shifts.

My reason for going this route is because my family deserves the best opportunities possible. Going straight RN may get me wait listed or perhaps i dont score high enough on the entrance exam.

As anxious as i am to get back on the horse and kick chemistry and A&P's but this Spring, its risky and i have to put my family first...I've been working in psych for 9 years. Its dangerous, patients can get you in trouble. Ive been pretty careful but still... To spend another 3 years to get an RN degree without any back up while working there is risky.

With that said im kinda wondering if i should have went for health information mgmt instead of accounting lol. I sorta just came across this degree and sounds interesting. WGU has it and its accredited by CAHIIM. If i wanted i could just switch to that, complete it in 6 months with my transfer credits, for $3000 (before financial aid of course). Then i could sit for the RHIA exam.

Or i could just stay in accounting and finish in the same amount of time. I guess i figured Health info mgmt may suit someone like me with background in patient care(?).

Check the market for that HIM job. It is oversaturated almost everywhere. It sucks but almost every job like that, they want the degree + experience. Educate yourself before jumping. But I agree, finish that accounting so that you can have a decent job while going to school, then research your options

[jss1985, ASN, RN]

7 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Check the market for that HIM job. It is oversaturated almost everywhere. It sucks but almost every job like that, they want the degree + experience. Educate yourself before jumping. But I agree, finish that accounting so that you can have a decent job while going to school, then research your options

Thanks. Is HIM really oversaturated? I tried searching on indeed for Health info mgmt and some related titles, results for my city varied between 50-175 results. Of course this is without filtering experience level (entry, mid, etc) which would lower the numbers. If i type in nursing or accounting, results are in the hundreds to thousands.