Afraid, Excited, Moving Forward

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Dec 31, 2014

Wow, meticulous planner! Good for you, sounds like an awesome plan. Why are you not going straight for your RN? Just curious, since that is your end goal. Don't let anyone derail you, especially at work. Maybe people who admire you are acting out and trying to bring you down because they don't have the moxy to do what you are doing. I work as a CNA in LTC, and while I have no desire to work in LTC as an RN (I graduate in May), working with the elderly has led me to consider home health or hospice. This from a diehard trauma RN wannabe. I'm 51 and still have plenty of energy to devote to nursing, so I'm excited to get started! Good luck!

MidLifeChg2Nursing · Jan 2, 2015

Why not go straight for RN? A couple of things:

Mainly, the deadline for the Aug 2015 RN program at the community colleges is Feb 2015, and I don't have one of the pre-requisites yet, and I didn't want to wait another year to get started, although going this route will take a year longer - LPN is 1.5 years, LPN-to-ADN is 1 year, but have to wait a semester to begin (finish LPN Dec 2016; ADN always start in Aug - .5 years later), which is 3 years total (but a total of 2.5 classroom years - no summer classes, and an "extra" semester of "overlap").

The way I see it, I can wait a year and chance not even getting in, or I can start right away, have a little "overlap" of course content, and get nursing experience before achieving RN. Either way it will take an extra year - at the beginning with no nursing courses, clinicals, experience; or, at the end working as an LPN getting nursing experience in the courses and clinicals already taken by that point.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jan 2, 2015

But do you realize that the ER patients are going to be much more frustrating than LTC patients? I'm just throwing that out there. I did my clinical rotation in LTC facility this last semester. Yes, pretty much every one had some type of dementia, and they don't remember who you are an hour later, or remember what you did for them, but making them comfortable and letting them maintain a small amount of dignity is a huge thing. Huge.

Also realize that it may take a while to get into an ER if you are in a saturated area of the country. Most new grad nurses will start on a med/surg floor. It's kind of starting at the bottom and working your way up. And LPN's generally work in LTC. So I'm wondering why you are even getting it if that's not where you want to be. Are you going to work while you have your LPN license? I know you said you want to start now, but it's going to take you a year longer, but if you apply to RN, you will wait an extra year. So the time balances out in the end but you want to spend the extra money? That's where you lose me.

I honestly don't think you have thought this through well enough and I agree on the mid-life crisis. I'm not trying to be mean or negative, but you are just jumping in to this and it seems to me taking a bunch of extra classes you don't need and spending a boat load of money you don't need to. Have you spoken to an advisor? That's what I would do. You have a kid in high school and college and that isn't cheap. And your wife is going to get a second job? I'm sorry, but you don't like dealing with people being a CNA. How are you going to deal with these people as an ER nurse. It's not all trauma patients. You will be dealing with sniffles from kids, people coming from the nursing home who have gotten pneumonia, drug seekers, homeless people, people who come to the ER for every little thing. In my town, people with no insurance or Medicaid get sent to the ER. So, I hope you are ready for that.

MidLifeChg2Nursing · Jan 6, 2015

At [COLOR=#003366]Heathermaizey.

I get the mid-life crisis thing all the time; but, even hear in Allnurses, there are those who successfully transitioned into nursing in their forties, and they all warned of the mid-life-crisis-sayers.

I didn't say I don't like dealing with people, that's way too general a statement; it WOULD be absolutely ridiculous to go nursing. You pointed out one of the reasons I DO want to go ER - the variety of people and health issues; it's not all trauma as you say, but the wing I'm on is nearly all old dementia residents, everyday, same exact routine on same exact schedule.

There are "moments" I've had with residents that I got that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing I made someone feel a lot better. One older woman in her "right mind" was in pain and couldn't get any more medicine until some time later (RN gave her medication earlier); I took about 20 minutes past dinner to help feed her, telling her to hold and squeeze my hand, patting her forehead with damp cool washcloth. Later that night she made it a point to tell the charge nurse that I was very pleasant and helpful.

One older gentleman who is in his "right mind" and usually independent and continent wasn't feeling well this particular night and had diarrhea, not at all able to control his bowels. You could tell he was embarrassed and tried to be independent; I told him let me help you, you're not well, it's okay, that's why I'm here. He let his guard down and let me help him, checking on him every 15 minutes, offering him crushed ice, rubbing him down with lotion.

I never said I didn't like dealing with people, please quote me where I said that; re-read my original. What I said was LTC and particularly older dementia was not me; I'm not trying to imply I don't like older dementia people.

Think of it this way: everybody knows the scene of a pre-school teacher trying to take control of an out of control class, kids getting into things they shouldn't, all the yelling and screaming, the banging on objects. Now let's say you have a student teacher interning in said classroom, and decides that pre-school is not the level she wants to teach. It doesn't mean she doesn't like toddlers, it doesn't mean she wants to quit teaching. She would like to teach at the middle school level; yes, it comes with it's own different set of challenges, but that's where she would love to be.

MidLifeChg2Nursing · Jan 6, 2015

At Heathermaizey:

Also, I did not say I have a son in college; again, re-read - a have a son who just started high school, and another who will start high school next year.

I hope your reading skills are much better in your nursing classes.

I also said I have enough saved up for 1.5 years, the exact amount of time to complete LPN program. The average LPN salary in LTC where I live according to www.salary.com is $49K - wife won't need to work a 2nd job, but you always plan for the worse.

If she did need to work a 2nd job, it would be temporary, let's say a year or even 2 years, it's called sacrifice, support, life - it's not unheard of for people to work a 2nd job or overtime to get ahead. You sound young.