Back to school for nursing with a degree already

[PUZZLEPIECES]

I already have a bachelor's degree, in chemistry. I worked so hard to get it, studied a lot, gave up my social life etc., but I graduated in 2009, and have yet to get a job with it. I have done everything: unemployment office, online searchs, sending out resumes, asking people if they know of any openings and still nothing. At this point, I'm scared that my few references from school will have forgotten about me, the university I went to had 30,000 students, and honestly even though I worked so hard I had a difficult time and my grades did not reflect my effort and I don't know basically I just went to college the first time to make my parents happy, but it wasn't what I wanted.

So I went back to my local community college, this time because I wanted to. I took my anatomy classes, and I got into the fall nursing program. I'm excited/scared. I took a course similar to a CNA one to try to ensure that I would really like nursing, but the one semester I took it they didn't do clinicals, we used mannequins, so I still don't know. Does anybody already have a bachelor's degree but went back for their ADN? Where you able to find a job in nursing? Are you happy with the decision you made?

[ddunnrn]

My experience was somewhat siimilar. I got a BS in Chemistry, and graduated Cum Laude (only a lousy .09 points away from Magna Cum Laude :) ) but I was a pre-med student. I applied to all of the med schools in my area, but did not get in--I was not one of the typical "good old boys" of the time (mid '70's), and apparently did not have the personality tye they were looking for. I then went to graduate school for pharmaceutical chemistry, but had to leave for family reasons before I finished my MS.

I worked a couple of different jobs before I decided to go to nursing school. I worked as a nurses' aide in a nursing home, and as a home health aide, both of which helped me realize that I could handle blood, p*ss, sh*t, and death, as well as work within the healthcare sphere. (one of the major things they don't teach you about in nursing school is the kind of interpersonal work issues you will have to deal with in the various nursing work environments). These experiences were invaluable, because I already had experience in bed-making, vital signs, ADL-assistance, etc. when I got to nursing school. I got the reputation in school for being a real brainiac because I was able to apply my scientific experience to the nursing classwork, and I did very well in school. In fact it was a real breeze.

Your experience and knowledge will help you greatly, but you will come to find out that nursing is struggling to become a Science--the academics are so focused on recognition, political correctness, and jargon, that I think they lose the main goal of being healers, and advocates for their clientele first. Having a background in science you realize the importance of accuracy and precision in terminology, but you also get to know when things are "fudged" to sound important and/or scientific when they are really not. I remember when I was a nurses aide, and the charge nurse would announce "It's time to distribute the nourishments to the patients!" when what she meant was "It's snack time". Why use a one-syllable easily understood word, when you can use a 3-syllable word to sound more important. Nursing is full of silly jargon, but I don't have time to discuss them all. Just realize that your bullsh*t meter will be active and much more accurate given your science background.

Well enough babbling for now. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.

Dave Dunn, BS (Chem.), RN

[Pamela A., LVN]

Good luck with nursing school. Work hard and make sure you pass every semester. I failed the last semester and was not allowed readmittance in spite of what the handbook said, and what you would expect from a community college whose mission is to educate the general public. I challenged the LVN board and got my license, but I live in California and the job market is horrible.

[PUZZLEPIECES]

Thanks Dave, that makes me feel much better, to know someone else has been in my shoes and came out on the other side okay. I really appreciate the offer, and may take you up on it...Thank you so much again.