Being a male nurse?

trutuyu · May 22, 2012

You have to follow your dreams. If you don't you'll regret it for the rest of your life. I too got sucked into another career and then left and worked while I went to school. Nursing school was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done but it was all worth it in the end. Good Luck.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 22, 2012

first of all let me congratulated you for having the desire to further your education. reading between the lines tells me that you have what i call the will power to over come whatever obstacle you might confront. besides that, no it's never too late to reach your set goals, just make sure that you have a decent gpa this gives you an advantage. unquestionably, the pre-reqs are most definitely a way to set yourself apart from the rest. in addition make sure you score high enough in the nursing entrance exam this will definitely place you in front of the line, don't take anything for granted. needless to say, sit with a nursing career adviser in your school of choice, and make sure that he/she answers all of your concerns. lastly, don't let anyone misguide or try to tell you any different about your choice in becoming a ed nurse, do it for yourself not for anyone else...wishing you the very best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

Rook · May 22, 2012

As a member of the Class of 2011 I'm going to assume that you are 20-21 years old. Well, I got news for ya fella, those "some people" are right. Once you hit drinking age then there is no going back from those life choices that you made all of 12 months ago. Who's going to hire an over the hill 25 year old new grad RN?

Obviously I'm kidding and I also graduated with a BSN at 35. Since the ecomony tanked Nursing schools are hypercompetive (even in Community colleges - too many students not enough professors) so get good grades and the firefighter exp doesn't hurt.

Paramedics, not sure though, its a tough job and IMO would be a fun rewarding job. However the only paramedics who make living wages are the ones who work as employees of big cities. Getting in with the city govt probably isn't easy with budget cuts/recession etc.

orlan · May 22, 2012

Hello. I just turned 24. I really want to become a nurse but i have no idea on whats the first step in becoming one. Can anyone help me in giving step by step on what classes to take. I am from Delano, a small town in California.

JLaubach93 · May 22, 2012

Well thank you to all who responded, the advice was great and its nice to hear from people who have come to the same decisions in their life. I held A's and B's in school but never had a lot of science courses which is my only fear as far as pre reqs and just overall knowledge needed... but all i can do is try!

Thanks again

Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN · May 23, 2012

First of all, NICE bruiser you're holding in your profile pic!

So, you're a relatively recent HS grad and it's 'too late' to think about a career in nursing? Don't spend another moment on that thought. It's VERY common for folks to be twice your age to start nursing. A's and B's (so let's say 3.5 GPA) would be enough to get you looked at by a school.

JLaubach93 · May 23, 2012

Glad you liked that picture lol But yeah I believe my high school transcript showed about a 3.3 GPA average. Sometimes it was higher, some a little lower, but not horrible. My biggest thing is that being in firefighting the thrill of EMS/Paramedic always excited me, however I feel that nursing is a much more stable career path to follow. So before i go on to the next choice, I'm trying to see more specifically which path to follow

watersamy · May 23, 2012

Well Josh, when I graduated last year we had a gentleman in our class that was 54 year sold. It was a second career for him. If he can do it, you can. Its never too late.

midlife101 · May 24, 2012

Josh,

I don't think I understand. You graduated high school about a year ago and somebody is telling you it's "too late" to start down the path to becoming an RN? Did I read that right?

Holy crap. I guess I'm screwed. I'm 47, a single parent of 2 girls and just finished my first semester of prerequisites. I too took a different path in a prior life and have spent 30 years either in the military or as a government contractor, doing contract work for the military. Now, it's time to be an RN. And after that long pursuing the almighty paycheck, I can tell you, without hesitation, that I feel better with every step I take away from that previous life.

Regarding one of your follow-up posts, "... but all i can do is try!". (In my very best Yoda voice) NO! Do or do not. There is no TRY.

Go for it!

Sam

JLaubach93 · May 24, 2012

Sam, and to others who said similar, its nice to know and hear people say its never too late and to show me that my situation is far easier to make than others have gone through. My problem is i am a overly motivated person who takes on any tasks for any good reason. And now thats its come to the real world and deciding what i want to do, its a much harder and painstaking process. I settled for welding because of high school and i was good at it. Never though i was smart enough for a medical career. But im realizing now that despite the nay sayers, i am. I fell in love with emergency services being a firefighter and that lead me to look into full time firefighting and emt. However Im coming to realize I can still help and save and make a difference being a nurse and struggling through school and the nay sayers to do this. And still do volunteer firefighting as my passion on my own time. Thank you all for your stories and advice, and as sam said, no more trying, time to act, time to do!

nurse2033, MSN, RN · May 24, 2012

Who tells you it is too late? Are you terminally ill? You have at least the next sixty years to do whatever you want. Depending on what state you live in, you don't need a degree to be a paramedic. You need to start by getting EMT experience though. EMT is a short course that you can take part time. Paramedic school is considerably longer, but shorter than college. Or just start working on nursing school. I've been all three (EMT, medic, RN) and it was a good progression for me. It sounds like you have a good marketable skill with welding and you can use that to pay your way through school. RN by far, will give you a life long career with good chances for a huge variety of work settings and advancement. Being a paramedic is hard, and an awesome challenging job, but doesn't have the plethora of opportunities when you get older. I say follow your interest. Good luck!