Career Change Advice

313RN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2010

I graduated from that program after spending 15 years in business with a wife and 3 y/o daughter at home. You're right, working probably isn't realistic. The program is demanding, rigorous and sometimes stressfull. You'll be in class or clincial 5 days a week for a minimum of 6-8 hours a day. Homework, studying and papers will suck up the other 2 days.

If your grades are good going in you should be able to keep them up. You might not four point, but a 3.6-3.9 should be achievalbe.

The program is costly. I used the No Worker Left Behind program, recieved tuition grants and a sizable scholarship and still have some hefty loans (and I'm typically debt averse, so taking these loans was not a decision made lightly).

Finding a job right now is tough, no matter what program you go into SDN, BSN or ABSN. It's really an issue about the overall economy. But it's probably better to be a new nurse in Detroit than it is to be a new auto engineer. BSNs I think are fareing a little better with jobs because employers have more applicants than open positions. Some managers like ABSN nurses and some don't. Some ADN nurses get upset when they hear you'll have a BSN in 12 months when it took them 4 years to get an ADN (including pre-reqs). You might have to remind them that your first bachelors took 4 or 5 years plus pre-reqs plus nursing school and all that adds up to close to 8 years, but that's another thread. Ultimately it's a crap shoot.

The biggest issue in my opninion is one of familial support. If your family knows that you're gong to become something of a stranger in the coming year and can deal with it then you're OK. If they can't it's going to be tough.

One thing to remember about any nursing program I think- Nurses are all regualr people with some specailized knowledge. Average Joe's and Janes enter and graduate from nursing schools, pass their boards and become safe and successful nurses. If they can do it, so can you.

Just hang in there and you'll be fine.

Good Luck.

UDMABSN · Feb 19, 2010

Thanks for the advice! Mostly, I am concerned about the finances. I know I can do the work and I have a ton of family support, but I am having a lot of anxiety about having close to $70,000 in loans when I graduate (including my business degree), especially when the posts that I read say that jobs are hard to come by and hospitals are not helping with student loans anymore. U of D's site says that nurses start out making $40,000 per year. Do you think that is accurate in MI? Are you struggling to pay your loans on your salary as a nurse? Was the ABSN worth the cost to you? Would you do it again?

313RN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2010

Thanks for the advice! Mostly, I am concerned about the finances. I know I can do the work and I have a ton of family support, but I am having a lot of anxiety about having close to $70,000 in loans when I graduate (including my business degree), especially when the posts that I read say that jobs are hard to come by and hospitals are not helping with student loans anymore. U of D's site says that nurses start out making $40,000 per year. Do you think that is accurate in MI? Are you struggling to pay your loans on your salary as a nurse? Was the ABSN worth the cost to you? Would you do it again?

The loans do indeed suck. The biggest issue that I see with them in the broad view is what they do to your options for getting a mortgage. From what I'm hearing banks are really tightening the screws. I already have a house and an affordable payment where I'm not underwater, but what I'm hearing is that banks are not considering the idea of you selling you a new loan if you have already have a mortgage. The higher the debt load, the worse it is. It's making trading up difficult.

Starting pay seems to be between $22 and $24 per hour, plus shift premiums which seem to run around 10%. The good news is that jobs are tight enough that most are for off shifts. I addition staffs are often short, so after orientation you end up with opportunity for overtime.

My loan payments are not oppressive, but we are slamming as much cash into them as possible in order to improve our debt ratios in anticipation of finding a larger house.

The ASBN was worth it to me because it was the shortest route to an RN license. Other programs would have taken 2 or more years to complete and we would not have been able to finance a protracted education.

Would I do it again? The short answer is yes. I was a B2B sales rep in a collapsing and increasingly comoditized market. If I hadn't quit I'd be looking for a job by now. Being an unemployed RN is better than being an unemployed anything else.

Good Luck with the program.

UDMABSN · Feb 19, 2010

Thanks for all your help!

gonzalezp · Feb 28, 2010

There are career choices. I left nursing after 25 years just could not take it anymore; I have done medical transcription for almost 9 years and now that is drying up. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, pay is miserable but gets me out of the clinical.

I was thinking of taking medical billing or even studying to be a gemologist.

Firehawk734 · Mar 1, 2010

Interesting post by the OP because I felt the same way. I'm currently an Engineer in the auto industry and feel absolutely no fulfillment from my job. I still have my job, and make more than I will as a nurse, but I'm pulling the plug and going back. I have 30k in loans now, the program ABSN at OU will put another 20k on that, but whatever. It's low interest loans. It sucks but it could be worse.

I would not be switching if there weren't a 1 year program to do so. I do not want to work in an industry I hate for another 35 years either. So, this is I think the smart decision for me. I set this path in place just before the economy crisis hit, and I am glad I did.

UDMABSN · Mar 2, 2010

Good luck with your program at OU! I checked them out too. They are a lot cheaper, but they have a lot more prereqs. U of D let me test out of a few so I can start this May and I would be waiting 2 years for OU. Plus U of D gives a scholarship based on G.P.A. that helps close the gap a little. I only have limited time to do this and pay all my bills, so U of D it is. I think that going back to school is the right decision for me too. I'm just going to stop worrying and take a chance. You are right, life's too short to hate your job. When I was laid off from my accounting position, everyone was so upset and I was almost relieved, so I know it's time for a change. Everything seems to be falling into place, and pointing me in this direction, so I'm going to go for it and worry about the job market when I get there. I couldn't do it without an accelerated program either. Best of luck to you!

Firehawk734 · Mar 2, 2010

Sounds like you may also be eligible for the No Worker Left Behind deal where you can get a 5000 dollar grant from the government. Check it out if you havent already.

UDMABSN · Mar 9, 2010

313 RN Thanks again for all of your help. I am trying to figure out a day care plan but I am not sure how the scheduling works. What days/times were you in class? In clinicals? Did you always have the same clinical schedule or does it change and how often?

313RN, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2010

The schedules change. Don't get too hung up on having days off or open time in your schedule. There will be plenty of studying that you'll need to do or papers that have to be written. The worst thing about the program is trying to get everything done.

The first 3 weeks are pretty easy, basically half days for 5 days a week. Health Assessment class lasts 2 weeks and theres a one week skills lab. You may be in the AM or the PM section.

After that, school starts for real. You'll be in class M,T,W for at least 6 hours a day. Clinicals are Th, F and will be an 8 hours shift either days -700-1530 or evenings 1500-2300. You have no choice about which clnical section or shift you'll be on.

Second semester switches a little, M,T for class 4-6 hours a day and clinicals W,Th,F either days or eves again. If you have have 3 days of clinical you will have 2 of those days be 6 hour shifts on OB or Peds. You might also end up doing a 12 hr shift one day a week which would give you three days off.

You'll be able to choose your section in the second and third semester which means you'll be able to buddy up with a friend or group of friends, but days and times will still be up to UDM.

Third semester is stil M,T classes and clinicals W,Th,F but only lasts 8 weeks. All clinicals will be 8 hours this time 2 days in a hospital for advanced Med/Surg and one day in Community Health. M/S shifts again will be days or eves depending on luck of the draw. Community will be pretty certain to be days only.

The last 5 or so weeks will be preceptorship and you'll be working full time in a hospital with one nurse on his or her shift for a max of 40 hours per week. You'll do this until you get 180 hours of experience. Then you're done.

Good luck.