Career Change

[Gi952952]

I am currently 30 years old and I have worked in the IT field since 2004. IT was never my passion and I really don't know why I got into this field. I guess I got talked into it because my parents thought I was good in computers. I always wanted to go into the medical field but my parents always talked me out of it because I'm not that great at Math and they don't understand why I would want to work with bodily fluids. Well I don't know why I listened to them because I still continue to think about a career in Nursing and I'm done wasting my time. I hate the IT field and I don't even think I'm that great in IT to advance far in this field. I also learned I don't even like the business side of things which is apart of IT. I took a a career assessment and it came back a match for a RN along with a Dental Hygienist, Dental Assistant, Pharmacist, Surgical Tech and a few others. I did not have any matches for the IT field. I feel like I made a HUGE career choice in my life.

I live in Philadelphia and I have a 2 year old and I work full time. My fiance is about to go to the fire fighter academy. I want to do Nursing so bad but the time is the problem. Am I able to do a majority of my nursing classes online and which schools in Philadelphia would you recommend? I was thinking about enrolling in Community College of Philadelphia and doing what I can online. And if its an option do the campus classes 2 days a week. I will somehow have to figure out what to do with my 2 year old during that time. Is my dream possible?

What path should I take to start working? How long do you have to go to school to be an ASN and an RN?

I want to be an RN and then go back to school for my BSN. HELP

[dat1nurse4u]

I'm not sure of any schools in Philadelphia I could recommend because I'm in Ohio. However, I worked as a customer service rep for almost 10 years before I went to school for nursing. My kids were 11, 7, and 3 at the time I started all my pre-reqs and non-nursing courses. I went part-time for 2 years. By the time I started the nursing program, my youngest started kindergarten. Worked out perfect for me because all the kids were in school when I was in school and doing clinicals. I did have a lot of help from my in-laws.

Now I'm finished with school, waiting to take my NCLEX and hopefully get a job within the next couple months, the kids will start school again and my oldest will be 16 (old enough to drive and babysit). I do plan on going back for my BSN and possibly MSN but all that can be done online.

I believe that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it and if you want it badly! Do you have someone to watch your child when you are in class because some classes are available online but the core nursing classes with clinicals will be on campus and at the clinical sites?

[Gi952952]

Thank you so much for replying. A found a school that I can attend that offers Night classes and weekend clinicals. Its going to be really tough for me. I want to start the whole process but sometimes i wonder if I'm in over my head. I have no choice but to work Mon-Fri 40 hrs a week. I don't have anybody to watch my son. My family lives 45 min away and they work fulltime too and my fiances family lives in New York which is 2 hours away. I would have to hire somebody on top of his regualr day care bill. My mom should be able to watch him most of the time on the weekends. My fiance is about to enter the Fire Fighter Academy and there is no way to tell what his schedule will be. Sometimes I tell myself everything will work out. But I am also concerned that once I am a nurse and my fiance is a firefighter how the schedules will work out.