dental asst to rn...I hope. HELP!!!!!

[mmh2]

I need some advice. I am starting my pre reqs this summer for the adn program at the local community college. I am 36 ,married with kids and am currently employed as a dental assistant. I have always wanted to be a nurse but let fear and circumstances hold me back. Now I am ready to get going....I do not have the luxury of switching jobs right now to gain some hospital experience and fear that it will hurt my chances of getting a job when I finally do finish school. I know that the job market is highly competitive due to the hoards of people persuing nursing as a first, second or even third career. I was thinking about volunteering at the local hospital to at least give me some experience doing SOMETHING in a hospital setting. I highly doubt that 15 years of dental assisting counts as medical experience. I am used to helping people, but in a different way. Also, I was toying with the idea of getting my adn, getting ajob (hopefully) and then persuing a bsn. I am doing the comm college adn route because it is the only way I can afford to go to school.Thanks.

[huggiebear1979]

Hi, I don't know how to help you far as Medical Experience goes, because I just started Nursing School last week, and one thing that the Teacher told us was straight out of Nursing School, yes Nursing is competitive, but you just have to expand your horizions a bit, you might have to relocate, things like that. Also you need to figure what your long term goals are...For example ADN is fine if you don't think you will do an advanced degree, such as a NP or CRNA, if you think you'll eventually want a bachelor's I would see if there are any schools doing a 2+2 program, I also would go straight for a BSN, if you know your long term goal is BSN...Also make sure you have 3-4 back up schools if you decide to do a BSN. I didn't get my first choice school the first time, had to wait a year because I didn't have a back up school, and applied again and got my second choice school,

[JDPBSN]

Wait, hold the train there... do not look at your years in dentistry as "no medical" experience. With increase awareness of the oral-systemic disease connection, you are bounds ahead and offer a unique global approach and detection of disease. I was and still am an RDA for going on 8 years, before I finished my BSN. I cannot tell you the direct connection between the oral cavity and the body. The mouth is the gateway and is most certainly overlooked and under emphesised in medical and nursing schools. There are direct links between periodontitis and endocarditis, caries and the exacerbation of HTN and DM, oral cancer detection, TMJ pathology, occlusion, cranial nerve deformities and overall oral function. Your background in head and neck anatomy will be most usefull and many times will be sought for opinions and diagnostics. I cannot tell you how many times I review charts and see " HEENT WNL" and then my exam will find periodontal lesions, SCC and rampant caries. You will have the ability to understand both professions and aid the patient in better outcomes. I have done reseach in VAP, training nurses to perform complete oral care, by the way a dental professional and significantly improved VAP prognosis. All through nursing school I emphesised the importance of oral care and systemic linkage. Build upon this, its a great foundation. Your dental skills will be used on every patient...