I posting to this nursing forum because I am open to suggestions and opinions of my future colleagues regarding my chosen career.
As many of you who have applied to nursing schools have found, it can be excruciating experience of applying and waiting for responses.
I have applied to the following schools so far: West Hills College, Chabot College, College of San Mateo, Fresno City College, Los Medanos College, Merritt College, Butte College, Sacramento City College, and Samuel Merritt University. I will still apply to 3 others: Modesto Junior College, Sierra College, and Yuba College.
They are all ADN programs except for SMU, which I applied for ABSN.
As of this posting: I have been placed on the waitlist at CSM at 80-A (not sure what that means), not selected in the lottery for Butte, and I failed to confirm results for Fresno City College in time and was disqualified (that was in February).
Due to the lottery system of these colleges I wanted to apply to as many as I could.
I absolutely need to get into a program this year! Why? Because, I am attempting my second career in nursing and I'm married for nearly five years. If I cannot get accepted into a program this year, and have no backup plan, she will divorce me! She is tired of waiting. So, I'm in a tough position! My life will either get very exciting or fall apart this year or based on my application results!
What is my backup plan? Pursuing the LVN, and LVN to RN program. Today, I have found out Unitek provides a program, and it is relatively easy to get in. I talked to them a few minutes ago to set up an appointment, then did some research online. I do not like what I see so far! How can I go Unitek with a massive debt (plus my previous Bachelor degree debt) and gamble the chance for a job after I graduate! My life may surely be broke then!
I cannot wait to apply to state colleges, its too late, they are too long, and expensive. I was always looking for a degree in less than 2 years. That's why I was applying to the above.
I started my prerequisites for the LVN in 2012, then gave up the idea of LVN in favor or RN requisites. I am qualified for most colleges, except for a few. My grades are excellent, my TEAS is excellent, I have 18 months CNA experience, I have foreign language, I have a Bachelors Degree. I'm am a highly qualified candidate. Yet, I may still not get into a school.
Some of the best advice I could get, is which college, especially in bay area, could I getaccepted into this year. Whether it be LVN or RN, I need one of them!
Unitek is an option, but is there anything else out there?
Is there any advice out there? I would appreciate it.
Many things. My wife had surgery and is still working on her problem. My dad got cancer and passed. I married and my father passed in the same month, just before my graduation. The economy was even worse at the time. Why would I go back for another degree for another 60+ grand for a job that pays 30 grand for 5 years and 50 in 10 years?
My life changed. I changed my focus and the medical career was it. If its not Nursing would else could it be? I don't have a niche. All I know is, I want to help everyone, not just pediatrics, not only geriatrics, I want to help neuro-debilitated, but I want to help families. I hope to be a NP and work in a general family practice someday.
You know, this topic is why I often do not like to tell people my previous degree. It's distracting of my goal.
I am the only person in my family's history to go into medical field. I feel the need to help them out just as much. I didn't like that fact I could have done more to help out my dad. I see chronic problems with my family and I try to help them. I want to learn more and give more. Thats my personality. I'm a giver.
LVN and RN will not be my terminal job. I am hoping NP will be. But, I may even go into nursing teaching eventually. I did some English teaching in China that was nice. I love to help people, and I always offer my suggestion and good practices for people.
Nursing/Medical career is a lifelong learning process. I am looking forward to keep learning and using every information for my patients. Even now, as I am studying nursing and working as CNA I give patient education on what I know about their therapy. I have neuro rehabilitation experience, I have teaching experience, many experiences that allows me to give advice. Someday I could be a professor, but now, I need to be a nurse not just for my family but for my future.
I have worked so hard learning these past year and half preparing for nursing. Its the best academic performance I have ever done. I received only one B, the rest are As in all my classes.
Last 60 units GPA: 3.76
Core Science GPA: 3.69
Cum GPA 3.26
TEAS: 93.3%
Foreign Language and I'm learning Mandarin this summer (my wife's Chinese, and I stopped learning in pre-nursing school)
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
If you want to be a NP then you need a BSN. But even as a NP you will have to have contact with patients. There is some talk about requiring the NP to be DNP by 2015. ABSN will be your fastest track however more expensive. You will still have to have the required prerequisites for any program including the BSN but will be able to forgo many of the other non nursing applied degree requirements waived.
forewarned is forearmedThere is no nursing shortage. It is, as of right now, no longer the guaranteed job. The path is no longer paved with gold despite media hype.
There is a nationwide movement to only hire BSN grads. Many facilities are not even hiring new grads because they are tired of losing them after a year experience to the NP programs. AND there WILL be patient contact.
Look before you leap....the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.
True, however I give immaturity discounts to her since she is Chinese and in China- the children are highly pampered because they are sole child. I don't attempt to change personality, that changes with time and experience. So far she has stayed with me, I can only hope to give my family all the help I can.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I am the only person in my family's history to go into medical field. I feel the need to help them out just as much. I didn't like that fact I could have done more to help out my dad. I see chronic problems with my family and I try to help them. I want to learn more and give more. Thats my personality. I'm a giver.
LVN and RN will not be my terminal job. I am hoping NP will be. But, I may even go into nursing teaching eventually. I did some English teaching in China that was nice. I love to help people, and I always offer my suggestion and good practices for people.
Nursing/Medical career is a lifelong learning process. I am looking forward to keep learning and using every information for my patients. Even now, as I am studying nursing and working as CNA I give patient education on what I know about their therapy. I have neuro rehabilitation experience, I have teaching experience, many experiences that allows me to give advice. Someday I could be a professor, but now, I need to be a nurse not just for my family but for my future.
Not to step on your ambitions. A word of extreme caution. You need to be very careful to not practice outside your realm of expertise.
You are neither licensed nor qualified to be advising anyone nor are you qualified to teach the patients about their therapy. You can find yourself in some very deep hot water over this therefore ruining any change of becoming a RN with a license
True I don't know specifics, I only give general reasons for things. Like "Why must I get weighted everyday?"...well the nurse needs to know you weight usually because they must calculate the dosage for your medication or see how its affecting you or even if your eating. Many medications have a very narrow therapeutic range which the dosage is determined based on weight. Something general like that.
Please forgive typos- I'm on my phone right now. I want to preface this by saying I should probably just keep my opinions to myself, but I'm going to go against my better judgement and put this out there.
You may have noticed most of us aren't addressing your actual question. I don't think anyone means to be discouraging, but I see several red flags in your posts that concern me. What follows is not meant to be cruel, so please don't take it as such.
Nursing school- 2, 4, or 6 years- is almost definitely going to hinder a relationship long before it ever gets a chance to make it better, particularly one strained by demands of getting into school NOW and threats if divorce if this doesn't happen. I won't comment more on your relationship as it is not my business, but just know I have the most adoring, patient, and loving husband and child, and nursing school was definitely very hard on our relationship. We had almost 15 years of marriage and TEAMWORK to fall back on, though, which I why we did okay.
The other thing I personally feel compelled to address is patient education. This is only for the nurse to do, as Esme said. Your answer about weights, for example, would definitely NOT be what I tell my CHF patients about weights. If you, as a CNA, told me the pt ha a question for me about daily weights, I would jump on the opportunity to teach them about fluid overload, cardiac output, diet, efficacy of treatment, and how they should be caring for themselves after discharge, among other things. Why I want a weight is almost never about education or food intake. I can't speak for where you live, but where I live, you are LEGALLY not allowed to do any patient education. I believe Esme pointed this out to help you protect yourself from future liability. That is certainly my endeavor.
All this being said, I do wish you the very best and hope you are able to fulfill your dreams. Sorry- I have no answer for your original question.
Sorry- I didn't mean why I want weights is not about education- I meant it is almost never about medication, as in dosages. That typo was too confusing not to be addressed.
Many things. My wife had surgery and is still working on her problem. My dad got cancer and passed. I married and my father passed in the same month, just before my graduation. The economy was even worse at the time. ****Why would I go back for another degree for another 60+ grand for a job that pays 30 grand for 5 years and 50 in 10 years?
Why would you want to go back to school and pay another 60+ grand (in student loan plus interest in some instances) to have to be unemployed for up to 2 plus years? Most places will lay you off as a CNA once you pass your boards; or if you can't pass your boards the first try?
My life changed. I changed my focus and the medical career was it. If its not Nursing would else could it be? ***I don't have a niche.
I starred this because that may be the reason why there is a frustration component in your marriage, coming from your wife; maybe... *shrugs*
All I know is, I want to help everyone, not just pediatrics, not only geriatrics, I want to help neuro-debilitated, but I want to help families. I hope to be a NP and work in a general family practice someday.
You know, this topic is why I often do not like to tell people my previous degree. It's distracting of my goal.
Actually you have an interesting résumé; however, you must reconcile what your ultimate goals are; your altruistic goals of helping many can be better served in volunteerism as well.
Nursing is a business like no other; Nursing school is very intense as well; it requires a great amount of time in the schoolwork, sometimes with the focus on the work more than your personal life; are your or even more of the issue, will your wife want to handle that? Think about that.
The best information I can give you is nursing and healthcare is a business; it's best you go in objectively about your goals and the REALITY of what's ahead; and then at least have a actual plan on WHAT you want to do, a take the steps in doing so; at least be in the position where you won't be shocked or disillusioned by your choices.
joe84u2004
32 Posts
Many things. My wife had surgery and is still working on her problem. My dad got cancer and passed. I married and my father passed in the same month, just before my graduation. The economy was even worse at the time. Why would I go back for another degree for another 60+ grand for a job that pays 30 grand for 5 years and 50 in 10 years?
My life changed. I changed my focus and the medical career was it. If its not Nursing would else could it be? I don't have a niche. All I know is, I want to help everyone, not just pediatrics, not only geriatrics, I want to help neuro-debilitated, but I want to help families. I hope to be a NP and work in a general family practice someday.
You know, this topic is why I often do not like to tell people my previous degree. It's distracting of my goal.