Absolutely nobody around me wants me to be a nurse. I am currently a Realtor and everyone thinks I should stick with it. I HATE REAL ESTATE! You don't know where the next check is coming from, it is SO expensive to get started and keep going, I have to work from home so I feel like I am always working, it is cut-throat, greedy and most importantly, I get no satisfaction from it.
I have wanted to be a nurse for three years now and was suppose to start LPN school last fall, but I got pregnant and the school requested me to not start b/c the baby was due in the middle of the program. That worked out b/c he ended up a preemie. But they saved my spot for this year.
I have had to do everything secretly. My financial aid, I am studying up on A&P, I even have a second job to carry me through paying off the credit I had to use for real estate so that I can use that credit for books and such.
Did anyone here ever have to go up against anyone to become a nurse? I really want this, but I don't know how to handle it. When you are doing something as tough as nursing school, you need support. No matter what I am going to school...that is one thing I am sure of.
THis is also off topic, but I'm not to savvy with real estate so I'm wondering (and probably others are too) what expense do you have? I would think there woudn't be much overhead. Pleae don't flame me, I'm real estate illiterate!:uhoh21:
Not to hijack the thread ... I'll keep this brief.
Many people who have bought or sold a house have done the mental math on what the realtor's commission is (up to 7% in my state) and thought, "wow - that's the ticket." The reality is a little different.
First of all, that commission is split (I'll use the 7% since that's what I'm familiar with) between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent. Then, say you're the buyer's agent. You've just sold a $100,000 house (just to keep a nice round number). So 3-1/2% or $3,500 goes to the agency you work for. Depending on how long you've been with the agency, your sales volume and other factors, the agency will keep a portion of that towards the management of the entire business: leasing of office space, computers/phones/fax machines/other office equip., office support staff, advertising & marketing expenses ... etc. So your portion of what started out as 7% of the house sales prices quickly dwindles. Also, under most arrangements you are not an "employee" of the agency, so as a result you end up paying higher rates of social security taxes as do others who are self-employed.
Another common belief about working in real estate is that you can set your own hours. HA. You have to be available when your customers (buyers or sellers) are available, and chances are, that is NOT M-F, 8:30-5:00.
Now back to the original thread .... :chuckle
My own story ... my mother did try to talk me out of being a nurse, several times. Not talking to mom very much these days ... There were others who questioned why in the world I would want to go to nursing school when I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom. Some of them have come to understand and respect my decision, others have not.
To the OP: GO FOR IT! The worst that can happen is that you find out it's not for you, but you'll probably have learned something about yourself in the process that may lead you down another path. Best of luck to you!
Not to hijack the thread ... I'll keep this brief.
Many people who have bought or sold a house have done the mental math on what the realtor's commission is (up to 7% in my state) and thought, "wow - that's the ticket." The reality is a little different.
First of all, that commission is split (I'll use the 7% since that's what I'm familiar with) between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent. Then, say you're the buyer's agent. You've just sold a $100,000 house (just to keep a nice round number). So 3-1/2% or $3,500 goes to the agency you work for. Depending on how long you've been with the agency, your sales volume and other factors, the agency will keep a portion of that towards the management of the entire business: leasing of office space, computers/phones/fax machines/other office equip., office support staff, advertising & marketing expenses ... etc. So your portion of what started out as 7% of the house sales prices quickly dwindles. Also, under most arrangements you are not an "employee" of the agency, so as a result you end up paying higher rates of social security taxes as do others who are self-employed.
Another common belief about working in real estate is that you can set your own hours. HA. You have to be available when you're customers (buyers or sellers) are available, and chances are, that is NOT M-F, 8:30-5:00.
Now back to the original thread .... :chuckle
That is so true-out of 6%, I only 1.5% if it wasn't my listing, 3% if it was and all that does is pay me back for the cost of marketing the property!!
Not to mention that with RE, you work from home so it is like no privacy. People call you whenever they want and don't care that you have kids and it is midnight or 5 a.m.....
My parents didn't exactly try to talk me out of being a nurse but they did try and talk me out of changing careers an giving up my big fancy (=expensive) Bachelors degree. they weren't against nursing per say just changing careers. but now they are super proud of me. and they are always telling everyone about their daughter the nurse!!!
Love the disclaimer and now I know who really hates LPN's. I have worked in Critical Care for 25 yrs as a LPN, and have just recently transferred to the Emergency Dept.I make damn good money as a LPN.
(1) no one HATES lpn's, don't get all mushy on me. (2) there are always exceptions to the rule. I'm sure there are some great LPNs out there, and I'm not judging you personally. (3) of course with 25 years of experience, you are topping out the payscale. and depending on the area of the country you live in, you can make any job livable. The cost of living is so low in in the middle of Kansas, for instance, you can raise a family on a Wal-Mart salary.
but the fact is, 1 year of vocational trade-school training is not a professional career.
so many of you RN's complain that you are not treated like professionals, that you get no respect from the doctors, patients, etc.
the reason is, you have very little protection on the title 'nurse', or the amount of eductation/training one has to receive before one can claim the title 'nurse'.
i mean you have 4-year BSN's, and MSN's who are 'nurses'. then you have 1-year vocational school graduates who are 'nurses'. and you even have Veterinary Techs at PetSmart who dress in surgical scrubs call themselves 'nurses'.
While every other medical profession in a hospital requires AT LEAST a four-year bachelors degree, many require a masters degree.
i dont know when/if this will ever be resolved, but there are places around the country working on this. many hospitals, including the university hospital my wife works at, WON'T HIRE LPNs. At all. And some hospitals are now requring all RN's to have a 4 year degree.
(1) no one HATES lpn's, don't get all mushy on me. (2) there are always exceptions to the rule. I'm sure there are some great LPNs out there, and I'm not judging you personally. (3) of course with 25 years of experience, you are topping out the payscale. and depending on the area of the country you live in, you can make any job livable. The cost of living is so low in in the middle of Kansas, for instance, you can raise a family on a Wal-Mart salary.
but the fact is, 1 year of vocational trade-school training is not a professional career.
so many of you RN's complain that you are not treated like professionals, that you get no respect from the doctors, patients, etc.
the reason is, you have very little protection on the title 'nurse', or the amount of eductation/training one has to receive before one can claim the title 'nurse'.
i mean you have 4-year BSN's, and MSN's who are 'nurses'. then you have 1-year vocational school graduates who are 'nurses'. and you even have Veterinary Techs at PetSmart who dress in surgical scrubs call themselves 'nurses'.
While every other medical profession in a hospital requires AT LEAST a four-year bachelors degree, many require a masters degree.
i dont know when/if this will ever be resolved, but there are places around the country working on this. many hospitals, including the university hospital my wife works at, WON'T HIRE LPNs. At all. And some hospitals are now requring all RN's to have a 4 year degree.
We've been there and done that. There are literally dozens of threads about this topic. No need for me to go there again. I suggest you do a search and perhaps participate in those discussions, as it's one thing to encourage the original poster to get the highest degree possible, it's another to say she won't be a "real nurse".
Disrespecting our peers is not going to get us any respect as profession either.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
We've been there and done that. There are literally dozens of threads about this topic. No need for me to go there again. I suggest you do a search and perhaps participate in those discussions, as it's one thing to encourage the original poster to get the highest degree possible, it's another to say she won't be a "real nurse".
Disrespecting our peers is not going to get us any respect as profession either.
Quite right, Tweety. Thank you for saying that and bringing this back to the OT.
but the fact is, 1 year of vocational trade-school training is not a professional career.
But you called my real estate a real career and that was only a 45 hour course.
I am NOT trying to get in the middle of one of the oldest debates on this board, I am asking your opinion b/c I have seen the RE side but I have never seen the LPN side (obviously, b/c I am not one). But I would bet my house on that the one year of vocational school was a lot tougher for them than my 45 hour course for me. So why is it not a professional career and RE is?
I too had a choice between real estate and nursing. Obviously I chose nursing. The real estate boom can't last forever. The fed keeps raising interest rates and, while that hasn't impacted mortgages yet, it can't be long before mortgage rates increase and housing prices fall.
With nursing, particuarly if you eventually pursue an RN degree, you'll always have a job. In 15 years there will be a projected 1 million job vacancies nationwide, mostly because of aging baby boomers.
In regards to comments about lousy working conditions, it really depends on where you live. In California we have a ratio law so working conditions tend to be better here. Lots of nurses have moved here because of this. Besides, with the shortage, you can always quit a job with lousy working conditions and find a better one. You'll always have tons of options with nursing.
you're going to trade in a professional career as a real estate agent to become an LPN??
since you're asking for advice, here's mine: that would the worst career decision you could ever make, one I'm sure that you will quickly come to regret. I think you will soon find that you have wasted your time and money on the change. Hopefully, you will keep your real estate license, because I'm certain you will go back.
as an LPN you will literally make no money, and you will be at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy. I mean, if you truly want to work your a-- off for no pay, then i guess that's the way to go. because you will have the most dirty, menial jobs, no respect, and have to take orders from everyone.
now, if you were going to go into an *RN* program, that would be totally different.
if you go into an RN program, you will at least make a reasonable amount of money (depends on your location) and while you will still have to work hard, you can at least have creative control, opportunities for advancement, and your input will be sought on many of the decision making processes. in short, you can have a rewarding career as an RN.
LPN though, is dead end. the only opportunities LPN's have is to go back to school to become an RN. many hospitals around the country will not even *hire* LPNs. little by little, the whole LPN license is on its way to being phased out.
(disclaimer: i'm an engineer, my wife is an RN on a critical care floor at a major university hospital. She started nursing school before we were married, and her becoming an RN has been the best thing for her, careerwise. She already had a BS degree, but hated the jobs she was getting. Her job as a critical care nurse is absolutely great, she totally loves it. And she makes good money. She has told me on many occasions that here is no way in hell that she would ever be an LPN, they have the worst jobs. she'd just as soon go dig ditches or something.)
Wow, :chuckle you sound like you know exactly what you are talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. But most arnchair critics know a little about something and decide they are an expert in the field. I think I met you on an elevator 30 some years ago, in a hospital in Ohio. When a very arrogant young man, looking very professional and informed asked me why I would want to be an LPN when I could have been and RN. I must have looked confused by the question because he felt he needed to clarify the question by then asking,"Why would you want to be a janitor when you could be the head custodian".
faith-- When I deciced to be an LPN it was many years ago and the rolls of nurses were just a bit different. Rn's did most of the med passes, did rounds with the doctor, and all of the assesing and most of the charting. LPN's did some meds and treatments, routine vitals, and hands on patient care. I was actually working my way through college when I got my LPN , I wanted to be an english teacher. After working in the field I knew that an LPN was what I wanted to be. I have great respect for most of the RN's I have worked with over the years, and many have tried to talk me into going further in my education. I just have never wanted to and I have made a living and supported my family alone several times. If I couldn't do what I wanted to do I would have been unhappy and my unhappiness would be felt by all around me. Please do not listen to any thing but your head and heart...I mean who knows you better than you? You will know if it's right or not.
I have worked for 10 dollars and hour and I have worked for 20 dollars and hour. You can be a little fish in a big sea or a big fish in a little sea. You have many options. you may decide to go on with your education and become and RN but that has to be your decision, not influenced by the demeaning attitudes of others.
doggydaddy- maybe you are unhappy with some of your choices and you are reflecting them on others. Just wondering......but so glad I wasnt affected negatively by the guy in the elevator, noone needs to feel that what they are doing is demeaning.
Wow, :chuckle you sound like you know exactly what you are talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. But most arnchair critics know a little about something and decide they are an expert in the field. I think I met you on an elevator 30 some years ago, in a hospital in Ohio. When a very arrogant young man, looking very professional and informed asked me why I would want to be an LPN when I could have been and RN. I must have looked confused by the question because he felt he needed to clarify the question by then asking,"Why would you want to be a janitor when you could be the head custodian".
faith-- When I deciced to be an LPN it was many years ago and the rolls of nurses were just a bit different. Rn's did most of the med passes, did rounds with the doctor, and all of the assesing and most of the charting. LPN's did some meds and treatments, routine vitals, and hands on patient care. I was actually working my way through college when I got my LPN , I wanted to be an english teacher. After working in the field I knew that an LPN was what I wanted to be. I have great respect for most of the RN's I have worked with over the years, and many have tried to talk me into going further in my education. I just have never wanted to and I have made a living and supported my family alone several times. If I couldn't do what I wanted to do I would have been unhappy and my unhappiness would be felt by all around me. Please do not listen to any thing but your head and heart...I mean who knows you better than you? You will know if it's right or not.
I have worked for 10 dollars and hour and I have worked for 20 dollars and hour. You can be a little fish in a big sea or a big fish in a little sea. You have many options. you may decide to go on with your education and become and RN but that has to be your decision, not influenced by the demeaning attitudes of others.
doggydaddy- maybe you are unhappy with some of your choices and you are reflecting them on others. Just wondering......but so glad I wasnt affected negatively by the guy in the elevator, noone needs to feel that what they are doing is demeaning.
That was wonderful! I have tremendous respect for all in the health field but nurses (ALL nurses) truly are a blessing. I hope someday you will all get the respect you deserve. :)
My mother did try to talk me out of it, but I convinced her that being financially independent of a man was the way to go, and then she supported the idea.
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Altra, BSN, RN
6,255 Posts
Not to hijack the thread ... I'll keep this brief.
Many people who have bought or sold a house have done the mental math on what the realtor's commission is (up to 7% in my state) and thought, "wow - that's the ticket." The reality is a little different.
First of all, that commission is split (I'll use the 7% since that's what I'm familiar with) between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent. Then, say you're the buyer's agent. You've just sold a $100,000 house (just to keep a nice round number). So 3-1/2% or $3,500 goes to the agency you work for. Depending on how long you've been with the agency, your sales volume and other factors, the agency will keep a portion of that towards the management of the entire business: leasing of office space, computers/phones/fax machines/other office equip., office support staff, advertising & marketing expenses ... etc. So your portion of what started out as 7% of the house sales prices quickly dwindles. Also, under most arrangements you are not an "employee" of the agency, so as a result you end up paying higher rates of social security taxes as do others who are self-employed.
Another common belief about working in real estate is that you can set your own hours. HA. You have to be available when your customers (buyers or sellers) are available, and chances are, that is NOT M-F, 8:30-5:00.
Now back to the original thread .... :chuckle
My own story ... my mother did try to talk me out of being a nurse, several times. Not talking to mom very much these days ...
There were others who questioned why in the world I would want to go to nursing school when I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom. Some of them have come to understand and respect my decision, others have not.
To the OP: GO FOR IT! The worst that can happen is that you find out it's not for you, but you'll probably have learned something about yourself in the process that may lead you down another path. Best of luck to you!