Do you have back up plans?

I don't have a back up plan. OK, well that is technically a lie. I start nursing school in the fall but basically this is the end of the road for me. If I fail/drop out of nursing school I will probably be a stay-at-home wife with our dog, teaching swim lessons on the side.

I have thought of back up plans, but become very depressed. I know nursing is the only job I can see myself having & being happy with. I'm so close to wanting to give up, but there is some hope left! Don't give up if you can't go a day without thinking about it.

OP is very wise to take the long view - and consider all the potential consequences. It's much better to be safe than sorry. I just wanted to add that very few LPN/LVN programs are "accredited" because they don't have to be. Each state establishes its own rules, but normally, these programs only have to be approved by the BON or other designated state body that is responsible for this process.

OTOH, non-clinical pre-requisite courses should definitely be obtained from a regionally accredited school as this is the only way to ensure that they will be transferable.

The reason you need a regionally accredited school is so credits are transferable. For getting a job after graduation you need to look for ACEN accreditation. Are the schools you are looking at for profit schools? If they are stay away from those. Their admissions/salespeople will tell you anything to sell you their tuition. Are there and community colleges in your area? Those are going to be your best bet. Just about all of those schools are regionally accredited as their whole point is to go there and then transfer to a 4 year university. If you were looking at a surgical tech, I pretty sure you don't need a 4 year degree for that so it wouldn't have to be a regionally accredited school, but I don't know what hospitals are looking for when they hire people for that field as far as accreditation goes. Your best bet is going to be to find a community college.

The nursing school I'm applying to is ACEN accredited, so I feel pretty comfortable about my choice to go there. If I don't get accepted or fail out of it (which I am NOT planning on) I've got 5 1/2 years of paralegal experience under my belt. I'm not too worried about being able to get a job again.

I have thought of back up plans, but become very depressed. I know nursing is the only job I can see myself having & being happy with. I'm so close to wanting to give up, but there is some hope left! Don't give up if you can't go a day without thinking about it.

It is depressing to think of not being able to go that route!

For me, I really have to be realistic. I have my past counting against me, so I know that it may be a long shot. If it doesn't work out now, I can always enroll at the university and take classes to raise my GPA (as it's school from years ago that's pulling me down regardless of the great grades I've earned recently). I just might not be meant for this now, but maybe further down the road? It's just hard because I quit my job to do this, and I'll never find another job at the same pay. I was interviewing before as I was at a dead end with my job and everywhere wanted to hire in at minimum wage regardless of 8.5 years of experience.

I'll definitely get somewhere some day. Just not really sure where I'll get to and when lol

OP is very wise to take the long view - and consider all the potential consequences. It's much better to be safe than sorry. I just wanted to add that very few LPN/LVN programs are "accredited" because they don't have to be. Each state establishes its own rules, but normally, these programs only have to be approved by the BON or other designated state body that is responsible for this process.

OTOH, non-clinical pre-requisite courses should definitely be obtained from a regionally accredited school as this is the only way to ensure that they will be transferable.

Thank you for that information! I did not know that about LPN programs. It gives me a couple of more options then. I've spent my evening researching the schools, admissions processes as well as comparing graduation, placement, and NCLEX pass rates. They are all nearly comparable with the accredited school. Fortunately there's only one class I'd potentially have to re-take as I've taken it, but I know it won't transfer. I would have the opportunity to test out of it though. Otherwise I'd be set.

I'm thinking about calling the prospective schools and discuss being due at the beginning of the term (both programs start in August, due early September). One program is 14 months while the other is 10 months. I'm not sure how that'd work out as far as attendance requirements go. I already discussed this with the one ADN program I'm praying I get accepted into (and they said they'd work with me).

I'm probably going to have to apply now in order to try and obtain a spot, provided it's doable with the pregnancy. Otherwise I might not have an option but to just enroll for Fall 2016 and go with STNA for some experience in the meantime.

The reason you need a regionally accredited school is so credits are transferable. For getting a job after graduation you need to look for ACEN accreditation. Are the schools you are looking at for profit schools? If they are stay away from those. Their admissions/salespeople will tell you anything to sell you their tuition. Are there and community colleges in your area? Those are going to be your best bet. Just about all of those schools are regionally accredited as their whole point is to go there and then transfer to a 4 year university. If you were looking at a surgical tech, I pretty sure you don't need a 4 year degree for that so it wouldn't have to be a regionally accredited school, but I don't know what hospitals are looking for when they hire people for that field as far as accreditation goes. Your best bet is going to be to find a community college.

Unfortunately, I just happen to be in the one area that doesn't have community colleges. I'm not originally from around here, so I was shocked to learn that there weren't any as there were a few where I came from. I actually just asked my husband about this the other day as I find it odd.

He said that as there are more rural areas around here with a large university, there just wouldn't be enough people for a community college. If it weren't for having kids, I'd go stay with my mom and enroll there and travel home for the weekends. But with having kids, not much of an option, unfortunately.

Both ADN programs I've applied to have their main campus in another location and these are just off site campuses. We have one main university (that only offers BSN which I just cannot do with our circumstances, so will have to do RN to BSN later). Other than that all we have are technical and career colleges. Based on my research, it seems that there's a technical/career center/college in each county.

As far as I know, the career/tech schools aren't for profit (based on a quick google search). I know for sure that my former school is (everything screams it for them). The only school that I'm considering now that is for profit is the one that offers the Surgical Tech program, and that's only because they are the only school around here that offers an Associates degree for the Surgical Tech. The only other school is a career/tech school, but they only offer a certificate. So it's kind of a debate on for profit with Associates or career tech with only a certificate (both of which are properly accredited for the program). But I'm also trying for STNA / LPN before I go this route anyway. If I do go the Surgical Tech route, I'm definitely going to research it more to see what kind of education is required before I make any kind of decision on that.