education path progression advice

Trauma Columnist · Oct 13, 2006

Hi there and welcome. Do you have any idea on where you want to settle? Narrowing down the geographic area would at least allow you to start looking at schools and then determining the pre-reqs. If NP is your goal, I would bite the bullet and go for a BSN right upfront.

As to your wife working - what about as a translator? Some of the big cities that have international businesses hire translators. I live in central IL (rural) but Caterpillar (farm and large manufacturing equipment producer) has its world headquarters here and I know they do mega business with Japan.

Hubby and I were stationed (we were both active duty) at Yokota AB from 79 to 82, married there and our oldest son was born there. Japan is beautiful.

stpauligirl · Oct 13, 2006

Sorry for creating a new thread, but I think my situation is unique enough to warrent it.
I am interesting in pursuing a career in nursing. Like many others here I am a returning student. I have a B.A. currently, but I have completed several science/math related courses (I started out as a B.S. major)
I am a U.S. national, but living/working abroad. I'm recently married, and my wife and I are currently waiting for her 'green card' paperwork to process. I mention this because it controls the timing on when we can relocate to the U.S. It could be as short as six months, it could be a year or more.
My ultimate goal is to eventually become a Nurse Practitioner. We would like to start a family soon, and have the wait for a green card. I'm also worried about health care during the transition between careers/countries. While my wife reads and writes English fairly well, I'm afraid her verbal abilities would limit her job options in the states until her language abilities improve. (I'm mostly to blame for this, as we speak Japanese at home)
From the Acc. BSN Programs all have pre-reqs, and though I meet some of them for the various schools I've looked at, I don't meet all of them. I would require 1-2 semesters to complete/redo (too long out of school) various courses before entering the program.
The 2nd Bachelors programs are 3-4 years? All would require expensive out-of-state tuitions. (The Acc. BSN programs seem to be all flat-rate? I may be mistaken.)
For an ASN, I worry about waiting lists to enter, then the additional 2 years of school + the extended educational path to my ultimate goals.
Wow, looking at this, I don't know if there is any help for me, but its starting to cause me a bit of stress, and would appreciate any input.

Why would you have to wait for her green card to come to the US? Does she not have passport? if you are legally married in her country she can get an idenfitnite travelling visa to come to the US. Unless things have changed since I came over to the Us after I married my husband.

catzy5 · Oct 13, 2006

Sorry for creating a new thread, but I think my situation is unique enough to warrent it.
I am interesting in pursuing a career in nursing. Like many others here I am a returning student. I have a B.A. currently, but I have completed several science/math related courses (I started out as a B.S. major)
I am a U.S. national, but living/working abroad. I'm recently married, and my wife and I are currently waiting for her 'green card' paperwork to process. I mention this because it controls the timing on when we can relocate to the U.S. It could be as short as six months, it could be a year or more.
My ultimate goal is to eventually become a Nurse Practitioner. We would like to start a family soon, and have the wait for a green card. I'm also worried about health care during the transition between careers/countries. While my wife reads and writes English fairly well, I'm afraid her verbal abilities would limit her job options in the states until her language abilities improve. (I'm mostly to blame for this, as we speak Japanese at home)
From the Acc. BSN Programs all have pre-reqs, and though I meet some of them for the various schools I've looked at, I don't meet all of them. I would require 1-2 semesters to complete/redo (too long out of school) various courses before entering the program.
The 2nd Bachelors programs are 3-4 years? All would require expensive out-of-state tuitions. (The Acc. BSN programs seem to be all flat-rate? I may be mistaken.)
For an ASN, I worry about waiting lists to enter, then the additional 2 years of school + the extended educational path to my ultimate goals.
Wow, looking at this, I don't know if there is any help for me, but its starting to cause me a bit of stress, and would appreciate any input.

your circumstances are a little different from most of us, however your situation is pretty much what many of us go thru. Going back to school what credits will they take and what program to go for along with the fear of Wait lists, high GPA requirements and plain old time and money. Many of us Been there Done that. I started in 2004 getting or re doing pre req classes I am banging them off one at time because thats what worked for me and my family. I don't have many choices of school where I live we have 2 ADN programs one with a 5 to 6 semester wait list and one who only takes the highest GPA. they just started a BSN program but its a bit far for me and my circumstances. Anyway what I am trying to say is I still have only a slight clue as to where I am going to apply however time passes and I squeeze in what classes I can every semester and its worked these 3 years would have gone by with or without me going back to school. I actually got very discouraged one semester couldn't find good child care and just got frustrated all around I skipped that semester, had I not skipped that semester I would be finished with my pre reqs now, alas I have one more to go, but its a good reminder to me that nothing changed no mirical happened and I got my degree without actually doing the work hehehe. So I say as soon as you find out where your going find a school finish what you need to do and just do it, weather it takes 1 year or 5 years you will work out what you need too as you need too.

Best wishes.

Magpie Nightingale · Oct 13, 2006

Tanuki, I feel your pain. Like you I'm working on prereq's, post-BA, and because of my age, I don't want to waste any time. My ultimate goal is advanced-practice nursing, although I want some experience before I settle on a field.

I'm looking at 3 different programs: a community college with a great program and a huge waiting list, an accelerated BSN located an hour's commute away, and a local 3-year BSN. All three programs have different pre-req's.

I think Trauma had it right when she advised you to focus on a location. Another thing to consider is direct-entry master's programs. For me additional considerations are time out of the paid workforce (I'm the main wage earner in my family) and cost. As long as I'm working full-time I can take 1 class/semester for free (I work at a university now; once I get my RN, I'll work for an institution that will pay for continuing education.)

With these priorities in mind, I've ranked the community college as my first choice, the accelerated BSN as my second, and the local BSN as my third. So I'm completing my prereq's in the order of my preferred schools. I'll have 2 semesters between when I've finished my CC prereq's and the earliest date I can get in---assuming I'm accepted. I'll use those semesters to finish prereq's for my second choice. If I don't get in to the CC, I'll apply to both the CC and the accelerated BSN programs next time around. If I do get in to the CC, I'll have two classes completed toward my BSN when I go in that direction. (Wow, that sounds so sensible when I write it down!)

Of course all this planning has required flowcharts and diagrams and numerous e-mails to the schools in question. I hope seeing another pre-Nursing student's thought process is helpful for you!