Father going back to school for nursing - Need advice

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I am starting my prereqs this fall and after nursing school I do not know what to choose. I can either further my education and get my BSN then got to CRNA school or get a BS and choose another field to go into such as go to medical school or DDS. The reason I'm becoming a nurse is I recently got laid off from work and I was signed up for a Texas paid program to pay for my tuition for 130 weeks and a RN fit the time limit criteria. I always wanted to be a nurse. I just got caught up with working 80 hour weeks and supporting my family. Being laid off with financial support and tuition covered is like a second chance for me. The reason I am considering a BS is because it opens many doors for other medical fields.

If your program pays for BSN, by all means go for that! If you want to be a dentist than nursing is obviously not right. I cant imagine being anything dental as I like to be busy when I'm working. If you're thinking CRNA as I am, go BSN, get icu experience and do it! You have a leg up because you can prepare for that now by doing well in school now and in nursing school! Best luck!

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Specializes in Psych & Gero psych.

Well first things first you need to be able to support yourself and your family right??? Become an ADN, you can make a living. Most hospitals will pay for you to further your education. after you have been there a year. Which trust me is fine, there 's a big learning curve first year nursing. As far as jobs go, ask HR at nearby hospital, what the outlook is and what will give you an in. As in a summer nursing internship, working as a CNA ect. What I can tell you is, if you can move and are willing to move there are jobs. Those that complain about lack of jobs are the same people unwilling/unable to move.

I get it, its harder if you have a family or a house. So look into jobs for new grads, talk to school instructors, Mine knew exactly how long it took the last class to find jobs and what knind of jobs they got. Only 10 out of 30 had jobs in 3 mo after graduation. We told that the market was improving for us, that we could get a job but that we might need to start on nights or in a nursing home.

I got my licence first of Feb, It was technically end of Jan but saw it Feb 1st, I put it on every job application and up dated my resume with it. I made a goal 3 applications a day. granted some where 30 jobs with one application. Had an interview on the Feb 9th hired on the 13th. Now mind you I had either Drive an hour one way, to a smaller town or move there. I split the difference, I got a place within 7 min of the hospital, a cheap place and a roomate from work. I drove up, worked my 3 shifts and drive home. Most of my coworkers had a drive 30min-1hr to this job. I now have a job in a major hospital near me.

So I guess what I'm saying is this, How easy can you get a job there? and strongly consider, Are able and willing to move?, or Have a 2nd place?, Would put your house on the market and rent knowing you may have to move for a job. Granted being willing to move also gets the chance at a choice field and choice hours. I got both with my first job. Many of my school mates did as well those that went nursing home 1st year did so because they were unable to move due to kids and homes.

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If you are torn between dentistry and nursing, get your Bacherlor of Science in Nursing. You need a BSN to get a nursing job but you do not need any specific Bachelor of Science degree to get into dental school. However, to get into dental school you will need to take certain pre-requisite courses, such as physics. Many of the science courses will overlap with the courses you take for your BSN. You can take those courses in the summer as to not interfere with you nursing classes in the traditional school year. By the time you are done with your degree you have a BSN and can go be an RN or you can apply to dental school. You don't have to limit your options and there is nothing wrong with not knowing for sure what you want to do! Best of luck!

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the 130 weeks is just to receive my ADN

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
the 130 weeks is just to receive my ADN

Hold up, you need to do more research on the nursing tracks available and your goals. Time actually depends on how many prerequisite you already have completed. If you got a pre-nursing AA degree in 2 years, a BSN could take less 1.5 years to complete. Do you have any existing degrees? if so you can go for the BSN.

An ADN could actually take 3 years if you are starting for complete scratch with no prereqs and counting for delays, denials from nursing school etc. I'd say on average prereqs for ADN will take 2 to 3 full-time semesters. Once those are done and you actually get into nursing school and ADN could take additional 4 to 6 semesters, depending on the college you apply to. My BSN program is 5 semesters ( does not count the 4 years parttime for me to completion of all prepreqs)

If the company if paying for classes, what is the time limits you have to start use for these funds? will it be after actually getting into nursing school or from start of prerequisites?

Will you be eligible for a pell grant or other funds can be used to get the prerequisite? then when you actually get into nursing school, the company funds will pay? you need to find this out. Because you dont get into nursing school right away, so it could be more than 130 weeks. If its flat out, you gotta use this money now deal, and have a nursing certificate, you might consider the LPN. Later do LPN to RN or LPN to BSN. It all depends. However, LPN is usually lowest paid( of LPN , ADN and BSN) starting out.

Secondly, you really need to slow down. I know the pressures of being the only provider in the house and I also got kids, plus my wife did not work, so the pressure was on. I deliberately left my job to get into nursing school. Like other posts states, many nursing schools now do interviews, and if you were to step in and say, well you here "because you got laid off" I guarantee, you won't get in. I was also torn between physician assistant and Nursing. There are so many types of nursing careers it was just best for me and I can always get into other areas later but I doubt I'd want to.

Talk to a nurse in your family or sign up to shadow one at your local hospital.

Try and figure out if you really wants this as a career, just forget about money, because you'll soon find many are underpaid and overworked. Also factor in about 1 year to get any new job after graduating from any program. Just be realistic.

A career planner profiling at your local community/state college could help you determine what career paths are suitable for you.

Once you clear on that, check the community colleges in your area for prereqs required and get into Fall 2013. Check about 2 or 3 colleges because some have more requirements than others and this needs to be a consideration if you want to apply to more than one nursing schools later on and improves your odds of getting in.

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Specializes in Informatics, Orthopaedics.

Go ADN to get the license under your belt as fast as possible, and then do RN to BSN. You win both ways.

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my funds are from a texas program not my job and i have a curriculum set with my college advisor. Its is set for 2.5 years and it has my pre reqs and majority of classes that will go towards to my BSN. Then my nursing program classes. If i decide to get my BSN after my RN it will only take me about 1.5 years.

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I am 22 years old .

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The thing that is mainly torn by me is to get a BS in Nursing or a BS in Biology. Which are the benefits of each one?

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One makes you a biologist and one makes you a nurse. I'm not trying to be snotty. My first degree was biochemistry, 20 years ago. I never did anything with it. Now I'm in nursing school. Classes, even the general ones are geared towards nursing and critical thinking skills. Completely different classes.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
my funds are from a texas program not my job and i have a curriculum set with my college advisor. Its is set for 2.5 years and it has my pre reqs and majority of classes that will go towards to my BSN. Then my nursing program classes. If i decide to get my BSN after my RN it will only take me about 1.5 years.

*** If you get your ADN I would strongly consider you to look elsewhere for your BSN. 1.5 years!? You could likely do it in in 6-12 months in another school.

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