Finish AA before nursing?!

[JNV9211]

Hi guys...I've always gone back and forth with nursing. I started taking classes again in Fall 15', with the intent of being a nurse. However, I got cold feet and was scared of the rigor so decided to just go with business. Now I'm second guessing myself again...I graduate this fall with my AA and will either transfer to finish my BA in business OR I could finish taking pre-reqs for nursing and try to apply to the Fall 2017 nursing program at my community college.

I just don't know what to do, my fears about getting into the program are still there. I would actually get my bachelors faster than I would get my associates in nursing, and i'm kind of all over the place as to what I want to do.

I'm thinking of getting my CNA license this summer, finishing my AA this fall, and then deciding in the fall what I want to do. Do you guys think the AA would help me in the future, especially if I was interested in the more administrative side of nursing as my ultimate goal?

Sorry for the rambling, thanks for reading :)

ETA: I do have a 3.81 GPA and got an A in biology this past fall...if that makes any difference.

[ThatBigGuy]

Your AA can't hurt in the long run. It could actually help in the short term, when you apply to nursing school, because it shows you have the ability to start and finish an educational program. Nursing schools love second degree students for this reason, especially if they have the GPA that you have.

I would finish your AA with the best possible GPA you can manage, and work as a CNA in the meantime. Your AA, GPA, and CNA experience will look very good on any nursing school application.

[emily34812]

I think you should finish your AA and get your CNA, then see if you like being a CNA and like what the RNs are doing. There's no use starting your nursing degree if you end up hating the work. Like the previous commenter said, you can't go wrong with a good GPA and experience. An associate's in business can't hurt either.

[ZoraNeale]

You sound just like me. I played with the idea of nursing when I was around 21 or so but decided I couldn't do it and went ahead and pursued by B.S. in Psychology. The idea of nursing crept up again, so I decided to attend a CNA course and absolutely LOVED IT! My decision to pursue nursing was made but again, fear of failure, how hard it would be, etc. all played a part in my decision to hold off.

I realized that I would likely never be happy doing anything else and I need to have faith in myself. I know nursing school will be hard, I will probably cry, but I will succeed if it kills me. I now start nursing school in August.

Wait until you are comfortable and ready. The fear doesn't go away (at least not for me) but I am trying to cope by purchasing extra study guides/tools that can help me in my program. We often do not give ourselves enough credit. Nursing school is a beast I'm sure but you have to be ready to tackle it in my opinion before you can truly be successful.

If it helps, I am happy I earned by B.S. in Psychology before pursuing nursing. I learned so many things - one of them being how to study material to best retain the information which will definitely be useful in nursing school. Good luck!