For those thinking about becoming a second career nurse

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As someone who will be attending nursing school this fall after having completed all my prereqs over the last year, here are the questions and steps I took to ensure this was the right path for me before I quit my full time job.

1) I did informationals and researched online

2) I volunteered at a hospital

3) I took a few science prereqs before I quit my job to make sure I could handle and do well in the classes.

4) I made sure I had the financial means to go to school, handle loans, and tough out a bad economy incase I didn't find a nursing job right away out of nursing school. (No nursing shortages right now)

5) I shadowed a nurse

6) I asked myself if this is the right time in my life - no mortgage, no kids, don't want kids anytime soon, no major commitments. Different for everyone.

7) I made sure this was what I really wanted to do and wasn't a means to escape my current job or out of boredom. I made sure that I saw the good and bad of nursing.

Before nursing school started

1) I took a CNA class

2) I work as a CNA

If you don't have the financial means to be a CNA, at least take the CNA class. The clinicals were very insightful to the grunt work of nursing.

If you have done all these and still can say yes to nursing than go for it. I believe everyone should consider doing all these things before they pursue nursing as a second career! Then you can feel confident!

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Op, oops you posted in the wrong section. Maybe admin could help you and move this to the student/pre-nursing forum.:up:

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I did all of the above except for taking the CNA class. The schedule around here for CNA classes does not work when you are working full time. I am starting nursing school this Fall, too! Good luck to you, and I think this is a great post. One has to be really sure before making such a huge life change.

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After reading the subject line, I expected the body to say.... "DON'T!" haha

I thought it was going to be an experienced nurse with a very bad day venting about why nursing sucks.

I've done almost everything in your list...internet research, reading memoirs of nurses, talking with nurses (we have 2 in the family) and asking them for the dirty details. I watch Discovery Health all the time (Dr. G, Trauma - Life in an ER, and others). I'm not a fan of Special Delivery or other foofoo shows. I like Boston Medical, too.

I am doing my science pre-reqs now, currently enrolled in A&P 1, while I work full time. I have 3 semesters of classes but 4 semesters before NS starts so I'll volunteer a couple of nights a week during that 4th semester. During all 4 of these semesters, I'm working full time and doing what I can to build my career here (in case I decide nursing isn't for me). Work does not know about my potential career change.

We are also paying off several big loans during this 2 year period (both vehicles, motorcycle, camper, a big credit card). Hubby's pay will be enough to cover the mortgage and all bills (cell phones, utilities, food, etc). We'll need spending money, but that's it. I'll apply for every scholarship I can and take out loans only if I have to.

I plan to work as a CNA while in school --- 1 or 2 shifts a week --- the money will help, but mainly, the networking. If I work as a CNA in my hospital of choice then when 500 people are applying for 5 positions, they'll already know and love me. ;)

Although, we're talking 4 years from now (2 pre-reqs and 2 NS). By then maybe we'll have a nursing shortage again and hospitals will once again be offering jobs to students who haven't even graduated yet......hey, one can dream, can't she? ;)

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

:yeah:

GOOD FOR YOU! THIS IS AWESOME

as someone who was recently licensed, and has worked in the nursing school tutoring lab, I wish this level of participation was required for all pre-nursing students, barring of course those who have maybe been a CNA for years or can prove equivilant experience/knowledge....

y'all would not BELIEVE how many people I encounter who seem to have no clue what nursing entails!!!

I had one student the other day who is terrible anyhow, (lazy, misses class all the time, is mean to tutors who don't coddle her etc.) say to me while I was working with her on Micro ( which she is retaking and flunking AGAIN because she never studies) "Gee, I didn't know I would have to take all this science junk for nursing- maybe I'll do something else"

:banghead:

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"I didn't know I'd have to take all this science junk" .... I hear cosmetology is taking applicants

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.
"I didn't know I'd have to take all this science junk" .... I hear cosmetology is taking applicants

;) seriously, right!

Grrr.....she's in here right now ( I am at work) huffing , puffing and grumbling under her breath as per usual about life is oh so unfair.......just gotta breathe.......Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.....

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Rest assured that she will either fall apart during the nursing program, or she'll learn and grow from it. In either case you probably won't hear the mouth flap forever. Nursing school is not that different from the military in some ways. ;]

You're right, you can't change it, but these things tend to sort themselves out all by themselves the more you leave it be.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I took many of the same steps as you. Volunteering in a hospital really opened up my eyes to the reality of what nursing will be. I'm not a CNA, but worked in an assisted living facility as a Caregiver/Med Tech while waiting to get accepted to nursing school, so I feel like I got a good preview of the medical field environment.

Good luck in school!

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Specializes in OB/women's Health, Pharm.

You are to be applauded for doing your homework and for coming into this with your eyes wide open. You seems to have given some real thought to what this entails. As a nursing faculty member, it also is nice to see that you realize that you should not plan on working full time while doing this. You also seem to realize that there is no speedy, convenient, or easy way to become an RN.

Nursing is hard physical work that requires real smarts and high level thinking. Yes, you need to master a lot of science, and be able to do algebra. You also need to be able to read and comprehend college level writing, and be able to put together a coherent sentence with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You will be required to research a topic using sources far beyond Wikipedia and Mayoclinic.com, and then interpret, analyze, and apply what you just read.

From what you have posted, I would bet that you already know how to communicate with others well, and can work successfully as part of a team. Good for you! Those are also key nursing skills.

Getting through school will be a big challenge; for every 1 hour of credit, expect to spend 3 more hours on reading, studying, and assignments. Do not grumble if you have to do clinical on Saturdays or evenings. There is so much competition for slots in hospitals, we take what we can get. That should should clue you in to the fact that this is not a 9 to 5 Monday through Friday job.

You also have to actually care about your fellow human beings, and be willing to put up with them when they are at their most vulnerable, which may mean they will be crabby and demanding. If you are not the kind of person who can at least temporarily put someone else's needs ahead of your own, forget nursing. (That is not addressed to you in particular.)

It worries us long-time nurses greatly to see swarms of people applying to nursing schools in the hopes of having a secure job, or who think they'll go right into grad school and rake in the big $$ as a CRNA. A good chunk of them have no idea what nursing is about, and many are ill-suited to it. Worse yet, some of the in-it-for-the-secure job only ones will make it through and go on to be crappy nurses. I doubt that will be true of you.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

It sounds like you are a very organized person who gives a lot of thought to your actions. I guess I'm pretty much the opposite because I did not do one single thing on your list! I'm pretty happy with how things turned out, though. To each his own!

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Excellent list! I'm a second career nursing student as well and I did every single one of those things except the CNA bit. In my area it has been rough for me to even find a CNA course. I am interviewing for an office job at a local hospital and hope to move up to a tech/CNA position later in my schooling so I get some hands-on experience before I graduate.

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