From Business Degree to BSN

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Hello everyone,

I am currently at a cross-roads. I have been pursuing my BS while working full-time in the healthcare industry (business administration side)...I am exactly at the half point with my studies and find myself considering a career in nursing.

I spent a year and a half traveling to 13 different hospitals training OR nurses and got to see what they do. I was training them on how to use a barcode scanner to scan implants.

I spend my off-time volunteering as much as i can helping others, meals-on-wheels, project angel food, etc. I feel happiest when I am helping people directly, rather than running savings analysis that might or might not help patients.

I would like to hear the experiences of anyone who changed careers in their late 20s or early 30s to nursing. If you already are a nurse after making the change, is it everything you hoped for? (though i understand perfect is in the eye of the beholder)

thank you all for your input in advance.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I do not fit the late 20-30's. I was 45 when I started nursing school. Finally occured to me that I would probably work another 20 years so it might as well be doing something I liked. No regrets.

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I recently changed my career. I graduated with a degree in Psychology and worked in substance abuse treatment centers. While I did love my job I knew nursing was a better fit for me so I applied to an accelerated BSN/MSN program and was accepted. Judging from what you have said I think a career in nursing would be a good fit for you.

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I do not fit the late 20-30's. I was 45 when I started nursing school. Finally occured to me that I would probably work another 20 years so it might as well be doing something I liked. No regrets.

thank you so much for your input. I welcome all experiences...i suppose i was projecting some of my own insecurities about my age. I am 31 and feel rather old to be changing course, but I am to the point where i dread being at work in my cubicle.

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I recently changed my career. I graduated with a degree in Psychology and worked in substance abuse treatment centers. While I did love my job I knew nursing was a better fit for me so I applied to an accelerated BSN/MSN program and was accepted. Judging from what you have said I think a career in nursing would be a good fit for you.

Thank you.

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Lol! Reading your post sounded exactly like me. I graduated 3 years ago with a Bachelors in Business Administration and half way through my program I realized I didn't want to do anything with business(discovered this after the completion of a summer internship between my sophomore and junior year...hated it). I wanted a more interactive career where I really helped people, instead of sitting behind a desk staring at a computer screen. I thought about what career would fit what I really wanted and I discovered nursing. I set up a shadowing experience at a hospital and loved it. The school I was attending didn't offer nursing so I figured since I was half done with the business degree I should just complete it. I tried to convince myself I could find a job I enjoyed utilizing business degree but that didn't work. I graduated with the business degree in spring '07...took the next year to take the remaining prereqs need to apply for nursing school...started nursing school in fall '08....and graduated nursing school last thursday. I'm in my mid 20's currently. Could I have made more money with my business degree...probably. But I really love nursing I'm so excited to start my new job in August in the specialty I love! Good luck to you and it's never to late to become a nurse!:nurse:

btw my best friend from nursing school is in her early 30s and also had a previous degree in business!

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thank you so much for your input. I welcome all experiences...i suppose i was projecting some of my own insecurities about my age. I am 31 and feel rather old to be changing course, but I am to the point where i dread being at work in my cubicle.

Don't feel too old for a change. I was in the same position when I graduated with my BBA and started working. It just didn't feel right. I enjoyed working with people but wanted it in some different capacity. Then I just had this thought: well, I am in my late 20ies-early 30ies and I plan on retiring at, let say, 65ish, wow, that leaves me with about 30 something more years of employment, and doing something I don't like, just to cover my bills such a waste !!! of my productive years. I understand now that we're sometimes pressured to feel "old, late, etc" to start again, to change something by this common view of how "normal" course of events usually is: "since my childhood I always wanted to be a nurse, doctor, astronaut, blah-blah, finished high school, got in/got out of college, had no any roadblock on my way to eternal happiness..." Haha, life usually doesn't quite go in such a direction. Sorry, just too lengthy. Good luck to you and you'll succeed if you put your mind to it.

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Specializes in Global Health Informatics, MNCH.

I started nursing school at 29 after working as programmer for 7 years. I, like you, hated being in a cubicle everyday. I have always been interested in public health. I was at dinner one night with a bunch of people from my Mom's job (she's a director at a community health center) and they just seemed to care about their work and I wanted to feel like that. Luckily (or stupidly) because I double majored in undergrad I had all the pre-reqs done so from the time I decided to apply (August) till the time I started (June) was less than a year. I was also accepted into an accelerated BSN/MSN program. I did have a hiccup in that I really didn't know what specialty I wanted to do for the MSN and I changed it a few times (fortunately I went to a school that allows that). After the first semester of the MSN portion I took time off and got an MPH instead. To make a long story short, I'm not finishing the MSN, instead I'm getting my PhD in nursing. I love nursing and what nurses do but what I really love is global public health and nursing informatics. I have finished all my coursework and will be sitting for my qualifying exams shortly (really should be studying right now). In September, I'll be going to Africa to do the initial data collection for my dissertation. So with that, definitely have to say going to nursing school was one of my all time best decisions.

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Don't feel too old for a change. I was in the same position when I graduated with my BBA and started working. It just didn't feel right. I enjoyed working with people but wanted it in some different capacity. Then I just had this thought: well, I am in my late 20ies-early 30ies and I plan on retiring at, let say, 65ish, wow, that leaves me with about 30 something more years of employment, and doing something I don't like, just to cover my bills such a waste !!! of my productive years. I understand now that we're sometimes pressured to feel "old, late, etc" to start again, to change something by this common view of how "normal" course of events usually is: "since my childhood I always wanted to be a nurse, doctor, astronaut, blah-blah, finished high school, got in/got out of college, had no any roadblock on my way to eternal happiness..." Haha, life usually doesn't quite go in such a direction. Sorry, just too lengthy. Good luck to you and you'll succeed if you put your mind to it.

Not too lengthy :)

Thank you, this is a good way to put some perspective on it.

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I started nursing school at 29 after working as programmer for 7 years. I, like you, hated being in a cubicle everyday. I have always been interested in public health. I was at dinner one night with a bunch of people from my Mom's job (she's a director at a community health center) and they just seemed to care about their work and I wanted to feel like that. Luckily (or stupidly) because I double majored in undergrad I had all the pre-reqs done so from the time I decided to apply (August) till the time I started (June) was less than a year. I was also accepted into an accelerated BSN/MSN program. I did have a hiccup in that I really didn't know what specialty I wanted to do for the MSN and I changed it a few times (fortunately I went to a school that allows that). After the first semester of the MSN portion I took time off and got an MPH instead. To make a long story short, I'm not finishing the MSN, instead I'm getting my PhD in nursing. I love nursing and what nurses do but what I really love is global public health and nursing informatics. I have finished all my coursework and will be sitting for my qualifying exams shortly (really should be studying right now). In September, I'll be going to Africa to do the initial data collection for my dissertation. So with that, definitely have to say going to nursing school was one of my all time best decisions.

thank you for sharing your experience! have a wonderful time in Africa.

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Lol! Reading your post sounded exactly like me. I graduated 3 years ago with a Bachelors in Business Administration and half way through my program I realized I didn't want to do anything with business(discovered this after the completion of a summer internship between my sophomore and junior year...hated it). I wanted a more interactive career where I really helped people, instead of sitting behind a desk staring at a computer screen. I thought about what career would fit what I really wanted and I discovered nursing. I set up a shadowing experience at a hospital and loved it. The school I was attending didn't offer nursing so I figured since I was half done with the business degree I should just complete it. I tried to convince myself I could find a job I enjoyed utilizing business degree but that didn't work. I graduated with the business degree in spring '07...took the next year to take the remaining prereqs need to apply for nursing school...started nursing school in fall '08....and graduated nursing school last thursday. I'm in my mid 20's currently. Could I have made more money with my business degree...probably. But I really love nursing I'm so excited to start my new job in August in the specialty I love! Good luck to you and it's never to late to become a nurse!:nurse:

btw my best friend from nursing school is in her early 30s and also had a previous degree in business!

thank you for sharing, this is exactly where I am. I am in a way glad that I have not graduated and can easily make the switch, without any student loans to speak of...perhaps this is the time when i can use that card.

Best of luck on your new job!

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Do a little cost-benefit analysis. Factor in opportunity cost. If you can afford the financial hit, go for it.

I have a previous business degree, and worked in sales, project management, etc. I started taking science pre-reqs when I was 35. I recently got accepted to an accelerated BSN program that starts in the fall. So far so good.

Good luck!

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