HARD career decision

[mar12011]

Hi all! I have a possible quandary making my mind turn to scrambled eggs... I have always wanted to be a nurse (LPN or RN), but an impatient decision over 30 yrs ago landed me in an Information Technology route that I inadvertently stayed in for 27+ yrs. Upon getting laid off I went to CNA training and got my first job last month working subacute. I LOVE it, absolutely find it soooooooooooooooo rewarding to help others, and I love the fact of being on my feet and moving around -- I don't love the turning & lifting so much, but that's just b/c I am not that strong. The only downside is the pay - it is close to impossible to survive on the wages.

On a whim last week I saw a Tech Support job with a HUGE medical software company, so I applied. They sent me a written interview of sorts to fill out and return. In it I requested the salary I had made before I got laid off from my last Tech Support job, which is nearly THREE times the amount I make as a CNA!!! I now have a phone interview set up for Tues. morning w/them. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo confused as what to do.

If I take the job I would be learning the ins & outs of the software that many hospital staff folks use, which could be a plus if I eventually become an LPN or RN. BUT I would lose the chance of the highly valuable experience working subacute right now. PLUS like I said, I love the CNA job. I am going to a comm college on Mon. to inquire about their LPN program. It would be real hard to go to school while learning the software for the Tech Support job, and I would be on pager duty rotation with that job, which would make it hard to commit to classes.

AAAAAAAAAAARGH!! I know this all sounds jumbled -- I don't know that there is any one "good" decision to be made. :confused:

[mar12011]

good pt!!!

[TaraAnn91]

Thank you Bryan :) very helpful, I think I might like working in a place like that :)

[mar12011]

TaraAnn91 - yeah subacute is definitely a better deal than LTCF as far as I can tell. There is so much variance between patients, and for the most part they are not there for more than a month or two.

Brian -- I forgot to add to my last comment, I am confused as to your suggesting I should take a CNA job... I have a CNA job already. But I've been working all night and so am probably not reading what you wrote correctly.

[mymy1219]

I think if you want to be in the health care field stay there however if your finanical situation does not allow you, then do what you have to do.

[Reese2012]

I was a CNA for 9 months and then quit because the pay was so low, I could not survive on it. I went back into the law field (as a legal assistant) and I am going to stay here until I get into nursing school. If I were you I would take the job that you can survive on. If possible work on the weekends as a CNA so you can still get the experience for ns.

[Thujone]

I was the one who had been up too long. Honestly, I had forgotten what your original post said, lol, but in my mind I just sort of put some information together to make it work, I guess.

Anyway, I would work as a CNA at least for a year, that way you can say you have some experience in the nursing field which will, IMO, be a good thing for you when employers are looking at your resume.

[mar12011]

Well hey all, it all is looking a little calmer for my head to deal with now. I had a phone interview for the Tech Support job today and it sounds like an outstanding job and place to work, but it also sounds like there are dozens of other candidates in the running, so I was really putting the cart WAY before the horse on this. Funny how things go, I was thinking I'd be better off taking the IT job this morning, thinking I'm just not equipped enough at the turning patients deal and all that in my CNA job (last night was not so great all around at work). But just when I think I would go the IT route, the job becomes more elusive, either way it's a win-win for me in one way or the other. I love the CNA job that I have, even if I'm not so great at it, so if I stay there I am happy. I did make it to the next round of the interview process with the IT job, and so have another phone interview on Friday, but with so many to compete with for the job, only the Lord knows if I'll get an offer -- if I do, that's great too.

Thanks again for all of your advice on this!!!!!!!!!!! :0)