help me

[lcarey]

hi, im new at this. im 20 years old and im trying to afford college to become a RN. i have one year under my belt and even with the grants and loans i cant afford another semester. i have thought a lot about becoming an STNA because the money would be a little better than what i am making now and its on the path to what i ultimatley want to spend my future doing. My father passed away from cancer when i was 14, with my mother passing a year before with heart disease. We had great support from outside nursing with my father's illness and i decided that i want to spend the rest of my life helping the sick and making their families as comfortable as possible with whatever illness my patient would have. My goal is to work in the pediatric unit, maybe in the NIC-U, with premature newborns and their families, and maybe child illnesses. but... i have to get their first. if anyone out their has any idea on how i can receive help affording STNA classes or maybe home health aid classes, please let me know!!! Im so excited to start my career and it's so frustrating to not know where or how to begin. If anyone has any ideas... any kind of grant or anything... i would very much appreciate the information.

sincerely,

future RN

[AfloydRN, BSN, RN]

I worked FT as a CNA and had a child to support. If you want it bad enough, you can do anything. It's only temporary. Work hard and get it done.

[CHATSDALE]

this is not going to be easy but i feel that you are motivated and that is half the battle..i don't know in your state how long you have to be in clinicals before you can sit for lpn licensure

try and get some training as aide, then advance to lpn..you can usually find a job on weekend option and that will give you an income and leave the weekdays open for school

good luck

[SCRN1]

How about working as a CNA while going to school at a hospital that provides reimbursements for education? We have lots who do that.

[TrudyRN]

Go to www.fastweb.com and learn what scholarships and grants are available for nursing school.

Contact the financial aid office at your school and get info about the Federal Nurse Traineeship (or maybe google it). It is grant money from the federal gov. available to all students who ask, until the yearly allotment runs dry.

contact yoru state's education board and see what grants and scholarships are av throught the state.

Consider joining the military. Great education and other benefits.

Do NOT have children just yet if you don't already. It's easier to get your schooling out of the way while single and not caring for chldren.

Best of luck to you. You can do it. We all managed. Even if you have to take out loans, just do it. Can any siblings help? Grandparents, other relatives? Your church?

[KellNY, RN]

if anyone out their has any idea on how i can receive help affording STNA classes

I'm sorry--what's a STNA?

Many places offer home health aid "courses" for free. Be aware though, my sister makes more money per hour at McDonalds as a crew chief than most HHA's I've talked to. Sad, but they make min wage or barely over, usually.

[lcarey]

what exactly is a CNA?

[KellNY, RN]

Certified Nurses Assistant

[Cattitude]

also try getting a job at a hospital that will pay for nursing school. that's what i did. i worked as a unit clerk at a large county medical center that offered free tuition at the local county community college which had an excellent adn program. then my current employer paid for my bsn and will be paying for my msn. see how nicely it all works out???