How does one make this career change?

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 24, 2008

Why don't you continue to teach as a substitute? My sister was a public school teacher for 30 years. When she hit that 30 year mark, she decided to semi-retire. So now, she just works part-time as a substitute teacher. She gets plenty of work, but doesn't work when she doesn't want to. While she has to pay for her own health insurance, she has access to the school district's group rates.

Is that an option for you? You could work more (and be paid a professional salary) when your nursing school load was light -- but not be obligated for times when your student load was heavy.

Are there any other part-time teaching options available that would get you access to health insurance at a group rate and some income? (My sister also teaches 1 college course per year.) Is their tutoring you could do? ... Or work in a learning center part time? etc.

Munchkin315 · Feb 24, 2008

I have some savings, and my financial adviser says I can survive for 2 years on that, but I will have no med. insurance. Scary! I plan to try to work part time through as much of this as I can.
quote]
I'm not sure about where you live, but in MN they have a program called MNHealth, which is a state offered insurence program. To qualify you have to be over 21, or a pregnant female, not be claimed as a dependent, and you have to have been without insurence for four months. I am not sure if all states have a program like this, but it may be worth looking into. It is probably not the best insurence out there, but it is something. Also, I know that you can purchuse individual insurence through insurence companies, but it can be a little spendy.
Hope this helps, and good luck in school!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2008

For my program, you HAD to provide proof of health insurance or buy it in a group policy from the school. Ours was through Blue Cross/Blue Shield and it was actually decent.

You can get Federal loans (although there are limits on the amounts) and there are scholarships out there; contact the school's financial aid office and hopefully they can help you.

The oldest person in my accelerated program at Duke was 52. Old, you are not! My father used to say that you're only old when they pull the lid over your head - so I'm thinking you're just fine for now!

Keep looking at your options; if this is something you really want you're sure to find a way to make it happen!

picurn10 · Feb 25, 2008

can you do summer school? The Community College I'm at now has 4-week classes during the regular semester that meet on Sat.'s all day. Things like Psy, Soc., English, History, some of the basics that you might be needing. In addition they have "intersessions" which are two weeks long. So if you did a few classes that way, could you then have a very light load and do night school in the Fall?

Also, I've taken several of my pre-req's at the community college and they are cheaper and less challenging than University level.

I'm a single mom about to start nusing school in August and I can understand the stress level, but you can do it! I wait tables at night and I make more than I would with my LPN in this area, so it pays well but I have the flexibility of only working a few nights a week :up:

MaineEMT2RN · Feb 25, 2008

I'm 48 too and will be starting clinical's in September. I will be working two 24 hour shifts in a large hospital as a CNA for two reasons. A) the experience, and B) the health insurance! Most of the hospitals in this area allow 24/wk employees access to their group health. The employee contribution is greater, but nothing like purchasing insurance as an individual.

I've manager so far without needing to take out any financial aid, but have worked really hard throughout this past year during pre-req's to eliminate all debt and have as low a cost of living as possible, so a regular schedule of 24 hours/week is doable. My kids are grown and on their own so I don't have child associated expenses to be concerned with any more. When the load is light at school I can always pick up extra shifts. I'll also still take 2 shifts per month on the ambulance to maintain my EMT license, but there's not much $$$ and certainly no insurance benefits in that!

Best of luck to you! School is so much better at this point in life!

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 25, 2008

I forgot to say in my previous post: ...

Both times I went to grad school, I quit my job and lived on scholarships, loans, and part-time jobs. Also, both grad schools had group health insurance policies available through the schools' student associations. My primary care needs were managed (for practically free) through the student health clinics.

Gurmo · Feb 25, 2008

i guess a question that comes to mind is if you have to enter so early? when i decided to make a career change, i planned out that i could have quit work and gone to school full time or start taking classes and push getting into nursing school a year.

i basically decided the second route because i didn't want to have to struggle with money and figured i could put off getting a nursing degree a year.

for my program, you had to provide proof of health insurance or buy it in a group policy from the school. ours was through blue cross/blue shield and it was actually decent.

i'm going to have to check to see if the school i want to apply to has this option!

also, there are numerous places that offer individual medical insurance. it would be much cheaper than cobra offered by your current employer, even if it is just for catastrophic emergencies.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

Forgive me, but I HAVE to comment on this, because whenever I see it, it really upsets me.

I would not say that community college courses are "less challenging" than those at the university level. In order to obtain approval for courses to transfer directly to state universities, community colleges have to prove that the courses they are offering are comparable to those at the university system in question.

My BSN was my second BS. I've taken several science courses at the university level, including a year of organic chemistry - in a class designed for pre-engineering students. I can assure you that the anatomy and the micro I took at the community college level was no less difficult than any course I've ever taken at any university.

In fact, in some ways, the courses at community colleges are harder (I've taken college physics and calculus at the community college level - I thought I wanted to go to pharmacy school) because the classes are so much smaller. I had micro and A&P exams with long-answer essay questions. My friends who took it at local universities didn't have that. You haven't lived until you've taken an A&P exam with essays.

Don't be fooled by - or even underestimate - community colleges. "Cheaper" doesn't necessarily mean "easier" - and when it comes to educational reputation and the value you're expecting for your dollar, that's a good thing.

Sorry, all - that's just a big pet peeve of mine.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

i guess a question that comes to mind is if you have to enter so early? when i decided to make a career change, i planned out that i could have quit work and gone to school full time or start taking classes and push getting into nursing school a year.
i basically decided the second route because i didn't want to have to struggle with money and figured i could put off getting a nursing degree a year.
also, there are numerous places that offer individual medical insurance. it would be much cheaper than cobra offered by your current employer, even if it is just for catastrophic emergencies.

blue cross/blue shield has policies that you can purchase privately for not a whole lot of money. they're what i call "catastrophic coverage" - policies with high deductibles - you can make payments on bills to hospitals, but if you're in a major car wreck, you're going to need something to pick up the bills after the first five hundred bucks (or even a grand). if the school you're attending has a student health service, you're going to be able to use that for free or next to free while you're in school, so primary care is covered. i would imagine that other large insurers - like united healthcare - probably have similar policies available.

basically what the school wants to know is that you're covered should the unimaginable become reality. cobra is going to run you about five to seven hundred a month, depending on your current group policy's rate. in short, cobra is a ripoff.

Gurmo · Feb 26, 2008

Basically what the school wants to know is that you're covered should the unimaginable become reality. COBRA is going to run you about five to seven hundred a month, depending on your current group policy's rate. In short, COBRA is a ripoff.

Oh so true. I've worked in the industry and know all about it. They usually run about 102% of what the company was paying for. So unless you absolutely know that you are leaving, you can actually try to make the damage less by chosing a cheaper coverage around open enrollment.

I've actually looked at individual policies before when I was transitioning jobs and yeah nothing is really cheap. I haven't heard of these student health care though, interesting....

Thanks!

HM2VikingRN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

Can you work 1/2 time? Usually you maintain insurance eligibility as long as you are working at least half time....

I finished my accelerated degree Dec 07 at 47 so I don't think that you are going to be too old...