I would like some opinions from some of you.. maybe you have encountered the same situation??
My husband has a degree in Business Administration and is having the most difficult time trying to find a job in that field. He is slightly envious with my schedule and my pay I receive and now he wanting to go back to school to get a degree in nursing. At first, I thought this is something that would blow over, but now he has talked with an advisor and course curriculum.
If this is something that he truly wanted to do I would not be this concerned, but he has never shown and interest in nursing. If I'm talking about my day he tunes me out. I think he is more appealed by the benefits, schedule, and pay.
So I need your opinions. Am I being completely unsupportive? I just don't want him to waste 3 years going to school (again) for something that he might not like.
I'm doing exactly what your husband is thinking about. Difference is that I'm taking some night courses to get ready. Took A&P I with the intention of getting into an ADN program. I still want to do that but discovered that, even if I never go full time and even if I never get the ADN, I really enjoyed being back in school and giving my brain a workout that different from the day-to-day grind in my little cubicle here.
So, my suggestion would be that he take a few of the preliminary courses before jumping into it with both feet, shadow someone (as previously suggested), and give it a shot.
As far as the bedpans part - in my wife's words "Hey, you've helped raise three kids. Cleaning up poop and vomit shouldn't be any problem for you for a couple of years in nursing school."
You might also suggest that he log on to these boards and look around a bit.
I'm wondering why you say it would take your husband 3 years to become an RN. If he has the required pre-reqs from his first Bachelor's degree, he may be able to do an accelerated second degree BSN in as little as 1 year or max of 2 years. If he doesn't have the necessary pre-reqs, he could always start by taking them part-time at night OR do what I'm doing....going for an ADN. If necessary, I'll pursue a BSN completion program on a part-time basis after I get out in the field of nursing for a while. I was able to transfer 15 (or 18) credits from my BS into the ADN program leaving me to take 41 credits of nursing and 12 credits of science....which is very doable. Actually, when I first applied to this program, the nursing component was only 34 credits which was even better....but the school decided to add 2 new classes to the curriculum starting with my incoming class. While it would be nice to be able to graduate with few credits, both classes seem very worthwile and will most likely be helpful for NCLEX as well as for career development.
I started in nursing for all the wrong reasons. I grew to love it, advanced to a position that is more rewarding than any I could imagine. Please let him do it.
I would suggest that maybe you don't understand what business administration entails. Many of the skills he learned by going to school or working in that field will serve him well in nursing. Especially dealing with pts, res or their families. I am amazed at the lack of understanding many nurses have when it comes to understanding what the res or family is really saying. Because of my retail/business background, more than once, I have stepped in and defused a hostile situation. If he has a BA degree, I doubt this is just some wild idea he concocted. He has looked at all sides of becoming a nurse and the plusses out weigh the minuses. Besides job security, there may be one more + that he is looking at. Nursing is hands on-making a difference in someone's life. You don't get anything close to that in business administration.
First, thanks for all of the input. They've helped quite a bit! Also, my hubby is going for a ADN and the 3 years includes all of the prereq's needed for nursing school. Also, in our area any of the non-floor nursing positions require advanced degrees (or many years experience w/BSN). He is 26 so I know there is time if he doesn't like it.
Again, thanks for the opinions.. they really do help!!!!
I would tell him to shadow some nurses to see what they REALLY do and then decide if it's really for him.
That was my thought too -- but many hospitals are not allowing people to job shadow anymore because of HIPPA regulations.
I had to giggle (just alittle) because my husband has tried a number of jobs -- done them all fairly well -- searching for his nitch.... but he would NEVER even remotely consider nursing!! He gets a little green if I get too descriptive and when the kids (or even the dog for that matter) vomit -- I don't even want him to try to help -- 'cause then I would have to clean up after him too!!! :chuckle
First, thanks for all of the input. They've helped quite a bit! Also, my hubby is going for a ADN and the 3 years includes all of the prereq's needed for nursing school. Also, in our area any of the non-floor nursing positions require advanced degrees (or many years experience w/BSN). He is 26 so I know there is time if he doesn't like it.
Again, thanks for the opinions.. they really do help!!!!
Will the ADN be your husband's first degree or is he combining it with another degree. An ADN combined with a B.S. in Business Administration (or Public Health or Health Care Administration) could be a winning combination. In fact, this combo will provide a nurse with more training in management and macro-level health care issues then one would probably get with a BSN alone.....but that is just my opinion and I don't know how it will hold up in reality.
I had already suggested following a nurse for a shift to get a better feel of what it's like to stand on your feet for 12 hours, deal w/family members, change pads, empty commodes, deal w/doctors, etc. He told me that he doesn't need to.
He doesn't need it? Quite frankly, that's a lousy attitude because I tend to agree that most people need to be exposed to the profession before investing so much time in school.
There are people who go through all the pre-reqs and then, once they get into nursing school, figure out they can't handle the body fluids, etc., even just for clinicals. Meanwhile, they've wasted the school's time and a valuable slot that could have gone to someone else who could handle it. This is one of the reasons some schools require CNA certification before nursing school, and more are considering the same.
To be honest, I too am pursuing a career in nursing mostly because I was tired of being laid off in other professions and I needed a steady career and paycheck. However, I was really worried that was the only reason I was doing it so, I took a CNA course and am working part time as a CNA, even though it's not required by my school.
While I'm not crazy about those days when you're up to your elbows in feces and vomit, I was able to comfort a distressed resident who really needed it the other day. So, I've discovered that this is, in fact, for me. But, people probably need to find this out ahead of time, even if they intend to get jobs beyond the bedside.
Ned the Red
86 Posts
I'm doing exactly what your husband is thinking about. Difference is that I'm taking some night courses to get ready. Took A&P I with the intention of getting into an ADN program. I still want to do that but discovered that, even if I never go full time and even if I never get the ADN, I really enjoyed being back in school and giving my brain a workout that different from the day-to-day grind in my little cubicle here.
So, my suggestion would be that he take a few of the preliminary courses before jumping into it with both feet, shadow someone (as previously suggested), and give it a shot.
As far as the bedpans part - in my wife's words "Hey, you've helped raise three kids. Cleaning up poop and vomit shouldn't be any problem for you for a couple of years in nursing school."
You might also suggest that he log on to these boards and look around a bit.