I just realized nursing is my dream job

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SO. last night after 6+ hours researching/"discovering" the field i realized i wanted to be a nurse!!

I'm currently attending Santa Clara University in my Junior year with a Psych Major which i intend on completing but really realized i have no passion for. i've always been the kind of student who flip flops between career paths and have never been super excited about what i was getting into.. but last night it felt like i had a moment of epiphany and now i can't stop thinking about it. I work in a preschool, and i LOVE kids. the idea of being a pediatric nurse practitioner is one that just gets me so excited I want to jump into a nursing program pronto!!

my question is this: exactly how difficult/challenging is it to go from a non-nursing degree into a masters CNP program? I was hoping to discover a program specifically for pediatrics as well. I'm aware of the prereq's i'd have to take but had no idea how difficult it was to get into nursing school... can anyone offer some guidance or insight into the major hurtles for this career change? I was planning to go to grad school for psych anyways so a few more years spent in education really isn't a big deal for me..

I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

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This won't really be what you're looking for, but I just want to say congrats on the epiphany! Mine came 3 weeks ago last Friday! I work full time at a marketing firm and LOVE it, but nursing is the road for me. I'm taking pre-req's this Fall and hoping to get into the ADN program at a local community college Fall '12. Best of luck to us both!

If you're like me, you're probably obsessing over allnurses.com :) Lots of great information out there!

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I cant help much but wish you good luck on your goals I myself am starting my prerequisites for nursing and hoping to start ADN program fall of 12'.

Hi Chattnursehopeful: I too work full time for a Law group and just realized a few months ago Nursing is my thing... preferably pediatric, I am in the beginning stages i am meeting up with college advisers and getting info hopefully starting my prerequisites this fall and start the nursing program next fall. any words of advise? what college are you attending??

I don't know the first thing I should do to get on the right track to my nursing career, all I have are Blogs and nursing websites... Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you and Good Luck to both!

Mary

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Hi Mary! I thrilled for you too! It's nerve wracking though, huh?

I graduated in '08 with a BS in Marketing so already have 4 of the 9 pre-reqs done. I hope to finish two or tree more this fall. Completed: math, humanities, English, speech

Fall '11: a&p I and nutrition (possibly human growth and development too)

Spring or summer '11: microbiology

Every school is a bit different but I've found thatcommunity colleges that are close to each other have similar reqs and classes transfer. That allows you to take pre-reqs at one school then apply to multiple ones. I'm looking at Chattanooga State Community College which is where I'm taking classes. I got my BS at UT Chattanooga.

Does that help? I'm prob not much help as I'm on the journey too, but that's just the game plan I'm praying gets me into the program next fall. Eeeeek! I'm already nervous.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

How nice to hear that you have all experienced a "calling" for nursing..... I know that this is a really old fashioned concept, but that's OK - because I'm an old nurse - LOL. I absolutely believe that it requires this passionate level of commitment to really be happy and fulfilled as a clinical nurse - not just to consider it a means to an end (e.g., living wage, advancement to administration, etc.).

In the USA, Pre-licensure nursing education is designed to produce a nurse generalist - no matter whether it is a diploma, AD, BSN or MSN program..... it is a general education. Specialization only happens after you become an RN. You can obtain specialty 'credentials' by becoming certified in a specialty as a BSN nurse, but the majority of certification examinations require a specific amount of hours working in that specialty. You will also need clinical experience to qualify for admission to an advanced practice (NP, CNM, CRNA, etc) program.

So - it will be several years before you can achieve your goal. In the meantime, you will be exposed to all sorts of different clinical areas during your education - who knows, you might even fall in love with a different specialty area along the way. Best of luck to everyone! Keep us posted on your progress.

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Hi Mary! I thrilled for you too! It's nerve wracking though, huh?

I graduated in '08 with a BS in Marketing so already have 4 of the 9 pre-reqs done. I hope to finish two or tree more this fall. Completed: math, humanities, English, speech

Fall '11: a&p I and nutrition (possibly human growth and development too)

Spring or summer '11: microbiology

Every school is a bit different but I've found thatcommunity colleges that are close to each other have similar reqs and classes transfer. That allows you to take pre-reqs at one school then apply to multiple ones. I'm looking at Chattanooga State Community College which is where I'm taking classes. I got my BS at UT Chattanooga.

Does that help? I'm prob not much help as I'm on the journey too, but that's just the game plan I'm praying gets me into the program next fall. Eeeeek! I'm already nervous.

Wow, Thanks... But for the looks of it you have much accomplished I don't even have 1 college class started yet so I'm starting from scratch... I'm going today to to speak to a few colleges and see what works out from there... I haven't started and I'm scared. I have learned so many positive and negative feedback that I don't know what to think... LOL

Question: Can you choose how many classes you want to take in a semester?

Well I want to wish you the best of LUCK to all!!! and hopefully all goes well today... I have no Idea how college works, nor funds and classes none the less!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Mary

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I am in exactly the same boat! I intended to graduate with a BA in Anthropology this fall, but instead I've added a Pre-Nursing major and am taking Microbiology and a few other pre-reqs in the fall at Georgia State University. I'm thrilled to have realized it before graduating!

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Question: Can you choose how many classes you want to take in a semester?

Well I want to wish you the best of LUCK to all!!! and hopefully all goes well today... I have no Idea how college works, nor funds and classes none the less!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Mary

when taking your pre-reqs, you can choose how many classes to take. If you are taking financial aid, then you would have to decide if you are full-time or part time and that may dictate how many classes you have to take. For nursing school, it seems the track of how many classes and what classes are already laid out and you have to follow that.

I've kind of had a gentle calling/internal nagging to go into a health related field and when I researched nursing, it seemed to fit me so I started taking pre-reqs and researching but it the last couple months, I had somewhat of an epiphany that it is definitely what I need to do.

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when taking your prereqs, you can choose how many classes to take. If you are taking financial aid, then you would have to decide if you are full-time or part time and that may dictate how many classes you have to take. For nursing school, it seems the track of how many classes and what classes are already laid out and you have to follow that.

I've kind of had a gentle calling/internal nagging to go into a health related field and when I researched nursing, it seemed to fit me so I started taking prereqs and researching but it the last couple months, I had somewhat of an epiphany that it is definitely what I need to do.

Thank you so much, this certainly clears up a lot. I will be going to school full time, as for the Financial Aid, I need to apply to all that stuff, I'm thinking of attending Miami Dade Community College down here so I hope the advisers can help me in all I need. I have a long journey ahead, I am just now starting from scratch. I have about 12 prereqs to finish and a few extra classes that I have been looking into like Medical Terminology, Nutrition and Getting certified in CPR etc... As for my calling, I have always wanted to be a Pediatric Doctor, but unfortunately the road of life took me on a different path at a young age, so now that I finally have a chance to get my dreams somewhat accomplished 2 kids later I considered taking Nursing which is as close as I'll get to my original dream. I want to end up on an L&D floor or a Pediatric Unit. Lets see right now my main focus is starting and getting thru all my prereqs and making sure I get accepted into a Nursing School.

Wish me Luck!! **FINGERS CROSSED**

AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!

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