I need opinions please!!!!!

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I got out of the marines in july, and have been working a full time job. My goal is to become an RN, but I am independent and have to support myself while i go to school. I have contemplated becoming a medical assistant or nursing assistant and working the evening shift while going to schoool to become an RN full time during the day. I could also join a first aid squad and become a certified EMT and get a job doing that in the evenings. I don't know what would be the best thing to do. I am so torn. I want to start school for one of these soon. Does anyone have an opinion on what would be the best direction to go Medical assistant, nursing assistant or EMT. Please help.

Specializes in B.S. Psychology.
Online LPN-RN programs will still have in-person clinicals.

Not Excelsior's program. They have one weekend of clincal exams to be passed before graduation and sitting for the NCLEX-RN...

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Hmm I'm not sure if this applies to you but it seems like a lot of empolyers are willing to help work out your schedule if you're in school. Also this depends on where you go to school, some schools let you pick your schedule and offer multiple times to take courses. I'm working full time and going to school full time, I work 36 hours straight on the weekend to make it work and one night a week. I picked my own schedule at this place. Before I simply told other employers the hours I could and could not work and they were cool with it.

I say you might want to try being a med aid or caregiver the experience is great and it requires (at least in my state) only three days of on site training. Pay sucks but you can survive on it. I used to work a five night sleep shift deal, ten bucks an hour to sleep! If you can find those jobs they are pretty sweet.

Anywho I wish you the best of luck tell us how it goes in school!

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Specializes in pediatric and geriatric.

Maybe you could try home health care through an agency. They usually are flexible and you may have lots of down time to study. I was a CNA on second shift for awhile and sometimes we had down time, but not alot. Working FT and going to school will be hard either way, but if it is your goal I think you can do it. EMT may be very stressful, but you would see alot of things. Well good luck.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics.

I agree that you should definitely do the CNA thing, as mentioned by others in this thread. I will say that nursing school can be quite difficult for some, and extremely time-consuming for all. Try not to overload yourself too much because it may burn you out before you begin. Go for your dream, but be very practical in your planning. I know many people who work full-time as a CNA and go to school part-time. Working and going to school both full-time would be almost impossible depending on the type of school you go to.

More power to ya, and thanks for serving!

I wish you all the best!

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Do you not qualify for any veteran related student aid? Or for that matter any student aid or pell grants? My husband went to college after he got out of the Army, and all of his schooling and living expenses were paid.

I am getting ready to start LPN school in Jan., and from all of my research (and constantly nagging my nurse friends), I have come to the conclusion if you can just get through the 1st yr. of school, get your LPN license and work part time or PRN, then finish up your 2nd yr. (RN) most hospitals will pay for your RN in exchange for you signing an employment contract and you will be making enough to pay the rent.

So that being said....if you can just find a way to make it through the 1st yr., start your LPN as soon as possible and save the time and money of getting your CNA or MA.

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Oh, I forgot. A lot of hospitals here (Louisville, KY) hire techs...and they LOVE nursing students! You don't need any formal training, they train you, and from what I hear it is great experience. Maybe you could check on this!

Good Luck and Keep us Posted!

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I don't have a wife. I have just been out on my own since i was 18, so i need to have a full time job to support myself. (rent, food, gas, etc..)

Please, please, please tell me you signed up for the GI bill when you went in??????

I was an EMT for my first job, and that training still helps me in the ICU till this day. I'd do EMT.

Plus, the shifts are pretty flexible, and you often have down time to study-something that you won't have as a CNA...

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

Your first best option would be to get student loans so you won't have to work.

In my opinion, the second best option would be EMT. I have a classmate who worked as an EMT our first year of school. He used to joke "do you know what EMS stands for? Earn money sleeping!"

I don't know if that's true, but he was able to find gigs where there wasn't a lot going on and he could study until something did happen. I work in a dialysis clinic and the EMTs who transport a lot of our patients spend hours sitting in their rigs or in our lobby waiting for patients to get finished with treatment and then transport them back home. You could knock out a few chapters of reading in that time.

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Specializes in LTC.

First off I would look at how long each program takes to complete. Also I would look at how much you will spend right now since you are concerned about finances. You'll still have to pay to take the program before you can start working. I know here in Iowa, it is 6 weeks to through CNA training and my college required us to take this training before we were accepted in the program. I know its not like that every where but you might want to check first. I believe an EMT course here is some where from 4-6 month program. I think I would look at where you plan to go to college and find out what the classes are they have to take and see maybe if any of the CNA or EMT classes would help you out. Good luck.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
So when would you sleep? :)

He is a Marine who was in Iraq! He doesn't need sleep!

Working at night and going to school in the day will be a breeze comparatively....

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Specializes in ccu cardiovascular.

Thank you for serving our country marine. I too was a former marine(yes i'm a woman) and once i got out i went to school. There really are alot of options out there. Try looking into your local hospital RN programs, get a job as a cna first. Most cna programs only take between 6 weeks to three months. Some hospital programs will pay for your schooling if you sign a contract to work for them for a certain amount of time. Some will only do this for current employees. When i was going to school it was a night/ weekend program. We did classes at night and clinical every other weekend. I got a job working around my schedule through the week on nightshift. Yes i was tired after going to class from 6-10pm 3 times a week, then working 11-7pm but you do what you have to do. Good luck and SEMPER FI!!!

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