I want to get into nursing but it's looking like an uphill battle

[Lost in Chicago]

unfortunately, i've recently made this decision. after high school. after college. after a few years of work. i graduated from a very tough university in virginia where i studied political science. save one course, health care policies and politics, and the occasional "why a pack of monkeys could great a more logical health care system than the u.s. has" essay, i have no health care related educational experience. furthermore, despite the moniker "political science," i never touched microbiology, organic chemistry, or...well...any science whatsoever.

i do no know what the best course of action is for my entrance into the wild world of nursing. i don't have a considerable amount of spare cash and would ideally like to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. from what i understand my best two options would be to enroll in an asn program or take the necessary prerequisite courses at a community college and apply for a graduate's entry to nursing program. i don't really know how to go about looking into either.

my other question (as if this post wasn't already long enough) is regarding what i should do in the meantime career wise. i would like to work in some health care-related capacity, but my credentials are sales and political science...neither of which is conducive to landing a hospital job. here, although i know i haven't flushed out all the probably necessary details, i will end this post. please ask any qualifying questions you might have and i will greatly appreciate any advice you can give me. thanks again.

oh, and hi...i'm joey.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Hi Joey! Welcome to Allnurses!

Becoming a RN is a tedious process for sure. One option is the accellerated BSN programs that are designed for persons like you that have a degree in another field. They are tough and demanding but take only a year. They can be expensive too. But it's worth looking into. They have pre-reqs like A&P and Microbiology, but much of your other courses will come into good use.

Going the ASN route is also an option. It usually takes longer, but costs less. The pre-reqs usually are the same.

I'm not sure what entry level positions you can get at a hospital without experience. But you might look into taking a CNA course, to get your foot in the door. Some hospitals have on-the-job training in tech work, orderlies and transporters that might get your foot in the door. For example if you work as a transporter, you will might qualify for their tuition reimbursement program which will help you become a nurse. With your degree you might be overqualified for those positions, but if you explain to them you're long-term goal is nursing, they just might take you on.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions.

[kjack87]

I think one of the first things that everyone going through a career change needs to do is evaluate why they want to be a nurse and from there figure out what path you want to take to get there.

There is a website that lists all of the accelerated programs in the Country(as of 2006). The other thing you can do is go to your state (or any state you are interested in) Board of Nursing website and it will tell you the approved programs and some even have the history of the NCLEX pass rates.

Another thing is do not let previous GPA or financial issues keep you from applying to programs, because even though getting into nursing school my be difficult, schools offer financial aid and scholarships and partner with hospitals for loan forgiveness programs, so keep trudging through the wealth of information and experience here and good luck!

[aeauooo]

I got into my ADN program after working as a CNA in a nursing home and completing A&P and micro.

You'll find a lot of discussion about the benefits of a BSN over an ADN, but as far as I can tell, no level of education beats experience. I got my BSN (online) only because I decided to on for an MPH.

Who knows, maybe you'll end up putting that political science degree to good use as a nurse.