Intro and looking for anybody going to Riverside

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.

Hi

First post here. I'm looking at going back to school for nursing after many years of working and a stint in the Navy that ended a while ago. Without dating myself too much, I graduated college almost 30 years ago. Having spent too many hours working in a cube for various government contractors and not getting much if any personal satisfaction out of it, I made the decision to try something very different from my previous careers which was to shoot for Nursing. As an older male, I am probably not the typical wannabe nursing student.

Initial reactions from those closest to me were that I was crazy. That may be, but it didn't dissuade me. :banghead: With a degree in Psychology, I have most of the college pre-req's covered with the exception of the two A&P courses and Micro. I went ahead and took the first A&P over at TCC this summer and am enrolled in the second part for this semester, along with Microbiology. Micro will be online, so that should be interesting. I did well enough for the first A&P, the hardest part were the practicals since there is so much rote memorization involved and that was never my strongest suite. In any event, I feel like I am pushing ahead as much as I can at this point and am keeping my fingers crossed. I have never studied anything that was medical before, but I find it all fascinating.

I have applied to Riverside School of Nursing in Newport News and am hoping to get in for the Jan 2010 class. I toured the campus and liked what I saw. I am not looking to climb the ladder of another career field but would like to be able to work where there is a good amount of hands on patient contact. Maybe that is naive on my part, but that's what I think I would like to do. So for me, a diploma at the far end is fine, as long as I will be able to be employed. Normally, I like to have at least a plan B, but I don't see that I have an alternative to Riverside in this area. I need to stay employed for the next 3 years to build up Retirement funds and to pay for this tuition and Riverside is the ONLY program that is offering a part time option and is local to me. Sentara is full time and has gone to a BSN and is essentially closed til 2011. Bon Secours was offering a part time option but it would have entailed traveling up to Richmond one night per week. They have now changed that in lieu of going down the BSN route same as Sentara. I asked about Riverside going to a BSN and was told that they will consider it, but have not made any plans to do so currently. TCC and the the other colleges in the area are all days so they are out. Bottom line is Riverside or nothing. And if I don't make it in for the next class, I don't see me hanging around for another year since they only start the part time program in January.

So my next step in the process is the TEAS test on the 14th of September. Assuming I do ok with that, then I have an interview with the admissions board sometime later. It feels like I have a bunch of dominoes that all have to fall in the right direction and at the right time for this to all work out. Not normally the way I like to plan things. Everything is riding on Plan A. I would love to hear from anybody that has gone or is going to Riverside to tell me what they think of the school. From what I read its a well regarded school, especially for the clinical experience you get. Appreciate any responses or comments and thanks in advance.

Bob

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I'm a bit further north in Virginia, so I don't have any school info for you ... but I wanted to welcome you to Allnurses! I also used to work for a gov't contractor/cube farm (for 10+ years), and I became a paramedic just to volunteer. After a couple of years of that, I felt like you -- bored in my cube! ;) I made the switch to healthcare, taking a big pay cut and going to work as a tech in an ER, and went back to school for nursing (my third associates degree, doesn't that sound ridiculous?).

So the bottom line -- follow your dream! You're never too old for this. :)

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Welcome to the board.

And oh wow, I had no idea that Bon Secours was going the same route as Sentara. I was very lucky to get into the LAST diploma class that just started at Sentara.

I'm curious though. I've got a friend who is applying to TCC's program for Fall 2010 Apparently in January they're going to the new campus off of Victory Blvd- I wonder if they're going to offer a part-time night program since it sounds like they're going to have more space.

AND- since 2 diploma options are now BSN's, I would think that there's going to be a huge increase to TCC's program, since now that's going to be the program with the smallest amount of prerequisites (I looked into their program).

Cheryl

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Specializes in Telemetry. Med/ Surg..

I have worked for Riverside for 19 yrs as an LPN from RCC and took Assoc. program thru JTCC and now need to pass NCLEX RN. Go for Riverside they are very good. I have seen many nurses coming from other BSN programs and still don't bet Riverside Nurses. Unless you want to go into admin. there is no need to take a BS program.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.
Welcome to the board.

And oh wow, I had no idea that Bon Secours was going the same route as Sentara. I was very lucky to get into the LAST diploma class that just started at Sentara.

I'm curious though. I've got a friend who is applying to TCC's program for Fall 2010 Apparently in January they're going to the new campus off of Victory Blvd- I wonder if they're going to offer a part-time night program since it sounds like they're going to have more space.

AND- since 2 diploma options are now BSN's, I would think that there's going to be a huge increase to TCC's program, since now that's going to be the program with the smallest amount of prerequisites (I looked into their program).

Cheryl

From what I have heard in class, TCC is picking up people as a result of the BSN upgrade. As far as I know, they are not offering any specific night time option, though I imagine there would be some courses offered in the evenings. Listening to some of the folks in my A&P class, they are bouncing between going to TCC or Sentara, depending more on whether there are openings at Sentara in the next year.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.
I'm a bit further north in Virginia, so I don't have any school info for you ... but I wanted to welcome you to Allnurses! I also used to work for a gov't contractor/cube farm (for 10+ years), and I became a paramedic just to volunteer. After a couple of years of that, I felt like you -- bored in my cube! ;) I made the switch to healthcare, taking a big pay cut and going to work as a tech in an ER, and went back to school for nursing (my third associates degree, doesn't that sound ridiculous?).

So the bottom line -- follow your dream! You're never too old for this. :)

Thanks for the encouragement. :up: Yes, it will be a big pay cut, but I am hoping to stay where I am as long as I can. I have even thought about doing some type of EMT or other volunteer work, but as it is I am out 3 nights a week with these classes and still have to study for the online one as well. Assuming I get into Riverside (fingers crossed) then it will be 2 full evenings during the week and every other full weekend, so I may not have the time or energy to do much else. Still I am looking forward to it all, its brought a level of excitement with it that has been missing for a while. As for the old part, well I hope the rest of me will cooperate.

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