Is $28,000 worth it becoming a Surgical Tec

[Blue Robin]

I am highly interested in becoming a RN nurse but I don't have the luxury to be on waiting lists and I don't want to go to a private school and pay that much money for nursing school. In the mean time I am looking at short programs like Surigcal Tech which is about 9 months. The one program, I am looking at costs $28,000 for the Tech program. Is $28,000 worth becoming a Surigcal Tech.

[catsmeow1972, BSN, RN]

Pretty much, what everyone else said. I am in the backwater area that someone else spoke of. Starting pay is somewhere between $14 and $16 an hour. If you are dead set on ST, find a community college/public tech school program. Much cheaper and the quality of the education is better. Otherwise go the LPN route. Jobs are more plentiful. If you wind up in an area you don't like, as a nurse you can easily go elsewhere. As an ST...it's OR or OR. Plus with an LPN, the route to your RN is much shorter. Plus, with the ease with which you can get a job as an LPN, likely your employer will pay for nursing school and be more supportive towards your endeavors.

This is being said by someone that went the ST to RN to BSN route. As much as I love the OR, I kinda wish I'd done it differently.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Your initial post worried me! It made me wonder what I was missing in this equation. Glad you changed your yes to a no.

Ha!! I realized right after I posted, I posted yes. I will very often read my post to correct spelling because of my ridiculous autocorrect. But, this time I realized I wrote the wrong word!!!

[bdw062590]

Absolutely not.

My LPN program curves around the $4k mark out of pocket, with books.

The ADN-RN bridge track is probably around the 5-7k mark.

That's not even anywhere near $28,000 for a Surgery Tech.

[Winterblew]

If you look around and do research, BSNs aren't that expensive. With grants and my school's scholarships, I have had scholarship money left over after books, tuition, etc is paid for, and I'm going into my third year. I live at home in the meantime though. Have you looked into FAFSA, talked to friends who've gotten BSNs or just college degrees in general, or gone to a few financial aid counselors? Some colleges will accept you as a student and into nursing school all at once, so you don't have to worry about if you get into your major section or not. Getting your basics done a community college and transferring helps a lot financially, as well.

[scstudentnurse109]

No. I got my ADN for less than that! Nurses are high in demand, you will get a job as an ADN. You can always go back to get your BSN. Some employers are offering tuition reimbursement for so many years of work etc.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I paid far less than that for my RN

[tkostas]

I have to say a loud NO! too. No way, that should be simple vocational school and for a 9 month program should be much much cheaper. I know you can find a state voc/tech program for much cheaper.