Lawyer to Nurse??

Mrs leese · Feb 6, 2010

There will be a big difference in salary, which i am sure you are aware of. Indiana University has a good on line nursing program and i am in the process of going back for my BSN. Good Luck! If u would like info I can and try and help.

caliotter3 · Feb 6, 2010

If you decide to do it, you should go for an accelerated BSN or an entry level MSN program. Both programs are more in keeping with your education level and you would not have to be concerned with having to go back later to upgrade your nursing education if you chose not to do so.

iPink, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2010

This is certaintly a change for you. Going from lawyer to a nurse. I'm a career changer myself. First off, I must say that you are not too old to start a nursing career. There are plenty of people on here that will tell you age makes no difference in pursing your dreams. Secondly, please don't listen to a test to figure out what you need to do in life. Not worth it, follow your heart.

I'm currently taking prerequisites to start an Accelerated BSN program this year. I would advise you to go into those programs as you will begin a nursing career sooner and have the edge on moving up the clinical ladder (maybe managerial positions, Nurse Practitioner, CRNA, etc.), which requires advance nursing degrees. The nursing field gives you many possibilities.

Make sure that this is what you really want to do before diving in. Good luck.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2010

You're not the first lawyer-to-nurse to post on here and trust me you won't be the last!

I'm a lawyer and currently finishing up my prereqs for nursing school. Also currently waitlisted for an accelerated BSN program starting in July, so let's see what happens with that. I'm already 40 so hopefully I can be an example to you that it's never too late!

I started college as a pre-med and did lousy on my 1st semester sciences so I hastily changed my major. Eventually, law school seemed like a good idea so I pursued that. Law school was a great academic experience but actually practicing law was dull. After almost 10 years of it and hit with burnout, I started working in education just to change things a bit and self-evaluate. It was during this time that I revisited the health care careers options I originally desired and decided it's really where my passion lies. I was never this excited to pursue something even when I was going for law school. Such a difference. (How ironic that now I am straight A's in my prereqs - I was a stupid college freshman if you ask me). The confrontational aspect of law also goes against my natural personality, which in essence is what has prevented me from persevering in that career.

In case you're wondering, YES I took a severe pay cut by leaving practice and going into education but in hindsight there are no regrets because I am much happier pursuing what I am now. I have also been volunteering at the hospital for the past year so I can constantly validate with my surroundings as to whether this is something meant for me. I can tell you now, that it definitely is. I look forward to my volunteer shifts more than I do my day job. But soon enough it will be the same. I do highly recommend that you surround yourself with nursing so that you can decide if it's right for you. I never did that with lawyers and I guarantee you that I would have never pursued law had I shadowed lawyers beforehand. What's done is done, but again law school was a great experience and I would never give that back. If anything, it will be an asset in my next career.

Definitely follow your heart, it's what I am doing now. Feel free to PM me or write back on this thread. And good luck to you!

misswillow · Feb 7, 2010

Thanks everyone for the replies. It's such a big decision, and it's invaluable to hear from people who have also changed careers.

I've never worked in law in an especially high-paying job, so I don't think the difference in pay will affect me much (it's more the earning potential that will probably be a lot different). One of the reasons I originally got into law was the money, and now at my more mature age, I realize there are things so much more important. As long as I can find a career that won't have me struggling financially, I'll be ok with that. And I like the idea that this is something that this is something that has part-time potential, for when I'm not quite ready for retirement.

I was looking more closely at the prereqs last night, and realize that many of the prereqs have their own prereqs, so this will probably take longer than I thought. That was a bit discouraging. Does anyone know if any community college classes let you waive the prereqs? It looks like A&P and Microbiology both have different Biology prereqs, so that's two extra classes I hadn't been counting on.

Paco, you sound a lot like me! Is the program you are waitlisted on the only one you have applied to? Did you ever consider an ADN program? It looks like accelerated BSN is the way to go, but I don't know if I should consider ADN as a backup in case I don't get into a BSN (there's probably only one BSN in my area that I will consider b/c of the price). How long did it take you to complete the prereqs, and how many did you have to take? I'd love to PM you eventually, but right now I have to post more public messages before I'm allowed :)

Thanks again!!

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2010

... Does anyone know if any community college classes let you waive the prereqs? It looks like A&P and Microbiology both have different Biology prereqs, so that's two extra classes I hadn't been counting on.

It depends on the school, definitely. Some community colleges may make allowances for students already with a bachelor's degree. You might also get a waiver from the academic department if you chat with them. You will need to check with your intended school. My school only requires English Comp and Algebra as prereqs for A&P and microbiology. IMHO, A&P is do-able without a biology course beforehand, everything you need to know is within that course especially if you have a good professor and study your heart out (and believe me, when you have a passion for nursing you shouldn't really struggle to study the material, it's like reading a great novel. In hindsight, I had ZERO passion studying certain law classes like Contracts ... although I loved Immigration Law and that's what I ended up doing out the gate with my license). Microbiology however (the course I am taking this semester) seems to be a little more intense and I would recommend taking that class after you complete A&P.

You also want to check the prereqs of every nursing program you're interested in. Most all have different prereqs but the A&P and micro are required everywhere, so best to start with those. Some programs require you to take these sciences within 5-10 years of beginning the nursing degree program so pay attention to that also. I completely ruled out applying for one program because the chemistry they required had to be no more than 5 years old and mine expired just last year. Like hell I was taking that class again. :eek: Some other schools don't even mention a timeframe.

Paco, you sound a lot like me! Is the program you are waitlisted on the only one you have applied to? Did you ever consider an ADN program? It looks like accelerated BSN is the way to go, but I don't know if I should consider ADN as a backup in case I don't get into a BSN (there's probably only one BSN in my area that I will consider b/c of the price). How long did it take you to complete the prereqs, and how many did you have to take? I'd love to PM you eventually, but right now I have to post more public messages before I'm allowed :) Thanks again!!

Oh yes, I forgot about that ... you do need I think 10 posts before you can PM. I can guess you will get that in no time ... Yes, the BSN for which I am waitlisted was the only program to which I applied. But that was not the plan, I intended to apply to 3 other programs but because of my job and the workload I had this year I was not going to be able to complete whatever additional required prereqs they wanted (e.g., nutrition, statistics) by the start of their programs. The one I did apply to only required micro on my end to complete, and that was do-able. If I have to re-apply next year I should be ready for any school since I plan to take a course every semester until I start somewhere. I have considered ADN programs and will consider those if there is a next go-around. The reason I am not prioritizing them much is that there seems to be a hiring preference for BSNs in certain areas of the country and I don't want to be at a disadvantage, especially when there is clearly a glut of new graduates seeking work, the market will be more selective perhaps (not to mention that I would like to do graduate work in nursing later on). Then there is also the issue of what I can afford to do (remember that I took a pay cut, and I am still paying off loans). I started my prereqs last summer with A&P (I took both parts 1 and 2 each during 6-week summer sessions, it was intense! But I am glad I did it and I did well. My goal was also to use my professor as a recommendation so I just could not mess up). Most other non-science prereqs I have from undergrad and they usually don't have a time limit. So in essence it took me a year to complete prereqs as a post-bachelors.

One other thing: nursing does not seem to be hooked on "school prestige" as is the legal field. As long as your BSN program (or ADN for that matter) is accredited by the NLN or CCNE, that's the most imp thing. It does not hurt to check out the school's NCLEX pass rate to determine if schools are really preparing their student's well for the nursing boards.

Gator Girl 2000 · Feb 8, 2010

I haven't read anything other than the original post as yet (planning to read the rest in a few).......just wanted to let you know that we're out here. :)

I completed prereqs (A&P I, A&P II, Micro, Developmental Psych, Nutrition) Spring and Summer 2009 while working full time as Corporate Counsel and I've been volunteering (patient care services) since July. I originally planned to enter an Accelerated Masters Program, but for a lot of different reasons, believe the "ABSN first, Masters soon after" route is best for me now.

Looking forward to beginning a Program this Summer.

Sart45 · Feb 8, 2010

Not a lawyer but I taught public school (Art and Special Ed) for 30 years. I have a BA and an MA in Education. I went to school last year for my CNA and just loved it so decided to look into Nursing. I starting taking the pre-requisites as (even though I already took them) they were long expired. I am taking them at a Community College Online; I go to the labs for A&P on Saturdays. I've completed Statistics and A&P I, currently taking A&P II. I'll take Microbiology in the summer and then apply for the BSN program at the University of Colorado, College of Nursing (a very hard program to get into). Do check the pre-req's for the Nursing program you are interested in and if they'll be accepted (Colorado has a Guaranteed Transfer for classes taken at their CC's). Many, many schools have very long waiting lists, or are not even accepting applications or have very high standards for acceptance. Start looking into programs now. Good luck.

misswillow · Apr 2, 2010

Hi folks,

Since I started this thread, I've made some changes. I left my job as an attorney, without another job, since I was so miserable (part of that was due to a couple of people I worked for, and not just the job). I've done a lot of thinking and researching, and I think I may pursue an associate's degree in PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant), instead of nursing. I'm just nervous that I may be a bit too squeamish for nursing...specifically, dealing with needles. I like what I've learned about the PTA profession, and I'd still have a lot of contact with patients. I won't be able to start until Fall 2011 (need a couple prereqs first), so I still need to work until then. I'm halfheartedly searching for other attorney jobs b/c they will pay the most (and maybe it would be not so bad knowing I would be leaving in a year and a half). But I'm also considering getting my CNA and trying to find a job doing that full-time until I can start school, and then hopefully part-time to make some money while in school.

Although I wasn't making that much by attorney standards, the pay for a CNA would still be a huge, huge difference. It would be very difficult, and I'd have to make some major changes in my life. And I know a lot of people in my life are going to think I'm crazy. But I really think that if I do want to get into healthcare, this is the path I should take. Being a CNA will give me a little more info about whether I want to go into nursing or not (I'm still a little torn between nursing and PTA), and it also may lead to a position as PT Aide, which would be nice to do while in school. I feel like all the financial difficulty I will face over the next few years will be worth it in the end if I can feel good about what I'm doing. I'm in my late 30s now, but that means I still have many working years ahead of me....I don't want them to be as bad as the last 8 years as a lawyer have been.

I've actually already signed up for a CNA class, but it doesn't start until May, so I still have time to change my mind and look for another job until then. I suppose if I can find something else and make good money for the next year or so, that would be the wise choice. But part of me doesn't want that to happen, because I just want to get started in healthcare asap.

I don't really have any specific questions about this plan, but I'd love to hear any opinions or similar stories. Oh, I guess I do have a question...is finding a job as a CNA difficult? I live in an area with tons of hospitals, and I see a lot of CNA postings at them, and also at nursing homes, home health, etc. I just wonder what the heck I will put on a resume when I apply....I feel like my background is just going to work against me. I applied to a few PT Aide positions recently (you don't need any certification for that), and I didn't even submit a resume, I just filled out the online work history and tried to explain in my cover letter why I am doing this. But I don't expect to get any response, I'm hoping that a CNA certification will make me seem more serious about all of this. I've also started hospice volunteering, so I guess that may help in showing my commitment to this career change.

Anyway...thanks for reading!!

Sart45 · Apr 2, 2010

Hi,

I just realized I responded to this post a while ago but here is more information.

I went to school last year for my CNA and passed the state boards in Feb. 09. Our clinicals were done in a very nice long term care facility but I knew I did NOT want to work in this environment on a regular basis. I had worked as a Nursing Unit Secretary while I was in Undergrad & Grad school and knew the hospital situation was more of what I wanted. While in the CNA program I seriously started thinking about continuing on in Nursing (actually something I thought about many years ago when I first started school...but I couldn't get through Chemistry and my brain was in a different place at that age... :eek: ).

One year later I am starting my first CNA job this month. Yes, it has taken this long to get a job! Tons of hospitals with CNA positions but all applications are done Online so there is absolutely NO personal contact. Also from what I've heard many LPN's and RN's (just out of NS are taking CNA jobs because it is difficult for new grads to get jobs..) I was able to attend a Job Fair and talk to a REAL person and I think this is how I was able to get recognized (for lack of a better word). The pay is low...I'll make in a week about what I made in a day teaching...but I want the experience and I'm really excited about starting this new phase in my life.

So that's my story; hope some of the above information helped. As far as the jobs go I do think it depends upon where you live; I am in the Denver metro area. Good luck to you. Feel free to ask me any questions??? .

misswillow · Apr 2, 2010

Hi Sart45,

Thanks for your response! I'm glad you finally found a job you are excited about. I'm not surprised to hear that RNs are taking CNA positions b/c of the difficulty in finding jobs. I'm in the Boston area and, while there are a lot of hospitals, there are also a lot of students. I'm thinking I probably would have to start out in LTC, as I will definitely need a job asap. I'm not married, and can't collect unemployment since I left my job voluntarily, so I think I'll be happy to find anything (I thought I'd get at least be able to get some legal temp work for the time being, but that doesn't seem to be happening).

Are you excited to start your new job? Nervous? I feel like I will be a basket case to get started with all of this, as I have no healthcare experience. I have experienced being a patient a lot over the last year, though, and realized how important everyone in the healthcare field is to making the experience an easier one for the patient who is scared and emotional. It's actually what got me thinking about doing this in the first place...seeing what a different experience it was for me to be treated by someone who is compassionate and caring. I know I at least have those qualities, even if I don't have anything else (yet)!

One more question: do you think if you would have been willing to take a job in a LTC, it would have been easier to find your first job?

Thanks again!