Marketing Professional considers career change...

[cjeber02]

Good Evening,

I'm a 28 year old guy that has spent the first 6 years of his working life driving a desk and hammering away on a computer. I am not happy in my current role and I really want to go back to school and become an RN and eventually go to CRNA school. I can't seem to figure out the best way to accomplish getting my RN work done.

Here's what I have figured out for options:

1.) I actually never finished my B.S. Marketing degree. I could finish that degree, get my ADN, take the pre-req courses and be eligible for some CRNA programs. I'm worried about this route because of how competitive CRNA programs are. I fear that I would not be as strong of a candidate as a BSN student.

2.) I could finish my B.S. Marketing degree and take a few science classes and do a post baccalaureate BSN program. I don't know much about these, but it's an option.

3.) The university in the city I live in has a strong nursing program. I spoke with someone there and she said I could go to school for a year and get my science pre-req's done and then go through their program in 2 years (a total of 3 years).

I am aware that CRNA programs require 2 years work in a critical care environment before applying.

One last question. I'm considering moving to Canada. If I do, can I do my schooling for nursing there and be able to go to a CRNA school state side someday? I'd guess I'd need to take boards in the US before being allowed to work.

I'm hoping someone out here can shed some light on my options. Please advise.

Thank you all.

Regards,

Chris

[grpman]

Asking what route is best to become a nurse is one thing. Asking what route is best to become a crna is another. You might get better info if you ask the same question in the advanced practice, "APN", forums.

[CDEWannaBe]

Most of us making a career change take nursing prereq classes at community colleges, where it's cheaper and there are more evening and online classes. A Bachelor's or Associate's degree is going to require Algebra, Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, and Physiology at the very least before you can apply to nursing school. Check your particular schools for their requirements.

Depending on how many classes you need to complete your BA, you may also consider finishing those and then finding an Accelerated BSN program, for students who already have non-nursing Bachelor's degrees.

It's important to find a job that suits you. But know that nursing schools are incredibly competitive right now and the job market is flooded in most areas. I'd only recommend doing it if you're really sure it's the career you want.

[jocy_anne]

Hi Chris,

I know EXACTLY where you're coming from...I'm a 28-year-old female who has spent the first 6 years of her working life in an less-than-fulfilling desk job in various administrative positions. I, too, am attempting to change my career path and would like to ultimately be a Neonatal NP.

I second CDEWannaBe's suggestions: how close are you from actually completing your B.S. in Marketing? I have a B.A. in Law & Justice Studies, and having the Bachelor's actually comes in handy because they do have accelerated second-degree Nursing programs out there. I applied for one at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia (APW program). I still had to take a few science prerequisite courses because my degree was a B.A. and I took more Liberal Arts courses than Science courses, and am taking these courses at my local community college to save some money. I had to take 2 semesters of A&P, 2 semesters of Chem, 1 Nutrition course (which I did online), and Microbiology. All the other requirements had already been fulfilled by my B.A.

So if you only have a few credits left to complete your B.S., it may be worth it in the long run. If, however, it would take you a couple years to complete the B.S., then it may be better to just look into the prerequisite requirements at the schools in which you're interested, and start taking those. Depending on how many credits you have, you may still be able to finish a BSN program in less than 4 years (maybe).

Are you looking to stay local for your courses? I hear that the CRNA program at Jefferson is an excellent one if you want to look into that (not sure where you're located, though). How soon were you thinking of moving to Canada? Unfortunately, I'm not sure what differences there are between U.S. and Canadian nursing license requirements.

Good luck!

Jocelyn