My master plan... Can it work??? (kinda long..sorry!!)

Ok so I'm desparate - any help would be greatly apprecited - I don't know what to do if I don't get a night job & I know that if I stick with my job now I'll get too comfortable with the pay & never leave - so now's my chance... anyone have any advice?

Hey! I'm sort of in the same boat as you are. I'm currently in the program at ACC and I am also attempting to get a CA position at Seton. I've been in contact with someone there for a week, but so far, nothing has progressed. I had finals this week so I plan to aggressively start pursuing things later in the week. I'm not nearly as flexible as you are, I only want to work 1 or 2 12 hour shifts and I'm very, very specific as to department, we can compare notes if you'd like.

Anyway, you know about TX State opening on 1431 right? I think they are supposed to offer a nursing curriculum too, you may want to see if you can find out what that's all about.

Feel free to email me if I can help you in any way.

Amanda

My advice in regards to your job would be this: don't take the pay cut yet. WHile you're doing pre-req's you can work around your work schedule. Once you're in your program and understand the time commitment, then quit your job and begin working part time as a CA. You'll have plenty of time to gain that experience (yes, CA experience is very, very valuable, but it's not like you can't succeed without it) and there is no point in strapping yourself financially until you really need to. Just my 2 cents!

Amanda

your master plan can work, depending on what they want, but do you not have a second plan? if you have to take student loans, that is not the greatest, but may be the only way...I worked at the state school in san angelo and took out two small loans while I went, but i did get through, thank goodness...just keep trying, as nursing is a calling (yea yea, it is a profession,but I think that the only good nurses are called to it, as you seem to be hearing) and you will make it. If I can help, even if it is doing nothing more than cheerleading, Ill do it...go girl...

I was getting worried everyone was going to tell me that I'm crazy for trying to go about getting an RN this way. :rotfl: Ok so I don't think I can work at my current job, I've been there for 3 years & it's very much a stale job, doing the exact same thing and numbing my brain whit little room to advance, plus it's very hard to go to school in my department, the people that have (2) were already going to school before they started and were lucky enough to almost be done (it helped that they either have no kids or had a spouse that took on more responsibility) and they were going to school for communication/advertising. Sooo much different from A & P, Micro etc... One of my friends even didn't get hired for the same position that I have because she had to have a different schedule because of classes, she was finally able to move over because she went down to only 1 night class. And I know that it would be too much of a stretch to try & take A & P, work a full 40 hour desk job & take care of 3 kids, asnd my hubby is gone 3 nights a week so there is too much room for distraction. And I want to give my all because I want this sooo much.

As far as child care - my mom has been watching my girls for the past 2 years because the NNP that worked with us in the NICU always let us know that our preemie should try & stay away from day care as long as possible. More than anything I want to give my mom a break as she has been the best ever (taking care of my girls AND working full time/nights) I couldn't be more blessed. But she's retiring early and will be able to watch the girls when I will actually be in the ADN program (which would be no sooner than August 06). Plus by then they should all be in some kind of school or pre-school. Even if it takes a while to get in I just really want to get started already. The pay cut isn't too terrible because it would mean being somewhere I want to be and I'm willing to make that sacrifice before I get sucked in by the pay of my current job and never leave. I'm going to the fin aid office today - I'm not afraid of taking out a big enough loan (I still have 16K left to pay off from my BA- yikes) I'm just afraid that I won't be awarded enough. I'm not really concerned with the debt because it will be worth it in the end.

I guess my back up plan is that I stay at my current job but I just take every non science class the program required because it would be too much for me to try the sciences & work, thus I can't apply until the spring of 07 and quit then. I can't think of anything else - all of the science classes I would rather take in a classroom setting so that I learn more (I'm a kinetic learner) and to do that I'd have to have more time available for studying. I took intro to genetics thru UT distance my senior year of college with only a waitressing job & one kiddo & it nearly knocked me off my feet!:chuckle

Thanks everyone for your advice - I truly appreciate it - if there's any more feel free to keep it coming!

Well, it definitely sounds like you want it badly enough. You'll make it!

Amanda