NURSING... HELP?!

Sirapples · Nov 8, 2009

Ive been a nurse for 5 years, and never seena doctor "open someone up". its nothing like on tv. My advice is after you get your ged, go and get a cna liscense and apply at a local hospital. After you see first hand on a medsurg floor what its like then decide what you want to do.

Good luck.

And why did you drop out? Nursing school is tough as nails.

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · Nov 8, 2009

Ive been a nurse for 5 years, and never seena doctor "open someone up".

I might have to disagree...I worked on a open heart unit and when someone has just had their chest cracked open for an open heart..there is no doing CPR...it's called get the sternotomy cart and get ready to get messy....hahah

ellakate · Nov 8, 2009

Hello, Reminisce! Your plan to go to community college, then BSN is a good plan. Nursing school is tough, but it wasn't as lame as high school. Since you are young and might have a flexible schedule, consider volunteering in a non-acute setting, like a health clinic. Meanwhile, keep going to school.

If that volunteer opportunity works out, then maybe volunteer at a hospital a few hours a week. By this time, in a year or so, you will have seen enough to help you decide if you want to pursue the A D N. Be sure to apply on time. Procrastination will slow you down.

Is this helpful?

CuriousMe · Nov 8, 2009

Most nursing programs require you do do a year or so of college first (specific classes they call prerequisites) before you apply to the nursing program. So, you won't have to go to a community college for two years to "raise your GPA." You can do your prerequisites and then apply directly to either an ADN nursing program at a community college or a BSN nursing program at a university.

What you need to do is to find the schools in your are, then look at their school of nursing web page....it will list what prerequisite classes they require to apply.

Sewbusy~RN · Nov 8, 2009

I think that volunteering in a hospital and getting going on community college units is a great plan! If you like what you see at the hospital, it will be better for you to know that the work you have to put in to become a nurse is worth the effort. The prerequisites for nursing school are hard, getting in to nursing school is hard, nursing school is hard, and being a nurse is hard too. Its one of those things you really have to want to actually succeed at it. You will have to do things here and there that you really don't like. For instance I really don't like wound care. But I do it. I also don't like being in the OR, and I hated dissection in anatomy. But I did that too. If you really want to be a nurse you just push through those things you don't like so you can get to the heart of what you really love. Best of luck to you!

MedSurgeMess · Nov 8, 2009

I think stating that you have a ninth grade education, and you are planning to get your GED, you need to get the GED first, THEN talk to a college counselor. I know some schools have various requirements (due to state laws) regarding education. Also, get your CNA and work with that 1st. So many people have seen TV and films and think nursing is so totally something that it really isn't. And yes, the money's not bad, but for new grads, there are hardly any jobs, so for them the money isn't an issue-hopefully won't be like this for long, but no guarantees. Also, if you decide on nursing, look at the location where you want to work and see if they prefer BSN over ASN, that might help you to decide the type of degree to pursue. Good luck!

mustlovepoodles, RN · Nov 8, 2009

I second the advice that you get your GED and then consider taking a CNA course. Working as a CNA will give you an inside look at how hospital operate and what nurses do. Then if you decide to go on to school I would highly recommend starting at a community college. I think they are a good choice, especially for someone who might have some struggles with school in the past. The classes are smaller, but they are the same courses that you would be paying big bucks for in a university setting. Some community colleges have an Associates Degree program where you can get your RN, pass the licensing exam and start working within 2 years. And some have pre-BSN nursing programs where you do your general education work and then transfer after 2 years to a college or university to finish out your BSN, after which you will take the exact same licensing test as the ASN, and start working after 4 years.

I started out as a CNA and I highly recommend it. It gave me good skills with which to support myself, plus some income to pay for nursing school. I entered a 2yr ASN program, graduated in 1977 and have worked ever since. I also went back to school and got my BS. So you can see, there are several routes to nursing. You need to decide which one fits you best.

Oh, and about the squeamish tummy--I was exactly the same way. They had a saying for me on the floor:

Take a little pan for the (vomiting) patient and take a big pan for me. I was so bad in the OR that the staff requested that i never work in there again. Nursing did not come natural to me. But eventually I got better. I've only fainted on the job once, But that didn't make me a bad nurse. I got over myself and carried on. I have never seen brain surgery, never seen them crack a chest, never seen a broken bone sticking out of the skin. :eek: It depends a lot on your line of work. I'm NOT cut out for ER or adult ICU/CCU, and definitely not the OR. Good luck.

Reminisce · Nov 9, 2009

Thank you all very much for all your advice, you guys have all been very helpful and I am very greatful, I been looking at some other forums and it looks like a bsn only makes 1k more then a asn in a year and bsn takes 2 extra years for the same job so I think if I do go for the rn I will go for a asn as oposed to a bsn, Though it did say a bsn is better for advancement I think I would like to stay in the nursing field once I get in.