Nursing School Assistance

Dcrane · Oct 19, 2009

NO Not TMI-that is great! My dad was a cop and I tried out twice-but it didn't work out for me...I would be put on a waiting list then my application would expire and I would have to start over-anyway I wanted to be a nurse since college and for some reason I never pursued it-so did you like being a CNA? What was your days like? How do you like LPN school?

FLg8r · Oct 19, 2009

no not tmi-that is great! my dad was a cop and i tried out twice-but it didn't work out for me...i would be put on a waiting list then my application would expire and i would have to start over-anyway i wanted to be a nurse since college and for some reason i never pursued it-so did you like being a cna? what was your days like? how do you like lpn school?

thanks .... never got a chance to work as a cna ... got my state certification on 09/09/09 -- said when i rec'd the date in the mail, it was a lucky day for me .... the very next day, i rec'd a call from the hospital offering me the earn as you learn lpn position - they pay me to go to school and i sign a contract agreeing to work for them after i become licensed. win/win situation for both of us really. school doesn't start until the 29th. i'll keep you posted if you'd like. my sister has been an rn for the past 32 years now and loves it. she just retired a few years ago, and is not a school nurse for the local school in her neighborhood. her summers she spends as a camp rn and loves that as well. there are many avenues for a nurse to take nowdays ... much more than for a cop

Dcrane · Oct 19, 2009

thanks .... never got a chance to work as a cna ... got my state certification on 09/09/09 -- said when i rec'd the date in the mail, it was a lucky day for me .... the very next day, i rec'd a call from the hospital offering me the earn as you learn lpn position - they pay me to go to school and i sign a contract agreeing to work for them after i become licensed. win/win situation for both of us really. school doesn't start until the 29th. i'll keep you posted if you'd like. my sister has been an rn for the past 32 years now and loves it. she just retired a few years ago, and is not a school nurse for the local school in her neighborhood. her summers she spends as a camp rn and loves that as well. there are many avenues for a nurse to take nowdays ... much more than for a cop

really? well right now i'm starting human anatomy-i quit my mba program-i hate it..i work in the accounting/finance field-i hate it-so may i ask where you live? i would love for you to keep me posted, as i seem overwhelmed by where to start-i've received so much advice..don't do this, do this...i just want to change careers and have a career not a job.

DawnSue · Oct 21, 2009

Just to chime in -- I'm 42, with three kids, and have just applied to two nursing schools in my area.

I take the HESI entrance exam tomorrow morning at FAU. All my prereqs are done with the exception of a 6-week health providers course that I start on Monday.

I have been writer and editor, but my hobby, believe it or not, has always been health, medicine, biomedical interventions of certain health issues. I read, research, and study on my own.

I have wanted to be a nurse practitioner for a long time now, and now that my kids are older, it is a good time to do it.

In ten years you will be ten years older, with or without realizing your dream of becoming a nurse. You might as well do it.

I would go for the RN or BSN above the LPN. With either of those you can go to graduate school if desired. A lot of schools have RN Bridge programs to Master's degrees, if you want to be an NP, nurse-midwife, or anesthetist.

Good luck.

Dcrane · Oct 22, 2009

Just to chime in -- I'm 42, with three kids, and have just applied to two nursing schools in my area.
I take the HESI entrance exam tomorrow morning at FAU. All my prereqs are done with the exception of a 6-week health providers course that I start on Monday.
I have been writer and editor, but my hobby, believe it or not, has always been health, medicine, biomedical interventions of certain health issues. I read, research, and study on my own.
I have wanted to be a nurse practitioner for a long time now, and now that my kids are older, it is a good time to do it.
In ten years you will be ten years older, with or without realizing your dream of becoming a nurse. You might as well do it.
I would go for the RN or BSN above the LPN. With either of those you can go to graduate school if desired. A lot of schools have RN Bridge programs to Master's degrees, if you want to be an NP, nurse-midwife, or anesthetist.
Good luck.

What's FAU? What made you decide that the career change is the right time? I guess I'm scared-I really want to do this but it's going to be a big change...

DawnSue · Oct 22, 2009

Florida Atlantic University

http://nursing.fau.edu/

They have an accelerated BSN that is one year long if you already have a BA/BS, a traditional BSN program. They also have an RN to Master's bridge, which I am interested in. I don't think I will get into FAU undergraduate program because they have very few slots for a lot of applicants ( I've heard 600 applicants, 60 slots -- 30 in each program).

I did just take the HESI entrance exam today and got a 94% though, so maybe that will help.

Who knows.

The career change is the right time for me because if I sit at a desk any longer, I will go insane. I need to be up and moving -- kind of an ADHD thing -- that's me. Plus my youngest is 11, and the timing feels right. My daughters will go to the same school next year and one will be driving in a month or so, so she can get herself ( and her sister to school and back if needed). I am over hustling freelance jobs, can't stand working in an office writing web content for some largely pointless website so some guy can get rich, which is what I was doing before. I KNOW I would be an amazing NP, I just know it. That's pretty much it.

Where are you and what schools are you thinking of?

Dcrane · Oct 22, 2009

How funny! I just moved to Florida a few months ago so I don't know the schools yet-I'm in St. Pete/Tampa area-I was thinking of going for my LPN then doing the bridge to RN-I have a degree already but I heard there is a massive wait list to get into schools-

I'm in Human Anatomy right now and I'll take Anatomy II in the spring, then I'll either apply to LPN or RN school. I have to do this part time as I need a full time job to pay the bills...I think that is why I'm so nervous...I can't do the business thing any longer-I hate sitting all day and not making a difference-my job has no meaning-I was about to enter my second year of my MBA and I can't do it anymore....

DawnSue · Oct 22, 2009

I understand. My last job was in a small internet company. I only worked part-time (3 kids -- one with special needs), and I worked my fanny off trying to drive traffic to this guy's websites, so he could rake in the big dollars. He was a strange boss - terribly over critical, constantly switching up my projects without letting me complete any of them, couldn't give up control of his stuff -- he would ask me to edit something he did, or do fresh writing -- and I am very good at this -- and he constantly re-edited my edits to include poor grammar, etc., all the while criticizing me.

I am not trying to whine, but it did make me ask this question: who am I helping here?

I was a CNA/phlebotomist quite a while ago and even though it was dirty work ( a lot of poop and blood), I was satisfied at the end of every shift. It made a difference in my life to make a difference in someone else's. That's kind of what makes me tick.

So, just tick off a course or two at a time. It won't be long before your prereqs are done, then your entrance exams, then you'll be in a program. For the record, I would say go for the RN. You want a little sumpin-sumpin under your degree belt when you go for jobs.

Dcrane · Oct 23, 2009

I understand. My last job was in a small internet company. I only worked part-time (3 kids -- one with special needs), and I worked my fanny off trying to drive traffic to this guy's websites, so he could rake in the big dollars. He was a strange boss - terribly over critical, constantly switching up my projects without letting me complete any of them, couldn't give up control of his stuff -- he would ask me to edit something he did, or do fresh writing -- and I am very good at this -- and he constantly re-edited my edits to include poor grammar, etc., all the while criticizing me.
I am not trying to whine, but it did make me ask this question: who am I helping here?
I was a CNA/phlebotomist quite a while ago and even though it was dirty work ( a lot of poop and blood), I was satisfied at the end of every shift. It made a difference in my life to make a difference in someone else's. That's kind of what makes me tick.
So, just tick off a course or two at a time. It won't be long before your prereqs are done, then your entrance exams, then you'll be in a program. For the record, I would say go for the RN. You want a little sumpin-sumpin under your degree belt when you go for jobs.

Wow! We are similar in terms of what we want-I agree, I wonder everyday why I'm in the job I am (finance/accounting) I'm not passionate about it and I am beginning to dread going to work everyday-so what's the point? Yes, I think I will look into the RN program more-I need 2 prerequ-I'm in one now( just started)-I try not to worry if I can't "cut it" so to speak...should I start studying for the entrance exam now? Did you?

DawnSue · Oct 23, 2009

If you are in a Master's program, then you know how to process information and how to study, how to show up to class, how to take tests, so I think you will be able to "cut it."

My advice is to do whatever you can to get A's in your prerequisite courses. A very high GPA will help you stand out in a pool of applicants. I couldn't get A's in Chemistry -- got two B's, but I had A's in everything else. My GPA is 3.7. Not great, but a lot higher than some other folks, I hear.

I wouldn't study for the HESI test now at all. I bought my book about 10 days before the test. You may not even have to take it for the schools you are applying to. Check. As well, some schools require physics, anatomy/phys, biology, and some just require reading comp, math, grammar, and vocabulary.

I did study, mostly because I feel like I needed an edge to stand out. I am not a 4.0 and I have largely been home with children for the last 16 years. No exciting resume -- just a lot of part-time and freelance work. I didn't want to get, say, an 82% on the test and be stuck in the middle somewhere. I studied for the A&P and biology, and when I got to the test, they only administered the reading comp, math, grammar, and vocabulary. No sweat. I think I was done in two hours.

I took it yesterday and got a 94%.

So, to recap:

get A's in your prereq courses.

decide where you want to apply and research pros and cons of the schools

plan your nursing education to include higher ed, if you want it. I plan on getting a straight RN, then working for two years, then doing a bridge program from RN to NP master's degree.

It is cheaper and faster than a BSN first, plus I have heard that RN schools have higher clinical hours. Not sure if that is true, though.

Another plus about getting an RN first is that there are hospitals that give scholarships in exchange for commitment to work -- you can have your school paid for, and a job when you get out ( if there are jobs by then).

You can easily pick up the BSN after your RN with a few courses.

JENN213 · Nov 5, 2009

You might want to get your Pre-reqs. out of the way and continue with your RN. There's only about 6 months difference between the 2 programs once you have your Pre-reqs. completed. Have you looked into a private college? I know its more money, but you might be eligible for an academic scholarship. That's what I am doing. I finished my Bachelors in Sociology and then applied for a 16 month Nursing program to complete my BSN. With you already having a bachelors degree you should have an easier time getting into the program at an University rather than a Community College. The CC's seem to have many more applicants! Some private University's don't require you to do entrance exams and other exams like the NAT or TEAS, etc. They focus more on personal recommendations and your interview. Good Luck!!

scrapworking · Nov 7, 2009

To answer your original question, here are some of the reputable schools that are not expensive in the area (I live in Clearwater):

pTech for LPN program that will not break the bank (no pre-reqs)

Pasco Hernando Community College has both LPN and RN programs at Community College prices (limited pre-reqs)

and St Petersburg College (RN and BSN - lots of pre-reqs), which you said you've already looked into.

I can't say what route is best for you, but my plan (later in life career changer too - I'm 46, and dropping out for the corporate/IT rat race) since being laid off back in April is to finish up my pre-reqs for SPC and go for my RN. In planning that out looking at their requirements, and along with reading posts here, I also decided to look into PHCC. I'm almost half way in between SPC and PHCC distance-wise. Everything at SPC is transferable to PHCC and back again (for my BSN). PHCC has fewer pre-reqs, though they require Human Nutrition and SPC does not. I'm taking that this Spring online with them. PHCC requires the TEAS entrance exam. Each school has slightly different application deadlines. And yes, each factor in your residency. I'm willing to move to Pasco county if it looks like that school is my best shot. I'm also planning on applying to any/all Earn As You Learn (EAYL) programs. As another option, if I don't get into either school (somehow), I'll consider pTEC's LPN program (besides the day program, they have an evening track and a online option) and then do a LPN-RN bridge/transition program.

My boyfriend, also 46 and career changing, opted to go for his LPN so that he would quickly be re-employable most quickly. He lives in Michigan right now and the state has funds that are paying for his (pricey, in my opinion) program. Once he finishes, he's planning on moving to FL and working while he continues his education (online LPN - BSN or MSN program). He has said though, that he'll be taking most of his classes over...but at least at his own pace and he's working.

Once I/he gets done...and my youngest finishes high school (+/- 1 year of each other) then we will be free to move about the country (staying for now, so that my 15-yr old son is close to his father...even if that relationship never really blossoms) unless I'm locked into a EAYL contract, which isn't the worst possible situation!

Good luck, whatever you decide! You're not alone!

Sharon