please help and give some insight/advice!

[runner19]

cannot for the life of me decide what to do as far as my nursing education plans. as of now, i am working on gen.ed classes, and i'm a CNA. should i get my CMA, should i apply into an LPN program, should i apply for the BSN program?? do not really know where to go from here !! any advice or thoughts or experience would be soooo helpful, even though i know this is sort of a personal choice, just need some pointers and such !! thank you in advanced

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

It can't hurt to apply to both programs. As far as obtaining additional certifications, I would caution you that a lot of CMA programs are going to take 6-9 months or more and it probably isn't going to expand your job options very much. Since certification as a medical assistant is voluntary, a lot of clinics will hire pre-nursing or nursing students to work as MA's even without any certification.

You might look at something that can be completed in one semester or less, like phlebotomy or EMT-Basic. Both of these certs should open up healthcare opportunities that you won't have otherwise. (Depending on your state, there may even be some phlebotomy jobs that you can get without formal training.)