Please Help!!!!!!

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Thanks so much for reading this.

I am currently in a finance-related job. I live in CA and have a B.S. in business admin, finance concentration. I am seriously considering switching careers. I work part time right now and have a 2 year old daughter...another one is on the way (we are adopting). I love the idea of nursing - learning something I can use as a mother, and helping people in my day-to-day life. Something I can do wherever we live, and something it seems there will be a great need for in the future. I would love to work three 12 hour shifts and spend four days a week at home with my girls. I would want to work at a hospital. I have no idea which specialty I'm interested in yet.

I have been looking into nursing schools near me. There are 3 community colleges near me where I could get an AA degree. I have to take 4 or 5 classes before I can enroll. I do think all 3 schools have a waiting list. I'm not sure how long of a wait I'm looking at, but they are all 2-year programs once you get in.

Because I already have a B.S., do you think this is the best way to go? I can't go to school full-time unless i quit my job. Also, there are no BSNs near me except a RN to BSN option. There are no entry masters programs near me, so I guess I would be looking at moving my family if I wanted to do it that way.

I was looking at my local hospital's website for job listings for RNs and most of them said BSN preferred. Is this normal? What is the main difference between the BSN and the AA degree? What do you think would be the best approach for me?

With a 2-year AA program, how many hours a week are you in class/lab, and how much study time should I expect? What about for the other options?

Also, how hard is it to get a nursing job at a hospital? I am a night owl so I could probably manage a night shift. Do most nurses take turns or do they pick one shift or the other? Is a normal work week three 12 hour days? How are benefits in the nursing world?

As you can see, I really don't know much about this. I feel like my heart is leading me to make this switch though, so if there's any possible way to make it work I want to do it. I'm 29 so I don't want it to take too long!

Right now i'm leaning towards the AA degree and then following it with a BSN. But that's about 5 years of school! Although the BSN program is 3 years part time, one day of school a week.

Thanks so much for reading and for any advice you can share with me!

Ruth :)

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Specializes in RN, Cardiac Step Down/Tele Unit.

Many people in your situation with a bachelors in a non-nursing field (Like me - bachelors in business admin), apply for an accelerated BSN program, which is designed for that situation. I am currently in semester 2 of a 4 semester accelerated BSN program, and if I could go back and do it over, I would go to the local community college and get an associate's. The accelerated program is so intense you can't think about anything else. I don't have kids, but many classmates do and all have said that either their family or their grades suffer - you just can't give both 100% - there aren't enough hours in a day.

You might try talking to the HR dept of the hospitals around you about the BSN preferred thing. They could tell you how strict they are on that and what their needs are. As for schedules in the associates program, I can't say, but you take fewer classes than a bachelor's program. It is more focused on the practice of nursing than the theory - which to me would be a relief (that is what a prof told me, she has taught both ADN and BSN programs). Best of luck to you!!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Hi! I have a BA and an MBA. I am going the ADN then RN-BSN route. I have kids but I choose my current route for financial reasons. I did not want to take out a single loan for this degree and so far I have been completely successful.

I saved before starting my journey and I continue to work and pay cash for my classes and related materials. I am applying to a few scholarships and am looking for a sponsor to also help but since I have taken my time and my education is not costing me much money, I will be able to get through both degrees without assistance.

My best advice to you is to contact the academic counselors at all of the schools in your area and make an appointment. The process is less confusing if you actually sit down with a counselor and have your unofficial transcripts in hand so that he/she can give you advise that fits your individual circumstance. Find out the requirements and costs for each school. Afterward weigh your options. Good luck! :wink2:

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

i have a bs in mis and when i decided to change fields, my friend who's been an rn for over 20 years told me to go the quickest and cheapest route...an rn is an rn is an rn....

that being said, i realize there are different things you can do as a rn with advanced degrees and specialty fields, etc...but if your main goal is to get in to the field and then look forward from there, the advice i was given would hold true.

i, too, am still paying for that first degree, and wasn't looking for another $30,000+ in student loans at the end of this....i am paying as i go....i just started an asn program....technically, it's 6 units...however, with the additional time involved for video watching, practicum, lab practice, and checkouts, in addition to a massive amount of studying many new things to me, i feel like it should've been credited at 12 hours!!

i think with young kids it's got to be difficult, but we have many young moms in our class....hopefully, if you've have a lot of emotional and physical support with your kids, you'll be fine!!

i think fleur di lis and mba add some very thoughtful, interesting, and insightful advice....

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also here this from my school (csus), maybe an option after you get the needed (which are standard from what i have seen, except o-chem at the aa level isnt required, here in sacramento) pre-req course-work,

[color=#006633]in summer 2007 the csus division of nursing tentatively plans to offer an elmsn program. elmsn programs accept non-nurses with baccalaureate degrees in other fields. the pre-licensure portion will be a fast-track program, enabling students to become licensed nurses after only 14 months in the program. students will then begin graduate courses. the curriculum pattern will allow students to complete their course of study and graduate with a ms in nursing within 39 months.

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[color=#006633]

[color=#006633]elm admission criteria

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each of the following criteria must be met for consideration of acceptance into the csus elmsn program.

  • baccalaureate degree in discipline other than nursing.

  • satisfactory completion of clinical nursing pre-requisite coursework or equivalent. determined by an overall cumulative gpa of 3.0 on courses listed below and a minimum grade of c in each course. all pre-requisite courses must be completed by the end of fall 2006 to be considered for summer 2007.

[color=#006633](3) an oral communication course such as: coms 004

(3) an introductory college composition course such as: engl 001a

(3) a critical thinking course such as: coms 002 or engl 001c

(3) a quantitative reasoning course such as: stat 001

(5) an organic chemistry course with a lab such as: chem 006b

(4) an anatomy course with a lab such as: bio 022 or bio 025

(4) a physiology course with a lab such as: bio 131 or bio 026

(4) a microbiology course with a lab such as: bio 139

(3) an introductory psychology course such as:psyc 001 or psyc 005

(3) a "life span" human development course such as: chdv 030

(3) a nutrition course such as: facs 113 or facs 010

  • satisfactory completion of introductory statistics course within the last 7 years. determined by a minimum grade of c.

  • completion of the graduate record examination (gre) within the past five years.

  • three letters of recommendation, using form provided.

found here:

http://www.hhs.csus.edu/nrs/graduate/elm/elm.asp

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