Pre-nursing student

[Olivia Holguin]

Hi all!

I am seeking advice/encouragement about my endeavors to enter the nursing field.

I currently work as a caregiver for the elderly. I LOVE MY JOB, but I its hard to live off of $10/hr and there are many hours I do nothing but watch tv and twiddle my thumbs. I am ready for more of a challenge and a chance to create a bigger impact. For reasons I have yet to realize, I greatly enjoy working with the elderly. I cannot effectively describe just how humbling and incredible it is to help people with the simplest of tasks. I truly consider it an honor to hand feed a 93 yr old woman a sandwich, help a women with hemiparesis try on some new bras, or change the wet brief of a 97 yr old retired doctor. Holding someone's trust and dignity in my hands....it makes gives me this glowing, heart warming feeling in the pit of my stomach.

My stats: I have a B.S. in Kinesiology with a 3.4 GPA. My science GPA is currently a 4.0. GRE 300 with 4.5 writing score. I am 29 years old. I live in Central Texas.

Programs I applied to: Understanding that I am an intelligent, happy when I am busy, and incredibly caring individual, I applied to an alternate entry MSN 3 yr long program for an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist. Unfortunately, I was not admitted. They may put me on the waitlist. I was then interviewed at the same school for an 2 year long MSN program that would include a lot of leadership classes that would prepare me to be a nurse manager or nurse leader. I will find out in a couple of months the final verdict on both of the programs.

It is such a bummer not getting into the CNS program. I started looking at Accelerated BSN programs as backups. I suppose if I went this route I would work as an RN for a couple of years before entering a CNS or NP program. I could also get an ADN. So many options!

My concerns: I want to aim high and also be able to pay off my student loans soon after accumulating them. I'd also really like to have kids in a few years. Of course, I want them to grow up with the most resources available to them. I picture myself wearing some sort of lab coat with a prescription pad in my chest pocket as I talk to my patients about how they'll be out of the hospital soon, then talking to them about the funny thing my kid said a few days ago ?

Any words of advice, encouragement, funny stories, ideas, questions to get me thinking, etc would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

[Wuzzie]

At the risk of being accused of peeing in your wheaties I'm wondering how you think you might be able to successfully manage or lead nurses without actually having been one. My advice is to do the accelerated BSN and practice nursing for more than a minute to determine where your assets will be best utilized. Your enthusiasm is a good thing but you may want to dial it back a bit as I'm afraid what you have pictured in your mind will badly clash with reality and I'd hate to see you utterly deflated. Best wishes in your future endeavors.

[Golden_RN, MSN]

I agree with Wuzzie. Even with an MSN you cannot be a manager/leader without earning your stripes as a novice nurse, which is what you will be.

You're in a great position to get an associates degree at a community college (esp. since you mentioned student loans, this is the most economical route). We need more RNs with a passion for gerontology, and your science background will be appreciated by some.

I encourage anyone thinking about nursing to pursue a CNA course, ESPECIALLY those interested in gerontology.

[JKL33]

3 hours ago, Olivia Holguin said:

I suppose if I went this route I would work as an RN for a couple of years before entering a CNS or NP program. I could also get an ADN. So many options!

I think that is a great idea. You can still keep your sights on your longer-term goals, too.

Without causing a huge debate about direct entry advanced practice or management programs (since at least some portion of their adequacy will depend upon the individual student) I think it's at least fair to say that their merits and appropriateness have been debated and I think you should look into both sides of that.

Good luck researching your options!

[implathszombie9]

What direct entry MSN colleges have you found in Texas? I am looking everywhere!

Also, being an MSN to get your RN isn't a bad idea since you already have a Baccalaureate degree. Financial aid for ABSN isn't available and ADN takes forever. I've been trying to get into ADN for a year. I'm fed up.