Blaire

Hello, I am a native of Fort Myers, Florida. I have to admit that I have never attended Edison college. I was busy raising my 3 children and working. Now that they are all grown, I finally have a chance to go back to school. I was a NA student in '97. I took classes at Lee Cty Hi Tech Central. I would like to enroll in the PN program there. However, I am also looking at the requirements to enroll in ECC. I am just not sure which one would be the best. I don't know if I should go to Hi Tech and complete the PN program and then go to ECC for RN or just skip it (PN) and enroll at ECC for the general college courses and apply to the Nursing program and get placed on the waiting list. Anyone out there familiar with ECC and their programs? Care to offer any hints? Thanks, B P.S. I realize I should know more about a school that I watched being built many years ago, but life happened and school was placed on the back burner.

I just want to thank each of you for the reponses to my post. You have said so many nice things and have provided some excellent tips and advice. Do any of you happen to be from the Fort Myers, FL area? Just wondering... Thanks again, Blaire

Thank you for your reply. I've spent the past 10 mos taking care of my husband (multiple medical issues). And took care of both my 24 yr old daugther (w/ cancer) and my baby granddaughter (who was hospitalized 4 x's before she was 6 mos old)not even 2 yrs ago. So I've spent a lot of time in these surroundings. I even had one of my husband's nurses, while she was checking and changing the sterile dressing on his indwelling catheter for dialysis, ask me to assist her in removing a large blood clot when she realized that I wasn't squeamish. They were short on the floor and she could see that I was following what she was trying to do. She started to ask me to leave the room and then asked if I was a nurse, to which I said "no." She wondered if I could help her out. I suggested she soak the gauge pad with the saline solution and rest it on the clot to soften it up. She did and with my help, pouring more saline she was able to remove it without causing more bleeding from the sight. She thanked me for the help and even informed the Surgeon and Nurse Supervisor. After that, I have done nothing but think about going back to finish nursing school. My husband, who is recooping from surgery a few wks ago, has agreed that I need to go back and he will help me figure out just what I need to do. I've never gone to college and I think that is what is holding me back.

I attended a Nursing Asst program in '97. I missed one day of clinicals which was to be made up, but not scheduled for a little over a month after I completed the NA program. I was 36 at the time with 3 teenagers. I was in classes full-time and taking care of my mother several times a wk. My mother died after complications from suffering cardiac arrest shortly after I finished the NA program. I was due to make up the clinical I had missed, the wk after my mother's funeral. I couldn't go thru with it and was unable to take the state exam to become certified. I was the one who was with my mother and I communicated with the hospital staff, etc as well as, my family. They thought I was a "rock" and that I had found my calling in nursing. I truly thought that too. But, I didn't pursue it any further, and I have really wanted to go back so many times since then. My kids are grown and I presently work in the legal field, which I am not happy doing. I have seen my family through many medical crises the past 9 yrs and I can not tell you how many times I've been asked if I worked at the hospital or if I was a nurse. My mother championed me. She wanted to see me become a nurse. I am just wondering if it's too late for me? I don't know where to start. Any advice or suggestions, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Blaire