GoingtobeRN

I would do it. I have been working as a personal care attendant (CNA without the certification) for about 6-7 weeks, I just started my CNA class yesterday, and I will be starting pre-req courses in the fall. It was the best decision I could have made for myself. You will gain transferable skills that you will use once you are in nursing program, it may also give you an advantage on your program application. Plus, you can work at a hospital as a CNA, that could be beneficial for clinical's that you will have during your nursing program.

If you can wait for Summer, I would consider that. Being a CNA is temporary for you, I would put my attention on getting through the semester.

I have been working as Personal Care Attendant (PCA) for 5 weeks now (PCA does the work of a CNA with a few exceptions, I will be taking my CNA course in about a week), and this is great advice. What I have discovered at my location is there are all types of people and personalities that do the work of CNA. Be prepared to hear loads of gossip about co-workers and their work ethic, what so-and-so did or didn't do. Avoid contributing to the gossip, just go do the work you were hired to do, it will make your life so much easier. I am a non-confrontational person as well, I don't like being involved in unnecessary drama and the best way (I speak only for myself) is to just listen if they want to talk, but do not put in your two-cents. Be a team player, ask questions, and learn from your co-workers (the good and bad). I would also say, give yourself some grace because being a CNA can be hard sometimes, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Have compassion for the residents you will be helping, try to provide the care that you hope to get, or that you would want for your loved ones. It makes all the difference for these individuals, they know when CNA's don't like them and they feel as though they are a burden. Have fun, and get to know your residents, you maybe the only person who takes an interest in them and what they have to say. Good luck with your course!

I have a master's in social work and earlier this year decided to go for nursing. I had been contemplating the idea for almost two years. I left a job as a behavior therapist due to being unhappy in December, and couldn't find employment in my field. Once covid hit, my state allowed for almost anyone to become a temporary personal care attendant at LTC facilities. I figured what did I have to lose, if I hated it, it was temporary, but if I loved it, then I would know that nursing was something I would like to pursue. I work on a rehab unit and so far I love it! I love bedside care and seeing the residents improve daily. Next month, I will be taking a CNA course so that I can get a pay increase and benefits. IMO, I would strongly consider going to work at a nursing home or hospital as a CNA or PCT if you can. Working in case management or with other mental health providers can be tricky to get hired, agencies want people who are going to want to be around for a while because of the relationships that are built with the clients you will serve. I know of a nursing home in my area that will pay for the cna course, but also provide tuition assistance for furthering your nursing career. It may be beneficial to look into second bachelor degree or direct entry master programs for nursing. Have you heard of these? ( I apologize if this was previously mentioned), but these degrees are for individuals who already have degrees in something else but want to pursue nursing. Programs are accelerated 18-24 months and you will have a BSN or MSN.

This is great advice! I have not attended nursing school yet, but when I was in community college, I had to put in an appeal to get financial aid back. My GPA and completion rate fell below what is allowed for aid. I included very personal and in-depth details as to why I did poorly and why I thought I deserved another chance to prove myself. Thankfully, my appeal was granted. Just as Nurse SMS stated, just saying you had a job really doesn't offer them anything or show that you are capable of being successful if they give you a chance again. In my opinion, you should provide (if possible) some type of outline or plan in your appeal as to what you intend on doing differently if given then opportunity. This not only shows that you have given this a lot of thought, but have check points for yourself to keep you on track, and if you find that you aren't meeting those check points, you can assess where you are at and get the help you need to get yourself back on a good path. I hope it all works out for you!!

You are definitely not alone. The pandemic gave me the help I needed to go for it, but I know that I will have my doubts probably all along the way. Questioning, was this the right choice, can I do it, am I too old to make this switch, will I understand the material? You should be really proud of yourself for pursuing your dream, that takes a lot of courage. There will be challenges, but just keep believing in yourself and just remember why you decided to go for it. Best of luck to you!

Hi, I don't think you are overreacting, there is a lot of uncertainty with everything that is going on and I think that it is okay to have doubts because this isn't your first career. Making the shift to pursue another career is scary enough, but add a pandemic situation on top of it, makes things even more complicated. This has been the motivator for me to go for it. I had been fiddling with the idea for about two years, I always talked myself out of it. This is a career change for me as well, I just started working in healthcare last week and start my pre-reqs in June. I am not a fan of online courses, but I am going to see what it is like. My first course is A&P I, I am excited more than anything to get going on course work and apply to some programs.

If possible, maybe you could find out who is in charge of the program or someone who is on the admission committee (if there is one) and get some clarification. It would be a bummer if you applied and then found out, that they wouldn't accept it because of 10 years passing,

I would think year, but does your transcript break it down by semester? Also, does the application to apply open in late 2020, if you could get it submitted before 2021 that may help?

Hi Amberd1201, I do not think you are crazy for wanting to get these pre-reqs out of the way and apply to your program. It is exciting and you want to get started right away. I am in a similar situation, I need 6 classes to apply for my program, and I want to get it done by January. I could take 3 classes in Summer and 3 in Fall, but I have to be realistic. I have never taken any of the science courses required for nursing, I am not sure what to expect in terms of difficulty and homework, plus I have to work full-time. I know I am capable of organizing my time for school, and getting things finished, I just want to make sure that I get the best grade possible in order to apply and have a decent chance of getting in. Not taking more classes to get these done is something I struggle with daily, but I only want to take these courses once. You know yourself and what you are able to accomplish and if you can get the grades you need/want to apply for the program in the fall then I say go for it, but there is nothing wrong with taking time and not overwhelming yourself to get it all done right away, the program is always going to be there, but the opportunity to get the grades you need may not. Thank you for posting this, you helped me! ?

Hi Roberta Diva, This pandemic has actually made me want to be in the nursing field even more! It has actually been a huge motivator for me to enroll in my pre-reqs and find a position working in healthcare. I have several friends who are nurses and I wish more than anything that I was working along with them right now, helping. However, I do want the pandemic to be over soon. Do you think you will reconsider applying?

The programs I have close to me are in Chicago, and that is basically what I have researched, Rush, DePaul and UIC. It seems as time goes on, there are a lot more programs available. I hope you are able to find the best program for what you want, good luck also! ?

Hi! It says I am not allowed to send private messages either, not sure what that is about, LOL. As far as my research has found, you do not need any type of PCE. I saw recently someone had made a post about coming from a degree in dancing and was accepted in a nursing program. I am currently working as a Patient Care Attendant, but prior to that my background was in social work. If I had not gotten the PCA position, I was going to continue looking for social work jobs to get me through my pre-reqs. From what I can gather, programs look at the individual as a whole, work experiences, volunteering, etc. If you type in MENP or Direct Entry into the search bar on the side, if will bring up a lot of threads on the direct entry programs. If you want to look up by school then include what school e.g. MENP DePaul. This is how I discovered a lot of information. If you have other questions, I will be happy to help, I have been researching for almost 2 years and have decided to finally take the jump. ? Sarah

Hi and thank you! ?

I don't have an answer to your question, but she should look at the programs policies on the drug screening, and if she has received her nursing student handbook, it might offer some information.