GaMBA

For $2.5K you could be on your way to a degree! DO NOT pay that much for a PCT certification. Like the others said, look into technical colleges, or find a cheaper private program. Student financial aid at a community college can help deter or eliminate a lot of your costs that way, even though theses programs tend to take longer than a private program would. Good luck!

Yes, I say you should go for it. Becoming a CNA is a quick, cheap way to get a peek into the medical field and get a firsthand perspective on what nurses do during the course of a shift and to see how a unit/floor/nursing home/etc operates. You will quickly learn whether or not you'd like dealing with the more unpleasant (so to speak) side of taking care of sick people. At the very least, you will have a credential and another means of earning income, should you ultimately decide healthcare isn't for you. What have you got to lose?

"Practicing nursing without a license is a crime plain and simple." I'd also like to point out that in no way does saying someone needs to "act as the school nurse when required" mean someone will be practicing nursing without a license or committing some crime. It is not a crime to run the school clinic in the absence of the school nurse. The nurse typically runs the clinic. If s/he is gone, someone else will need to do it. It doesn't have to be a nurse. What do you call that? To put it succinctly, you say "act as school nurse when required." You run the clinic if you need to. You're not the nurse, you're not practicing as one without a license, you're not going around calling yourself an RN or NP or LPN or anything. You are simply serving as a substitute for the person who normally does this job. No. big. deal.

Something that reads "acts as the school nurse when required" is not calling anyone a "nurse." No one who is not a nurse is being labeled as one. Therefore, I don't see the big deal in a job description listing that statement. That is what they need. Someone who can perform the school nurse's duties if necessary. As a clinic sub I certainly don't call myself the school nurse and neither does anyone else. I don't think the secretary or office admin refer to themselves as nurses either if they have to fill in during the nurse's absence. The words in the OP are just a summarized role description, and I think the statement does a pretty good job of describing the role by using the words "act as", meaning perform the same functions that the school nurse would if s/he were here. It would be different if the wording were "be the school nurse. You are the nurse." Then I could understand the hissy fits about the description wording if it were intended for non-nurses. But as its currently stated in the OP, I don't see the big deal. *shrug*

Have you thought about looking into what school psychologists, counselors and social workers do? They also work in a role that helps kids. Something else to think about is that if you go into education you don't have to stop at being a teacher. There's administration, supervisory roles, coaching, teacher education/training, etc. If you find one age group/subject is boring to work with you could try working with another. There is a degree of flexibility in teaching, as there is in nursing. This is a debate I too have had with myself and the truth is, only you can decide what would be best for you. There are nurses who lovet what they do and there are teachers who love what they do but only you can decide what will be a good fit for you and your family. Worst case scenario, maybe you'll eventually be able to try both :-)

I am not a nurse but I am a clinic substitute (and substitute teacher) for a local school system. Becoming a clinic sub didn't have any special requirements besides being CPR certified (if I remember correctly) and taking a day of training on things like common communicable dieases, first aid, allergic reactions, low/high blood sugars, how to handle meds, etc. I am restricted in that I can't be a clinic sub for any elementary or middle school that has diabetics. I've done it for about 2 years (the upcoming school yr will be my 3rd yr) and must say that I don't see the big deal about a non-nurse filling in for the school nurse as a sub. Anything longterm requires an LPN or RN, and they instruct you in training to call 911 for anything heavy-duty. Also, there is an area nurse who is on-call for any emergencies or questions you may have. In the event that a school can't find a clinic sub if the school nurse calls out, usually someone in the front office (ie the secretary) has to handle the job for the day. There has been many a time that a school's front-office staff has been happy to see me walk thru the door. I save them the hassle of having to unlock the med cabinet every time a child needs their meds, from having to check the temp of every kid with a clinic pass, from having to call the parents of every kid with too many symptoms of illness, and so on. I would like someone to explain why they feel non-nurses should not be allowed to operate the school clinic in the nurse's absence if they have had training to do so. To be honest, of all the schools I have subbed in clinics for, there hasn't been a single situation I was not able to handle. I've encountered some interesting situations in my 2 yrs as a clinic sub but nothing I didn't feel prepared for. Having clinic subs serves a purpose. When a school nurse has to call out, it's great for the school system to have a group of trained people available on short notice.

I would recommend taking time away to yourself and maybe working a while to get a better idea of what you'd like to do. I'm not having a mid-life crisis, but I did recently finish my prereqs (except for Organic Chem) and was accepted to an excellent BSN program. Due to a major turn of life events over the past few months I decided to take some time off from school this past quarter to really think long and hard about if I feel like embarking upon the journey into nursing right now. I have to admit that it feels good to just work and come home and truly enjoy my free time. Being away from school and having the time to pursue other interests for the first time since 2008 has been really rejuvenating for me. I think some time away could be good for you. Best wishes with what ever you ultimately decide!

" Is there ANY way I can encourage the nursing staff to be bold or is it a useless cause? " I hate to say it, but I think it would be a useless cause on your part. As I understand, this is a privately-owned business, meaning the people who own it can spend their money as they please. If they want upgrades and remodeling rather than raises for their employees then unfortunately for you guys that's how it is. It may not seem fair to you but that's the reality of working for other people. Also, given the current state of the job market in general, I doubt you will find too many people ******** and moaning to their employers about anything, much less not getting a raise. Like others have said, most employed people at this point are just thankful to have a job to go to. If these people you work with like their job, like the employer and are content, you will be hard-pressed to get them on your side. And you can forget trying to persuade those who are their family's breadwinner. Like another poster suggested, maybe refocus your efforts on making yourself a more marketable candidate who can command higher wages on the job market. in general, jobs pay what the market says your skills and experience are worth, which may or may not be what YOU think they are worth. Continue to build yourself in terms of what you have to offer and opportunities will open themselves up.

No, you are not naive. That was very inappropriate behavior from a healthcare professional and if I were you, that patient or anyone else that was around to hear it, I would've been equally appalled. There is a time and a place for everything, including venting about noncompliant patients. Imagine how other patients or visitors who may have overhead that doctor might have felt? Some people already distrust drs and the healthcare system and things like this add fuel to their fire. Justifiable venting or not, the doc's public rant made him look bad IMO.

Miss Kitty, I can't think of any additional suggestions beyond what has been mentioned here, and I am not a nurse or a nite shifter, but I am a single mom and I wanted to offer you encouragement and tell you to have faith. I don't know if you're a spiritual person or not but I'll tell you my story and how it's an example of God truly being able to work miracles. As I said, I'm a single mom, and like you, I had no idea how I would make it happen, but I applied for every shift I could at the local hospital back when i was trying to get my first CNA position. I had no experience and the hospital required at least 6 months. I didn't know who would watch my child if I got anything other than a day position, but i figured I'd cross that bridge if I was ever fortunate enough to come to it. Turns out, as soon as I finished my CNA class and got certified, I landed an interview for a hospital tech job. Prayer answered! The bummer was that it was for the nite shift. I didn't know how I'd make it work but I was determined and had faith that everything would somehow work out. So I went to the interview, spent an hour or so interviewing with the staff, and sat there wondering the whole time how on earth would I possibly make this work if I got the job. They really liked me, I liked them, and I knew I had a real chance at getting hired. Lo and behold, at the end of the interview, the manager tells me that he just got notice that day from one of his day shift techs that she's leaving, and none of the nite techs want to move to day shift, so he's now needing a day shifter as well. He asked if I'd prefer days or nites if I were hired. Of course I told him days, but also said I'd be open to either or. A few days later I got a call offering me the day shift in that hospital. Sorry for being so long, but I said all of that to say, Miss Kitty, just have faith. It will all work out. It may not be easy, you may end up going on a different path than you originally set out, but you never know how wonderful things may end up in your life. Just let God do His work, and go with the flow. Most importantly, and I cannot say this enough, trust your gut! You and your family are in my prayers!

During my CNA training, I walked into the nursing home nearest my house and asked to speak with whoever did the hiring. They directed me to the DON, who told me to come back after I got certified and fill out an application. I did exactly that and was told nothing was available for FT or PT. I asked if I could be PRN until something opened up. To my surprise, the DON hired me on the spot and asked when could I start. I was in orientation the following Monday. I said all of this to say that sometimes you have to walk in, talk to people, and let them see a real face that wants the job. As they say, showing up is half the battle sometimes. A couple weeks after i started at the nursing home I got a job at a hospital (all of this without any prior healthcare experience) via an online application. In this day and age you have to try every route possible. Word of mouth, who you know, online, in person, newspaper, emails, whatever. I just got a job at another hospital (I moved across town) simply by letting it be known to people I know that I'm looking for a job in that part of town. To my surprise, someone knew someone that worked in a hospital out that way and had the authority to hire me.

For those who have only been in nursing for a short while (ie If so how did that experience compare to how things were once you actually became a nurse? Did the prior healthcare experience prepare you at all for the realities of this field?

I applaud you all for hanging in there as long as you have. I am very new to the healthcare field and have only worked as a tech for a year but that's been more than enough time to see what you guys are talking about. I see how the techs and nurses are treated by a variety of people and what they have to do on a daily basis and at times it can be disheartening if not downright astonishing. It certainly takes a very special kind of person to deal with all that healthcare workers deal with and keep coming back to do it every day. Nevertheless, call me naive, but I am still very excited about the possibilities in nursing. I come from a different career (corporate world which has its own set of unpleasantries) and am drawn to the flexibility in nursing. I think the great thing about nursing is that if you get burned out in one part of it there are so many other parts to explore that are all quite different from one another. It may take more training or education and maybe give you less pay but the option is there. It's a very fascinating, wide open field and I hope I'm able to find niches that fit what I'm looking for in life. To those who are burned out, ****** off and leaving the profession and have shared their experiences here, thank you for being open and honest and I wish you the best of luck in whatever awaits you!:redbeathe

I just finished reading a thread about burned out nurses, many of whom talked about leaving the profession. Some of them had been nurses for years, some for only a very vshort while. For nurses who are thinking about leaving nursing entirely, why are you leaving the field rather than exploring other opportunities within it? Not judging or criticizing, just genuinely curious. I've met a lot of nurses and there seems to be so many options within the field. Why have you decided not to pursue other areas (ie change specialties/setting/place of employmt/level of pt interaction, etc)?

Shiningstar, I sent you a PM.

I called GSU's nursing dept today and asked about this. The lady I spoke with said they are in the process of switching companies or something since they went from the NET to the TEAS. She says they should have the TEAS testing dates and registration information up on the website in about 3 weeks (so check by the end of December!). She said the testing dates are usually in February. I will definitely keep you all posted on any updates I come across. Good luck to everyone in the app process!

I was wondering the exact same thing. I have spent the last 2 days on GSU and ATI's website (and on the live chat with ATI) trying to figure out how to take this exam thru GSU. They need to address this!

You say your goal is to become a nurse. You've spent 5 years working on prereqs and are now in an ideal position to start school. I don't understand why you wouldn't. You say this is what you want to do. I can assure you that school--any kind--but probably especially nursing school--will be easier without kids. If you wait and do nursing school later, you may end up having to retake prereqs, or you may end up never going back period. Postponing school until you have kids is clearly an option but it would just delay your dream of becoming a nurse. Maybe try to get into an accelerated program and be done with school within a year or so, then start trying for a family while you're getting experience in the real world with a nursing job. 31-32 is a great age to start having kids. Plus, you'll have already fulfilled one of your dreams (becoming a nurse) and can devote more time and effort to your other goal, becoming a mom. Trust me, life changes after you have kids! Also, not to put a downer on anything, but should adverse things happen with your marriage (before or after kids), at least you'll have a strong career to rely on to take care of yourself.

I took both A&P classes with Cumberbatch and really enjoyed it. It's a tough class but I was able to get an A in both. If you keep up with your studying you should be fine. I'm not sure if they're still accepting ADN apps but I have met a couple of people who have been accepted to the program. But they said things sound kind of sketchy and they haven't heard much about prep for the program so I don't know if it's still going to begin in Jan 2010.

I'm curious to see how much of a role the degree earned matters in new RN grads finding (or not finding) jobs in this current economy. Please keep opinion out of it, I'm trying to just look at the facts.

Blue Cross Blue Shield offers something called Tonik (yes, with a "k" lol)insurance which is fairly affordable and offers good coverage. I used it for myself and my son after I left the corporate world. You can Google it to find more info about rates and if it's available in your state. I was able to sign up online, took less than 5 minutes, and if I remember correctly, coverage began as soon as you're accepted, which you find out within 24 hours. When you don't need it anymore you just call them up and cancel it. It provides health, vision and dental coverage.

I took it during a 10-wk quarter. To prepare for exams I reviewed my notes, referred to the book for explanation on concepts that weren't all that clear to me from the notes, and I utilized the course book's website for supplemental learning materials. Going thru the lab book also helped. I passed the class with an A. I don't know how many chapters are on your test in 3 days, but it's still possible to study thoroughly for it. Try to set aside at least an hour or so for each chapter and really pay attention to the info. Keep reading thru it until it sticks and makes sense to you and you could explain to someone else if you had to. Putting things in my own terms instead of all the technical terms really helped me. But be sure to remember the technical terms for the exams :-) Also, I used mnemonics to help me remember things like the different tissues/cartilage and the cranial nerves.

I just finished A&P I and got an A. Besides the class lecture itself, I studied about a 1 to 1.5 hr or so per chapter for each test (each test covered 3 chpts). It was a 10-wk course and we had an exam every other week. It's pitiful to say this, but I only tended to study during the weeks we had class. I work fulltime and have a child and did what worked for me. I will say it was a tough class, definitely one of the tougher ones I've probably taken, simply because of all the stuff I had to learn in such a short time period. But I think what helped me was to see the big picture about how everything worked and came together. Plus, I had taken an Intro to A&P course back in the fall (when I was contemplating the LPN program) and some of the info came back to me this quarter when I studied. The best advice I can give is to find study habits that work for you. For me, I find I retain info best when I read and reread my notes and refer to the book for concepts I'm not all that clear on and for diagrams that bring everything together. I'm a very visual learner. We have a pretty good book for my class (Hole's Anatomy). Also, I would use activities on the book's website as a supplement to my study materials, using the End of Chapter Answers (which were like a really thorough study guide) and the labeling exercises. That helped a lot. The more I saw stuff, the better it stuck in my mind.

Many of the CNAs I work with are careerist CNAs and seem content with it. I have been certified since October of last year, then worked in a nursing home for 3 wks PRN. I began working at a hospital in January. I have thoroughly enjoyed working as a CNA. I don't plan to be a CNA forever but I am enjoying the hands on healthcare experience I am getting and think this is great exposure for nursing school. I have been working on my RN prereqs and hope to get into a program next year. So far my experience as a CNA has been very rewarding.

I just successfuly completed A&P I (got an A, yay!!). I would like to apply to BSN programs, all of which require A&P I and II, Micro and usually another science sequence (ie Bio I and II, or Chem I&II or Physics). I have most of the general ed stuff done, I mainly just need to finish the sciences and Human Growth & Developmt. I'm curious as to how many of you applied and were accepted to nursing programs before you had finished all of your science prereqs. A guy in my class said he knew a couple of people who had done this and were accepted, and I remember reading about a girl on here who said she had only taken one class (A&P I) and been accepted. I know that the caveat is that you probably need to be done with everything before nursing school starts, but I'd like to hear your take on it. Is it wise to start applying before all of my science prereqs are done? Will it help me or hurt me?