kaya767

Thanks for all the replies. Lilev, I have not taken Gen Chem yet and have no basic chemistry knowledge (I'm back in school after 15 years, and I was an English major before). So maybe it would be best to take Gen Chem first? Also, I am in CA as well and have never heard that nursing schools here don't accept online classes? I'm surprised because the community college I'm enrolled in is offering a lot of online classes. Cortisol, the hybrid class I'm looking at has 3 hours of in-person lab per week, so I'm thinking that questions could be answered during the lab. There is also a free tutoring lab at the school. Maybe it would be best to see a counselor or email the professor to find out more about how it's structured.

Hi all, I'm halfway through Anatomy (I am taking A&P separately) and am trying to decide what to take next semester. I want to get all of the hardest classes out of the way first, so would it be best to take Chem next semester since it's harder than Physiology or is it best to take Phys directly after Anatomy? Also, has anyone ever taken Physiology online? They are offering a hybrid class with a three hour lab/per week in person, and that would work great with my schedule. Forgot to add I'm only taking one class per semester because I work full time and have a 2 yr old. Thanks!

Thanks all! I will definitely get a tutor right away to help. I was terrible at Algebra but it sounds like Stats is not at all like Algebra which is reassuring. And I'm glad to get it out of the way in just 5 weeks. Wish me luck!

I'm 37 and finally starting my first pre-req next week. I'm also terrified but since I've been thinking about this for 6 years I guess the nagging feeling of wanting to be a nurse is not going away! It's been 14 years since I've been in a classroom! Good luck, you can do it!

Hi all, After years of talking about and thinking about going to nursing school, I've finally enrolled in my first pre-req- Statistics. It's a 5 week summer class, and I'm terrified because I am not a math person. The last time I took Int. Algebra was 1993. Am I crazy to do this? It was the only pre-req that was still open (probably because no one wants to take it!).

Thanks for the reply. It's strange, when looking on craigslist for CNA jobs seem to be a ton out there. I really can't go to school around my current work schedule because the nature of my work is almost 24/7 (property management). That on top of being a mom is already too much, so I really need a job that is 9-5 and does not require me to answer emails/phone calls every day. I thought working in a related field would help get me a leg up.

I have been thinking about nursing for a few years now, and my problem with moving foward is that I cannot afford to quit my job (no health care related) to go to school. I am thinking of becoming a CNA so I can work in health care while going to school for LVN or RN. My questions are, is it common to find a hospital CNA job that will pay for schooling in the Bay Area, or is that rare? Are most CNA jobs at nursing homes or in home care? How hard is it to find a CNA job in the bay area with no experience? Has anyone gone the CNA - RN route here and if so what what your experience? How long did it take you to get your RN while working as a CNA? TIA!

Thanks so much for the insight and I guess I just need to stop second-guessing myself! It's reassuring to know there are lots of other people who face these challenges while going into this. I'm just wondering, do most people volunteer or shadow another nurse for a day before making the decision to move foward? Is this something you did?

the problem with that is my husband and I live on two incomes, so I would either need to work while going to school or take out loans for living expenses (which would rack up more debt). I'm also pregnant with our first child and I'm not sure I'd have any time for family if I did the ABSN?

Hi All, I'm not sure if this belongs here so if I'm posting in the wrong place please let me know and I'll move it over. I'm 35 yrs old and really need a career change. I have been thinking about nursing for years but beyond lurking on this site and looking into a couple of programs in my area, I haven't done much to work towards it. I've been weighing the pros and cons and I'd love to get your input. When I was in my late 20's I was a massage therapist, and I loved it. I loved helping people and working with them to strive towards better health and well-being. It was the most gratifying job I had ever had, especially when I saw people start to feel better. The only problem was I could only do about 4 massages a day, and working for a chiropractor I wasn't making enough money. The only way you can really make money at massage is if you open your own studio/private practice, which was not out of the question for me but it takes a while to get going. I thought about nursing at that time, but then another job landed in my lap which was related to real estate. That was when the market was good and I started making really good money. Obviously it is not a good profession to be in right now and I'm tired of the roller coaster ride. The only aspect I liked about it was working with people (and the money). But there are a lot of things I can't stand about it and I've never seen myself doing this for the rest of my life. The parts about nursing that really appeal to me are: helping people, having a challenging career that never gets boring, the diversity of opportunities/specialties, and the stability. I love the idea of being able to get a job wherever I go, and to be able to further my education and change specialties if I get restless. Also having benefits would be great too. Most of all, there is an aspect of massage therapy that I've lost in my life over the past few years, which is that I feel like it made me a better person. It brought out all of the compassion and caring and non-judgement that I never knew I had. I feel like nursing could bring that back even more. The things that are holding me back are: I've never been a scientific/mathmatical person. I have a BA in English and I always hated math and was never great at science, although I did like Biology and LOVED my A&P class in massage school. I am fascinated with how the human body works but I'm definitely more of a right-brained thinker. I don't get grossed out by blood but I do have a really hard time with vomit and poop. I would also probably need to go to school part-time since my husband and I live on two incomes. I'm also a little discouraged with how competative schools and new grad jobs are in my area (the Bay Area). And of course the years of school and loads of debt are daunting. But my biggest concern right now is that I'm 9 weeks pregnant with our first child, so I'm worried that my timing is off and I'll get too overwhelmed when the baby comes. On the upside, having a baby will probably help me get over the aversion to vomit and poop! :chuckle I would need to take a bunch of pre-reqs that would proabably take about 2 years to complete at a community college, so hopefully I could get accepted into a nursing program around the time the baby is a toddler. I'm not sure if I would try and go to school part-time, or take out loans for living expenses (and rack up even more debt). I know it would be a long hard road and harder with a child (or maybe two), and I would probably be in my early 40's before I started working, but I feel like if I don't try and do it I will end up miserable. I guess I'm just questioning if my pros outweigh my cons, and I need to gather some confidence in this decision before diving in. Sorry this is so long and I'd love any input or advice. Thanks so much!

Hi all, There are probably other threads about this, but I can't find them. I have a Bachelor's in an unrelated field (English), and I'm pretty certain I want to get an MSN eventually. My question is, should I go for the ADN, start working and then work towards a master's while I'm working? I'm really anxious to start working asap and a little intimidated about going straight for the MSN because of how intense it will be (not that the ADN won't be intense). Any advice is appreciated!

thank you so much for all your words of encouragement! i feel so much better after reading your posts. i know it will be a long hard road but worth it in the end!

i live in the Bay Area, and have decided that i want to change careers and go for a nursing degree. i'm 34 and wish i had done this 10 years ago, but 10 years from now i will still be kicking myself if i hadn't done it. i have a BA in English but need to take more pre-reqs before applying to nursing schools. i went to the local CC to talk to a counselor and see what i need to apply for, and he practically rolled his eyes when i told him i wanted to go for a BSN. he said that all nursing schools here are extremely competitive because "everyone and their mother wants to be a nurse nowadays." he also said getting a job here is very competitive as well, since the pay is so high. i already knew all of this but his attitude was very discouraging. i know i shouldn't let one person get me discouraged, but i'm worried about going to CC for years to do pre-reqs and then not being able to get into any schools. what would increase my chances of getting accepted? is it just about GPA or is there more i can do? do you just keep applying to schools until you get in? the whole situation is very intimidating but like i said i'll regret it if i don't do it. any suggestions?

i live in the Bay Area, and have decided that i want to change careers and go for a nursing degree. i'm 34 and wish i had done this 10 years ago, but 10 years from now i will still be kicking myself if i hadn't done it. i have a BA in English but need to take more pre-reqs before applying to nursing schools. i went to the local CC to talk to a counselor and see what i need to apply for, and he practically rolled his eyes when i told him i wanted to go for a BSN. he said that all nursing schools in the bay area are extremely competitive because "everyone and their mother wants to be a nurse nowadays." he also said getting a job here is very competitive as well, since the pay is so high. i already knew all of this but his attitude was very discouraging. i know i shouldn't let one person get me discouraged, but i'm worried about going to CC for years to do pre-reqs and then not being able to get into any schools. what would increase my chances of getting accepted? is it just about GPA or is there more i can do? the whole situation is very intimidating but like i said i'll regret it if i don't do it. any suggestions?

hi all, i've been "lurking" on this site for a few months since i discovered it, and i have made the decision that i want to get into nursing. i've thought about it for years and the desire keeps nagging me and won't go away, especially since i have become increasingly unhappy in my current sales position. before i did sales i was a massage therapist and have always imagined myself going back to a healing profession, and nursing just makes so much sense. anyway, my problem is when to start. i got married last year and my husband and i are going to start trying to get pregnant this fall. i am 34 so i really can't wait much longer to start a family, especially if i want the option of having more than one child. i have not applied to schools yet, and i was thinking about taking pre-reqs at a local CC this fall to start. i already have a bachelors in an unrelated field from 10 years ago, so i'm hoping most of my pre-reqs will transfer over and i can take the nursing pre-reqs. the local CC also has a bridge program with samuel merritt college so that if you get a 3.0 or higher you are guaranteed admission to their nursing program. so if all goes well and we get pg by oct or nov, that still means i would have a newborn while starting at samuel merritt. i don't really want to keep waiting to go to nursing school, but i also don't want to miss the first two years of my child's life! i'm not sure if i would try and work part time while going to school or just take out loans and do the ABSN program. any advice?