Joelthomas

I understand what you are saying, and i thank you for the advice. The problem is that in the field of carpentry, there is no "I have X certification/degree therefore I deserve Y salary" There is only an endless stream of homeowners who believe that they could do your job if they only had the time. Also , in order for me to move up, and make more money I would have to, as you say, become a GC. I have been down that road, and it is essentially a sales position...not for me, imo. Again, thank you guys for all of your input

Ideally by the time I had my LVN I would have almost a year of CNA experience. and even if I didn't make any more money than I am now, thats the key word IMO...experience.... Not trying to be impertinent, just trying to understand and make the best use of my time. Sure I would be making the same money a year from now but I would have an LVN certification and a year of cna experience...would that not make me an ideal candidate for RN? Not to mention I'd have a pretty good dose of my future career before spending 4 years on a bachelors..

First, thank you for your help! I agree that going straight for the BSN is ideal, but right now I can't afford to be a broke college student. The problem with that layout is that it would be 4 years before I can begin work! I was thinking as an LVN a year from now I could start working, and then go from there. BTW LOL @ working retail! (Ironic though as I do Home Depot Installations right now!) I do have 1 semester of Cal1 for what its worth..

Hello, I am Joel and I am new to this forum (sorry for the long first post but I am in need of answers). Info about me: I am 27 years old and I have a wife with 1 child and 1 on the way so my financial responsibilities aren't going anywhere any time soon. I live in DFW. I am considering making a switch to nursing because I feel that by the time I am 30 I can be In a much different place financially. I currently make about 15/hr as a carpenter. I have pretty much nothing in the way of prerequisites for nursing (except the HS diploma) Now..on to the questions. If i get into an LVN program Locally (which i understand is my first step) How feasible is it for me work and attend school at the same time? I was thinking I could work as a CNA for 3 12 hour shifts and attend school for the rest of the week. How hard is it to become a CNA? How much money can I make starting out? right now 15/hr is not really doing it for me, but I think i could tighten my belt and go as low as 12 for the year it would take me to get my LVN I do not want to work as a carpenter while I do this (love carpentry but It aint gonna pay the mortgage) I'd prefer to jump in and start getting experience ASAP. I feel that I have the right temperament/intelligence/motivation for this job. I always did well in school, and I am used to being active. I waited tables for a long time before getting into construction. I have also heard about hospital diploma plans, work/study, etc. I would like to hear from other nurses (in my area preferably) on what you think. Any time i search about nursing online all I get is nursing schools. Couple more things: I plan on continuing my education as far as it will take me BSN, MSN, etc.. Also: what are the distance learning options this early in the game? Thanks in advance for any response!