cookderosa

This is like my hospital. They pay $5500 per year (or whatever portion you work, .6 time gets .6 of 5500) toward any BSN, and in return, every year you get the payment requires a year of work. I think it's easier here to get hired with a BSN than ADN, so you might want to look at that oo.

Thank you both for your thoughts. I'm still thinking it through- though I did have to give the 1st program a $100 deposit but it buys me a little more time.

So I have 2 RN acceptances for fall. I'm hoping to get some feedback from those who are already CNMs or on their way. I want to make the best decision and get myself into the best position for starting midwifery training. I'm planning on getting my MSN (specifically midwifery) and have a prior non-nursing bachelor's degree. I have 6+ years doula experience and I work as a patient care tech in labor and delivery. I'm planning on applying to midwifery school as soon as possible (it varies for different programs as to when I'm qualified to apply- so that's a variable) Just for personal info- I've had 4 children, 1 and 4 in a hospital with a CNM and 2 and 3 at home with a lay midwife. I'm a LLL member, and consider myself an advocate. First, an accelerated BSN program. I'd graduate summer of 2012. It's $35,000 that I'd have to borrow all of, but I have no other debt. It's a private hospital affiliated program, and I work at this hospital. Fully accredited, and my OB clinical supervisor is a midwife I have a relationship with. Another instructor happens to ALSO be a lay midwife who was at my 4th child's birth, and is a homebirth midwife who is pretty well known. Her work at the college as an instructor is mainstream maternal care (not to say I couldn't do some work on the down low for her as an attendant). Additionally, a midwife who was an apprentice at my first child's birth has offered to be my preceptor for my last semester elective- essentially an intern type situation. Everything about the quality of these experiences is very exciting. They also have very expensive SIM labs, and state of the art facilities. Class sizes in lecture are about 24, clinicals about 8. Second, a community college ADN program. I'd graduate summer 2013. It's $5,000 per year but I could pay cash. I'd have to do additional schooling (bridge or BSN) in order to start a midwifery program. This puts me graduating as midwife at LEAST 2 years further out. This program gets sloppy seconds for clinicals- could be anywhere any shift. I also, however, work at this college. (Faculty member for 17 years...so, I know the instructors, for good or bad. They don't do the last semester elective, so no chance of working with my midwife as a preceptor, I'll just graduate and then have to get the extra experiences on my own. Upside- my job would pay for $1200 per year in return for a year of service. I'd be locked in - but this program has an amazing schedule. 1 evening per week plus clinicals every other weekend. I have 4 children, so this would be the best fit PERIOD. Midwife school is expensive, so it's not only the cost of the BSN, but also the additional cost of the MSN. This "could" be offset by entering the workforce 2 years EARLIER as a midwife - making the financial issues a little muddier. So, besides my personal preference (the accelerated BSN would win) and the cost issue (the CC would win) and getting to work with a few really great faculty (the BSN would win) and maybe even factoring in the issue of additional schooling....but the schedule of the CC is such a plus.... I'm feeling like the BSN would be better for me as a nurse, but the CC better for me as a wife and mother, and the debt concerns me. What else am I missing? Are there other factors I've not considered??

So I have 2 acceptances for fall. This is more a question of debt vs no debt? I'm planning on getting my MSN (specifically midwifery) and have a prior non-nursing bachelor's degree. I have 6+ years doula experience and I work as a patient care tech in labor and delivery. I'm planning on applying to midwifery school as soon as possible (it varies for different programs as to when I'm qualified to apply- so that's a variable) First, an accelerated BSN program. I'd graduate summer of 2012. It's $35,000 that I'd have to borrow all of, but I have no other debt. It's a private hospital affiliated program, and I work at this hospital. Fully accredited, and my OB clinical supervisor is a midwife I have a relationship with. Another instructor happens to ALSO be a lay midwife who was at my 4th child's birth, and is a homebirth midwife who is pretty well known. Her work at the college as an instructor is mainstream maternal care. Additionally, a midwife who was an apprentice at my first child's birth has offered to be my preceptor for my last semester elective- essentially an intern type situation. Everything about the quality of these experiences is very exciting. They also have very expensive SIM labs, and state of the art facilities. Class sizes in lecture are about 24, clinicals about 8. Second, a community college ADN program. I'd graduate summer 2013. It's $5,000 per year but I could pay cash. I'd have to do additional schooling (bridge or BSN) in order to start a midwifery program. This puts me graduating as midwife at LEAST 2 years further out. This program gets sloppy seconds for clinicals- could be anywhere any shift. I also, however, work at this college. (Faculty member for 17 years...so, I know the instructors, for good or bad. They don't do the last semester elective, so no chance of working with my midwife as a preceptor, I'll just graduate and then have to get the extra experiences on my own. Upside- my job would pay for $1200 per year in return for a year of service. I'd be locked in - but this program has an amazing schedule. 1 evening per week plus clinicals every other weekend. I have 4 children, so this would be the best fit PERIOD. Midwife school is expensive, so it's not only the cost of the BSN, but also the additional cost of the MSN. This "could" be offset by entering the workforce 2 years EARLIER as a midwife - making the financial issues a little muddier. So, besides my personal preference (the accelerated BSN would win) and the cost issue (the CC would win) and getting to work with a few really great faculty (the BSN would win) and maybe even factoring in the issue of additional schooling....but the schedule of the CC is such a plus.... I'm feeling like the BSN would be better for me as a nurse, but the CC better for me as a wife and mother, and the debt concerns me. What else am I missing? Are there other factors I've not considered??

I also think you should finish both. What if....fast forward.....you went on to become a nurse practitioner or other mid-level? Your accounting background would make you a ROCKIN self employed NP, seriously, you could do an aspect of your business that everyone else has to hire out for- saves you money, you'd be more invested than an employee, and you'd get your accounting "fix." Maybe you can do a little part time intern type work for a doctor/NP/CNM business to see what this is all about and how you can position yourself for something greater by combining both skills. (I'm a chef, have been for 20+ years, I've no doubt that at some point, I'll find a beautiful merger between nursing and food.) I think opportunities exist for multi-disciplined people.

Congrats to you!! I just got hired without experience too! It can happen!

It seems so! I went yesterday. I've had a hard time finding my childhood records, and my mom has passed away, so they asked me if I wanted them to give them all to me (plus another TB and a flu shot!) They gave me a physical, and drug test, plus fitted me for a respirator mask in the event of needing to go into an isolation room. As to nursing school, it's not as great as I thought. They pay $1200 per year, but then you work a year of service for every year of money you get from them. Pffffttttt that's probably not worth it. For sure the hospital program (which costs a fortune) but even at the CC it's still about $5000 per year. It might not be worth being locked in. There are only 2 hospitals here with everyone belonging to one or the other. Turns out a friend just got a hospital CNA job at the other one and they are paying her $13 per hour. If they pay so much more, I'd certainly want the option of applying after nursing school and maybe going for more money rather than being locked in. Anyway, I don't have to think about any of that right now. Thanks everyone!

Just had to share, I got a job! I'm pretty excited. I finished my CNA in May, and have been trying like crazy to get an L&D job. This is my 5th application (plus 3 outside L&D) but got the call today that they hired me! I interviewed last week, and the nurse manager told me there were 30 applications! What helped me get hired (I'm sure) was the recommendation of one of the L&D nurses. Her and I worked together as doulas, and so I know she gave me a very good recommendation. They were insanely thorough, checking my employment from wayyyy back. An old supervisor (now friend) told me they called him- and I worked for him as a cook in 1988 Anyway, it's a .6 job, so I'll get benefits and the pay is $10.10 I'm posting that because I know there are a lot of people who want to know what PTCs earn. I'm in the midwest, not a big city. From what I understand, this job will pay for my nursing school, so I have 3 acceptances now, and if that's true- I'm going to pick the one they pay for. Whooo hooooo a good day! Tomorrow I go for the million screening things they need. Childhood immunizations, CPR card, copies of diplomas/degrees, criminal background check, finger prints, drug test, health physical, photo ID, CNA certificate, and ID number for my state Health care worker registry. Good luck to everyone!! Keep trying, you CAN get into a hospital PCT without CNA experience!!

I feel your anxiety!! I'm not a nurse yet, but I'm starting a second career after 20 years in my previous field. So, what I can tell you is more based on my experience as an EMPLOYEE than anything else. 1. It's the people. Talk to adults with 10, 15, 20 years work experience, and they will all tell you that the people you work with will make or break your job. ALWAYS people will say "I'll miss the people, not the job" and that's just kinda the reality of it. As people come and go, jobs that are good today might be crappy tomorrow- a new supervisor, a merger, a restructure, a few people retire/transfer/quit, etc and you have a totally different situation. Sometimes better, sometimes not. So, my first thought when I read your post- was to ask how the people are that you work with. Are you a team? Do they "have your back" do you all work well together? It matters, BIG TIME. Like others suggested, maybe a scenery change is all you need. 2. You can chase degrees all day long- heaven knows I did that trying to find the best fit for the second half of my life, but at the end of the day, nothing is perfect. School is school, work is work. Retraining, re-educating is time consuming and expensive. If it were me, I'd exhaust all possible avenues with existing credentials before moving on. My mom worked as a RN for 45 years before she passed away. The majority of her early years in peds, then the bulk of her life in ICU/CCU. When she became a "senior" and wanted less stress, so she earned a degree in culinary arts lol. After 4 years as a cook, she hated it and went back to nursing. My point is, your quality of life is important- it's worth trying new things, sometimes they work- sometimes not. But, there are always options.

Thank you SO MUCH! It absolutely clarifies it, I misunderstood the implication of the NLC. That's really good to know!!

What about self-employment options? I know 2 doctor's offices that use coders, and they both have self employed workers, one for sure an ex-nurse, other one I don't know. Seems to me that they can take as much or little work as they want/can get. The one office's coder has ONLY that office, she has no other clients and gets 5% of something (gross? net? collections? I don't remember).

I have a decision to make. First, I live on the border of 2 states, Illinois and Iowa. Iowa is a compact state, Illinois is not. I live in the non-compact state IL. I've been accepted into 2 nursing schools, one in each state. Without there being much difference in the schools, I do have to decide which to attend, and since I am a resident of a non-compact state IL, even if I choose the compact school IA- my license wouldn't be because my home state is IL. But, I could move. So, I guess my question, is it worth moving to get a license in a compact state? I don't know where I'll end up 10 years from now, so I'm certainly pondering the situation. The converse of this question is, of course, how hard is it to move from state to state when you are NOT in a compact situation? Does any of this even matter?

**BUT** you'd have to quit working full time. Make no mistake, accelerated means accelerated. Some schools may even require you "sign" something that you agree not to work. I just had my aBSN interview today, and they were very firm that even my 1/per week volunteer job might get in the way. (and I took 21 credits per semester for my other BA)

No it's not listed any differently at Ocean. You can (and should) call the registrar's office of the school you are considering and ask- they'll tell you.

I know that a few examples does not make a rule, but I am 5 foot 5 and weigh 135 pounds. I birthed babies of the following weights: 8# 12 oz, 12#, 11# 10oz, 9# 11 oz all lady partslly. FWIW my shoe size is 8. Who has big babies? Well obviously gestational diabetics, but otherwise in "my circle" of homebirth/midwife/doula/bradley birthers, you find a LOT of big babies- babies over 10 pounds are normal. My 12 pounder was probably heavier because he topped out the spring scale, and at his 3 day ped visit he was up to 12# 4oz (which was probably actually a decrease from his birth weight). My midwife delivered a 10 pound breech a month before me, and she also had a set of 8 pound twins. My midwife told me (and I have nothing to back it up) that she believed in the "fishtank philosophy" which explains that fish only grow as large as their tank allows. While I don't know if that's true, homebirth midwives tend to see very few cases of CPD and certainly not before labor (when the pelvis opens up and relaxes). The eternal skeptic in me thinks that the surge in CPD before labor has everything to do with the convenience of scheduling and the price brought by a c-section.

Perfect glimpse at the kind of people & attitudes you'll be dealing with. It's not too late to take the MCAT.

You're awesome!

That's great to know!! I'm very attracted to this school, and what I have is from the website (links below). When I compare them side by side, these are the classes on the NMW list that are NOT on the NMW/FNP list. I'm just wondering if this is wrong or something. It also says this is a "sample" plan, so that might account for the differences? I typed these out because the link doesn't include them side by side, meaning unless you go line by line you wouldn't notice which classes were not included. Your thoughts would be really helpful. Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology (dual lists Advanced Practice Nursing in the Primary Care of Child) Women's Health for Advanced Practice Nursing 1 (dual lists The Context of Primary Care) Nurse Midwifery Practicum 1 (dual lists Family & Relationship Issues in Primay Care) Antepartal Care for Nurse Midwifery (dual lists Advanced Practice Nursing in PRimary Care of Adolescent) Evolution of Midwifery in America (dual lists Advanced Practice Nursin in Primary Care of Elderly) Skills for Nurse Midwifery (dual lists Special Topics in Nursing: Emergency Nursing) Practicum in Intrapartum/postparum nurse midwifery care Ibtraoartyn/postpartum care for nurse midwifery nurse midwifery role synthesis practicum in neonatal nurse midwifery neonatal nurse midwifery care advanced clinical integration experience for nurse midwifery http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/msn/nmwfnp_plan.html (dual list) http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/msn/nmw_plan.html (midwifery only)

>> Thank you for answering!! When I looked at the two curriculum side by side, it seemed like the dual track had a lot less midwifery classes (not clinical). Has this been your experience that you are in different classes - or are you in the classes together with straight CNM students?

I'm 40 years old with a husband and 4 kids. I'm also a career changer. Money is never enough of a reason to do anything you don't want to do. But, money matters. I look at the money as justification to my family for having to do without me. If I'm going to be gone (and this includes time spent in school pre-nursing) then THEY deserve a good salary. Face it, no matter what you do- if you're gone, you're gone. IF you can bring home a nice paycheck after being gone, it makes it easier on everyone. Seriously, I worked the last 10 years as a part timer, if I'm going to be gone- it's going to be worth it. It isn't worth it for $15 an hour! I have to agree with the people who say us girls need to "man up" a little in the salary department. I've never met a guy behave in a self-depreciating way, but women (myself included) sometimes do this! Maybe that's part of the reason they are better paid? They don't beat around the bush about what they want.

No. Slow down, and take your time. Multi-tasking is a skill for the skilled lol. Also, you will make more mistakes- be ready for your next one and the 25 after that. Bigger picture IMO is that you also need to learn how to RECOVER from mistakes. It's hard, especially if you are new to the workforce- but a little thicker on the skin and a little faster with an apology (not an excuse- an apology) will take you far. Additionally, asking people if you should quit your profession is like walking around with a target on your head. I noticed some people suggested you should, maybe they want your job?

I'd walk. Further more, without even having worked a single shift, I wouldn't put it on my resume either. It wasn't a fit- don't look back. If it ever comes up (unlikely!) you can say "yes, I was going to work for them, but never actually did" which isn't a lie. If they press, simply say you found out that they didn't have any local supervisors and that was outside of your comfort zone. (also true!) just my

Don't take this the wrong way, but dressing like Lady Ga Ga isn't professional, it's obnoxious. I'm 40, however, when I was young I had a lot of good role models that taught me how to dress in administration. Your role models are your bosses. If they wear suits, you need to be in suits. If they are in slacks and sweaters, then you should be too. Conservative is never bad- trendy/wild however is open to interpretation. Look at those above you and go with that look. At a different facility, this will be different- you have to be a chameleon and blend into where you are at the time. I disagree that the work place is an opportunity for personal expression, that's what Friday night at the club is for. Also, for years I was a college administrator reporting directly to the dean, and I bought 100% of my clothes at second hand shops. You can likely find high quality $200 suits that may be great off the rack or just require a little nip/tuck for $10. I also bought classic lines and classic styles that I could keep in my closet for many seasons. A trendy wardrobe needs to be replaced very quickly, and thus is harder to keep up with, requires a lot of shopping and $$$$. Stick with black, tan, brown, navy, white, and you can't go wrong. If you want color, buy a necklace or scarf. Lastly, if your hair is messy, get it cut into a low-fuss style. I hate spending a lot of time on my hair, so I have 1 or 2 stand by styles. A tight low pony tail in a slicked back style is always good. You need to fit in with their idea of proper image before they will promote you.

We applied/paid for a test date at the same place that our classes were held, so I can't help you with that. I did, however, just take my state test on Friday. The computer test is 100 questions, multiple choice. You get a score instantly. Our state requires 70% to pass- meaning you can miss 30 questions. Though a separate fee, our skills test is held on the same day at the same facility. If you don't pass the written, you can still take skills test- you'll just have to reschedule your written for another day and pay again. For the skills, they tell you right when you are finished. It is pass/fail, no grade. Once you pass, you have both papers (written and skills) that you can take to an employer to verify that you passed- but you won't have your actual piece of paper until it goes through the mail/entered into computer/etc. We were told 2-4 weeks before we would be on the register, however, they emphasized many times that we could go out and get a job RIGHT THEN. Good luck!

Doesn't whoever you are certified through allow you use of their materials? Childbirth Graphics is awesome but $$.