777RN

You might also check out the programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) in Laurel, Maryland. Best wishes!

Hello OP! For what it's worth, I knew that I did not want to be a hospital nurse long before I ever started nursing school. Hospital nursing is NOT for everyone and I have never worked in one. My first nursing job was on the dementia unit in a LTC facility. I was responsible for up to 42 patients and developed really strong time-management skills. Currently, I work full time in hospice within my company's inpatient facility, and I also pick up over time hours in the field, doing home visits. I love my job! There are many options outside of the hospital: home care, hospice, rehab, dialysis, LTC, private duty, etc. In areas like home care and private duty can be more relaxed, given that you are working with one patient at a time AND you do not have to deal with the potential drama of coworkers and other staff. There are many options, so please do not be discouraged. Best wishes on your nursing journey!

Hello, ThatChickOmi! Why not wait a couple of months until you pass the NCLEX-RN before enrolling in an RN-BSN program? That way, you will have all options open to you. A few months will fly by. For what it is worth, I did the WGU RN-BSN and found it to be a very good program. I had a previous bachelor's and master's from other institutions. Also, for what it's worth, I would avoid Chamberlain and other for-profit institutions. They are generally overly pricey and many are not looked upon favorably by other institutions, should you decide to continue your education. Best wishes!

Hello, sunshine_2014! If you can wait a bit, you might consider Western Governors University, where an FNP program is in the works. Although you already have an MSN and would prefer a post-master's certificate, at WGU's tuition levels, getting second master's could be just as cost effective. You might also check for distance-learning opportunities with state-sponsored universities in New Mexico, which often offer out-of-state tuition rates lower than in-state rates in other states. All the best, 777RN

MSTLUV, Please, do yourself a favor and do NOT become a nurse because others want you to be a nurse. Only become a nurse if YOU truly want to be a nurse! As a hospice nurse, I can assure you that life is SHORT. I care for people of all ages facing the end of life. What I have learned is that, at the end of life, most people regret less what they did and regret more what they DIDN'T do; i.e., the missed opportunities, the chances not taken, the paths not traversed. What is your dream career; i.e., your wildest dream? Whatever it is, pursue that! If you dream of caring for and helping people, there are many career paths that would allow you to do so that don't involve nursing. Are you into wellness? If so, have you thought about massage therapy, music therapy, aromatherapy, art therapy, health & fitness, or something similar? Are you more into the psychosocial aspects of caring for people? What about social work, counseling, or something related? Sorry, but I think that, overall, nursing is too stressful a job for someone to come into it having major reservations from the start. Nevertheless, whatever you decide, best wishes!

Hello! My reply is not likely going to be very popular. It may be completely ignored and dismissed as nonsense by those not willing to look into the opposing viewpoint. Or, my post may incite, though it is not intended to do so. Nevertheless, I am writing to share another perspective ... one that you won't hear in the mainstream media. Whatever the case, I hope those who do take the time to read this will do so with an open mind. Please, use your critical thinking skills and good old-fashioned common sense. And, please verify everything I share here. Do you own research! So, with that said, I find the passing of the California law extremely disturbing at best and wholeheartedly sinister at worst. Why? Leaving vaccines out of the equation for a moment, it seems that everyone should be disturbed by the government mandating any kind of medical procedure upon its citizens. Whether one is for or against vaccines, I think we can all agree that any medical procedure carries at least some risk. So, if the government forces vaccines upon its citizens, who will be liable when something goes wrong? As nurses, we know that every vaccine vial insert comes with a long list of potential side effects (some of which can be life threatening). And, speaking of labels, a number of ingredients in a variety of vaccines are toxic, such as mercury and aluminum. Similar to the disguising of high-fructose corn syrup on food labels as simply fructose, vaccine manufacturers disguise mercury as thimerosal. If the government can force vaccines, what else can it force upon its people? Where will government intervention end? While this seem may like a radical example, what if the government, for whatever reason, decided to mandate that all people take orificenic or mercury? Did you know that, historically, orificenic and mercury were once first-line drugs used in allopathic medicine? In fact, President George Washington, who had the world's best physicians at the time, died of mercury poisoning. Today, the prescription of orificenic or mercury would be considered barbaric (yet mercury is in many vaccines). The point is that evidence, scientific or otherwise, changes; also, it can and often is manipulated and controlled by the powers that be. For example, nutrition advice and evidence are constantly flip-flopping. At one time margarine was recommended over butter; today, the reverse is true. Similarly, ancient astronomers and the world's greatest scholarly minds once believed the Earth was flat. We are constantly barraged with misinformation that serves a financial purpose for powerful interests, industries, and lobbying groups. (Does milk really help to prevent osteoporosis or does it actually contribute to it? Does sunscreen really help to prevent skin cancer or do the toxic chemicals it contains contribute to it? This list could go on and on ….) Did you know that as a result of years of lobbying and political influence, pharmaceutical companies cannot be sued for vaccine injuries? This liability shield has even been reported in the mainstream media. Yet, the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) database is full of records and the VICP (Vaccine Injury Compensation Program) has paid out billions of dollars to families whose loved ones were harmed. And from where does this money come? Taxpayers. Families who pursue compensation and are awarded damages are paid by VICP, which is funded by taxpayers. Furthermore, the government has recently removed some VICP statistics from public view. Despite the complete indoctrination physicians and nurses receive in their education, training, and workplace regarding vaccines, a growing number of them (including pediatricians) are shunning vaccines and actively speaking out against them. Why would this be? There is certainly no money in fighting the trillion-dollar Big Pharma industry. Fighting the pharmaceutical companies is an uphill battle at best. No big-money funding exists on the antivaccine side. Yet, it is a growing, fervent movement of physicians, nurses, parents, pharmacists, etc. who have done their own independent research and have decided that vaccines are dangerous, ineffective, or both. The International Medical Council on Vaccination and Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines are two of several organizations comprised of healthcare professionals who are speaking out against vaccines. Please, ask yourself why a physician or nurse would go against everything they have been taught to support such a cause when there's no money in it for them? Some even risk their licenses. Having studied vaccines for decades, I could go on and on and on about specifics regarding why they may be dangerous, ineffective, or both. Instead, I'll share some resources that provide such information in a much more engaging and eloquent way. Even if you only take a peek to know more about the opposing side in an effort to bolster an opposing argument, please consider the following: BREAKING: CDC Whistleblower Confesses to MMR Vaccine Research Fraud in Historic Public Statement CDC Whistleblower: Behind the Media Blackout Smoke, Mirrors, and the Disappearance Of Polio Thank you for your time.

Will do! :-)

Hello! Regarding the previous post, Aspen University is a for-profit school, most of which have bad reputations for good reason. Also, despite Aspen's CCNE accreditation for its RN-BSN nursing program, the school is not regionally accredited. Many erroneously believe that national accreditation is of superior status than regional accreditation. However, when it comes to higher education, regional institution-wide accreditation is what matters most. Ivy League, Big 10 institutions, and other prestigious schools are regionally accredited, not nationally accredited. Just to clarify, national accreditation, such as CCNE or NAAB (for architecture), is important at the program (not the institutional) level. Nevertheless, as a for-profit institution, Aspen seems far less expensive than most of its competitors. As others have said, WGU's pricing is hard to beat, especially if you work quickly and keep your enrollment to one year or less. However, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is another really good option. As a previous bachelor's degree holder, all prerequisites are waived, so you'd only have to take five 6-credit, upper-division nursing classes to complete the program. I love, love, love SNHU's streamlined, no-BS approach. The University of Massachusetts–Boston has basically the same program structure, but it is more expensive. Also, at one time, it required local clinicals, though I am not sure if that's still the case. Your profile says you are from Massachusetts/New Hampshire, so the UMass clinical requirement, if still in extant, may not be a problem for you. At one time or another, I think I've researched nearly every online RN-BSN program in the country. I plan to enroll in an RN-BSN or RN-MSN program by January 2016. For me, it'll be WGU or SNHU. I like WGU primarily for the cost and the possibility of finishing very quickly (if I put my nose to the grindstone). However, I love the idea of only taking SNHU's 5 classes (and it is still reasonably priced at around $10K)! Both schools are regionally and CCNE accredited. Best wishes!

You're welcome! Thank you! I really enjoy my specialties. Dementia, in particular, is near and dear to my heart, as my paternal grandfather had Alzheimer's disease. I am near completion of a master's degree in therapeutic herbalism. My future research will involve the use of traditional herbal remedies and dietary interventions for the prevention and treatment of senile dementia. Currently, I am researching the historical treatment of senile dementia in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

You're welcome! That's great that you are all in! Staying active is so important. You will be a role model for your patients and coworkers. As far as getting hired, I think your age and background will be a benefit, if anything. Your experience running a business is valuable. All the best!

What a wonderfully inspiring story, pjgal2000! For what it's worth, I work with a number of nurses in their late 60s, 70s, and one who is 80—with no plans of slowing down! You could potentially work another 20, 30, or more years if desired. In fact, there's a story on these forums about a 95-year-old working nurse. Thank you for being an example of how one can reinvent herself at any age! I love stories like yours. Best wishes! BTW, with your wound-care experience, it sounds like you would be an excellent wound-care nurse.

Sorry, nicernurse1, but I strongly disagree with the above advice. The job market for nurses is extremely tight. Becoming a CNA first may not only help with confidence in nursing-school clinicals (especially the early ones) but also with obtaining a job after graduation. A 7-week investment of time and money that will greatly improve job prospects is a no-brainer in my book! Without exception, all the new nurses I know who were not CNAs before becoming nurses wish that they had been—either for the hands-on patient-care experience, a foot in the door of a medical facility, or both.

I did mine at Henry Ford Community College, now Henry Ford College. Good luck!

Hello margaretann! Your story is similar to mine. I'm somewhat of a professional student and entered nursing after careers in several other fields. My nursing class had students ranging from 20 to 60. As far as I'm concerned, 40 is still very young. While age is not really a factor for entrance into nursing school or nursing employment, health is. Bedside nursing is quite physically demanding in most venues. Nevertheless, at one of my jobs, several of the nurses are 60+, one is in her early 70s, and another is 80! The octagenarian has a ton of energy can run circles around nurses and aides a quarter or half of her age! The previous suggestion to shadow a nurse for a full shift is a great one. Similarly, your plan to volunteer could help you obtain employment after graduation. However, have you considered becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA)? Experience as a CNA may help to boost confidence during nursing school clinicals. Plus, since you will be supervising CNAs, it would be helpful to have firsthand knowledge of what they do. Also, nurses are still required to perform basic nursing care including toileting, incontinence care, etc. Nursing is definitely a tough job, but I am making it work for me for now. I work for two facilities and enjoy them both. However, I have enjoyed my previous careers as well ... and nursing is not my last stop. While your sister may be well meaning, only you can decide if nursing is a good fit for you. Like your sister, I have counseled my sister against nursing school. In her case, I advise against it because, although she is very smart, she does not like and has never liked school. Nursing school is jam packed with reading, APA, papers, group projects, tests, and clinicals. A person has to want the end goal badly enough to jump through all the hoops, of which there are many, required for licensure. That's why I just don't think nursing is for my sister, but I would love for her to prove me wrong, if it's really what she wants! Many people start the process of prerequisites and nursing school, yet never finish. Additionally, many nurses leave the profession within the first few years. It is easy to burn out in this demanding profession. Please go into it with eyes wide open. Best wishes on your second-career journey! P.S. BTW, we're neighbors, as I also live in Detroit.

Hi PauperRN! I am a nurse with locks and it has never, ever been an issue. While at work, I pull my hair back into a hair net. My locks are always neat and clean. I have two employers: a very conservative faith-based hospice facility and a skilled nursing center owned by a major hospital system. Before becoming a nurse, I was an editor in a book-publishing company, where my locks were never an issue. Before that, I worked in IT; my locks weren't an issue there either. In my experience, locks are only an issue if the person wearing them believes they will be. In today's world, such thinking is a figment of the imagination that manifests as reality. If you are comfortable and confident with your locks, others will be too. Oftentimes, my locks are a conversation breaker and a curiosity for coworkers, patients, and their families—and I am happy to educate them about them. If you want to wear your hair locked, do it! Don't change your hair (or anything else) for an employer. When I was younger, I would worry about not getting hired with locks. Today, if a company wouldn't hire me because I have locks, I wouldn't want to work for that company. Best wishes! P.S. By the way, for the purists out there, only Rastafarians have "dreadlocks"—characterized by their organic growth pattern that is not guided or manipulated (rolled or twisted) in any way. All other natural ropes of what is basically felted hair are called "locks" or "locs."