RN_waitlister

Hi, I'm not a Nurse yet (still on a waitlist to become one) but I'm in the same boat as you. I work at a job that I do enjoy but it's also at a computer and gets very tedious. I feel I'm not learning anything new or advancing. I don't hate the job but I think Nursing will be a good profession to switch to. It'll be very challenging, active, and rewarding. So you are definately not alone. Just research as much as you can about it so you know what it's all about. This site is a good one to find out what the real job is like. I still have over a year till I'm in school so I'll be researching my butt off on the Nursing profession to make 100% sure it's what I want to do; but so far I'm excited to start!

"psso" - you're on the waitlist for Camosun? If so, when do you think you'll get in? I'm most likely in the Fall 2011 intake. I hate waiting so looooong!!

The program I'm going into is a normal 4-year bachelor program to become an RN through Camosun College and UVic. It's not especially to become a Scrub Nurse. I've just heard that some grads of the program have been trained right after to work in the OR because they really needed people.

Thanks again for the great info! :clphnds:

Wow, thanks for all that info! That's exactly what I wanted to know. A Scrub Nurse sounds like what I'm most interested in (for now). I'd like to be in the OR and apart of the surgery, it would be so interesting! I assume though that you'd learn all the different roles (pre, circ, scrub, post) in training not just one particular role?

Hi all! I'm interested in OR Nursing. I'm on a 2-year wait list to start getting my bachelor's to become an RN (career change). So it'll be a while I've seen many titles such as: OR Nurse, Scrub Nurse, Peri-operative Nurse, and even Physician's Assistant. Can someone please clarify these titles? Are they all the same thing or do they have different roles? Are they called one title in Canada and something different in the US? Do they get the same pay as any other RN? I know out of the program I'm going into, they do take new grads and start training them in that field right away. Is it better to do some Med/Surg Nursing first and then go into that? Or just go straight into it if the opportunity arises? If I did go straight into that, would it be harder to change to a different field later without much bedside nursing experience? Is there room to advance in that field? Thanks! I'm really curious about this!

Those last 2 stories sent shivers up my neck, lol!

Yes "CECE,RN", maybe I should just not worry too much about it and take advantage of the no homework situation. I do have all the Pre-reqs done already, so that's why it's such a dumb waiting game. LOL! "greenfiremajick", maybe I should take the waitlist into my own hands and make it a little shorter! Bwahaha! Well, maybe some of them will change thier minds and I won't have too.

Hi! I'm doing a complete career change and going back to school to become an RN. I'm stuck on a 2-year waitlist though . Soooo, this gives me 2 years to prepare for the program and the Nursing profession in general. I'm going to keep my current full-time job and will be doing an Emergency Medical Responder course in the evenings and plan on working as an entry-level Paramedic on the weekends starting this winter. That'll get my feet wet in the medical field and get me experience with patient care. I'll also try to volunteer at a hospital - if I have the time! Any other ideas of things to do that will help prepare me for the Nursing Program? I've already got the prerequisits and electives done (the ones that are able to be done before the program anyways). So now it's just a waiting game. Anything that I could study till then? I bought an anatomy/physiology book to look through. I have Anatomy flash cards too. Any good Nursing books that would be helpful? Any other activities that would help me prepare for Nursing that you can think of? Thanks!!!

Thanks for all the feedback! :) I have since decided what I plan on doing (BTW, I'm in BC). I do eventually want to become an RN but will do it in a round about way: I'm going to take a part-time Emergency Medical Responder program and start doing some ambulance work on the weekends while I keep my full-time job. Then I'm going to apply to be a full-time Emergency Dispatcher for a few years. It would be interesting and I'd learn a lot during this time and how to deal in a stressful environment. It also pays better than my current job so I can save and eventually do the RN program loan-free. Plus, there is a 2 year waitlist for the RN program anyways so this gives me the opportunity to get into the medical field while I'm waiting and get some valuble experience and skills. This is a longer way to do it but for me it makes sense and gives me experience in different areas. Although this is my current plan, it may not work out exactly this way but it's what I'd like to do for now. Cheers! :)

Hi all! I'm going to do a complete career change (at 28 yrs old) and was planning on going back to school to become an RN. I have also really thought about becoming a Paramedic instead; reasons being: - I can afford the Paramedic schooling myself without a student loan and it would take less than a year, where as Nursing would take 4 years, I'd need student loans, and there is a 1-2 year wait list. So I'd be saving sooo much money and time going the Paramedic route. Although, I know there are big advantages to being a Nurse: Full-time job right out of school, a bit better pay, more opportunities to branch out, can work anywhere, and I'd have a bachelor's degree.... For those of you who are RN's and familiar with the Paramedic profession, what is your opinion? Do the pros of becoming an RN outweigh the amount of debt and time I'd save becoming a Paramedic? I'm sure I'd enjoy both professions so that's not really the issue. Thanks for your feedback!

Yes, I understand not everything turns out the way you plan and things definitely do change. But I think you should have some sort of idea of what you are going to do in the near future; Even though it may not end up that way. Honestly, having a kid is low on my priorities right now and I didn't think of it much until I actually wrote down the the years of schooling in correlation to my age - that got me thinking about it! Getting into the program isn't a problem. I've been to college before and have all the prerequisites and electives done already and my marks are high. I just have to wait for the waitlist to wittle down. I will be volunteering at a hospital starting soon to get my foot in the health care door and to see what it's like in the hospitals. In the meantime I'm just going to continue to save like mad! Anyways, who says you can't be a super woman? There are lots of women with kids going to school or having kids while in school and they did it. Why can't others? In my opinion they are the superwomen. You can have a career and a kid - you don't have to just pick one.

Wow beckylpn1, that must've been tough having complications and going through school! Yes, I do really want to just get going and start school asap, that would be ideal. I'd prefer not to wait but it would be tricky. Maybe between 3rd and 4th year would be a good time. That way, most of the schooling would be done and I'd just have a year of schooling left to do and I'd be able to get back into the learning process before getting an RN job. Although there would be no mat leave pay... much to mull over!

Thanks for all the replys, lots to think about! I plan on having only one kid and I'm not ready now. I want to be married first and we aren't planning that till my BF is done school in 2 years. So having a kid before school is probably out of the question, unless I put it off for a few years. Hmmm... Wow, all these new options that I had never thought of before. Then I would qualify for mat leave, where as, if I got pregant during school I wouldn't qualify....hmmm. Ok, this is great, it's really got me thinking! Now I'll lay this all out and get my BF's opinion, lol!

Oh thanks lunden, for the reply ! (missed it at first). How was going through school with a brand new baby? Did you also have to work? Are you glad you decided to do it that way? How many years was the program?