jcmoore07

hey there, I started my MSW program this fall. The school I'm going to has a part time program, which is nice because I also work full time. I'm sure you can manage school since you are a nurse. I think that if you are interested in it, go for it. If you don't like it, you always have the education and can stay in nursing. Good luck:)

thanks for the info. This is good to know;)

Hello, I wanted to ask the nurses in psych if your job as a nurse allows you to meet some of the psycho-social needs of your patients. I know some psych nurses participate in therapeutic groups. I have been looking at becoming a social worker or a nurse. It seems like nurses in psych do have a therapeutic relationship with their patients, but I'm not sure to what extent. Any info. would be appreciated.

Just wondering, what makes you want to be a social worker instead of a nurse? I have considered one or the other for some time as well. From what I can see, many registered nurses have and use many of the same skill sets as social workers. Such as in psych, gerontology, hospice, pediatrics, etc...a lot of these nurses get to address psycho-social needs of patients. While nurses generally don't do therapy, they do have therapeutic relationships with their patients, especially those who work in long term care. I am not bashing social work, because I think it is a good field as well.

Nurses will get unemployment if they are terminated for performance reasons. In most situations, employers won't contest unemployment, but they will if you are terminated for willful violation of their company policies.

Thank you guys, for telling me your stories. I hope everything works out great for both of you. It is nice to know that other people are in the same boat. It is tough right now, with the economy, to consider changing careers and quitting jobs. But, hopefully in the long run, I will be satisfied with my decision.

I am looking at starting my prerequisites for nursing and wanted a little advice. I have 4 science courses to take for the schools (both accelerated programs) I'm looking at applying to, and I am currently employed full time. The application date for the school I would like to go to is in January, and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to complete all of these courses by that date (a requirement of the school), and I don't want to rush it and do poorly in the courses. So, I've considered keeping my full time job and taking 1 - 2 courses per semester and applying for the following year (Summer 2012). But, I also thought that I could dive in head first and get my CNA license, find a job as a nursing asst or tech and try to take my prereqs and see if I would have more time to work on school work. I am almost 32, and would like to get into nursing as quickly as possible, but I do want to learn the material well. I wanted to see if anyone had the same dilemna and/or had any advice from experience. Thanks a lot.

Hey Sonicnurse, this thread is a bit old, but I wanted to see how it's going for you in the nursing world now that you have graduated (I assume). I also have a BA in graphic design and am seriously considering going into nursing, so it's nice to see I'm not the only one from this walk of life.

Hey Angie, If you got your previous loans in Oklahoma, I would go to http://www.ogslp.org/ that's the Oklahoma guaranteed student loan program. I went to that website and I called the number they gave and they were helpful and able to pull up specific information about my previous loans and what my eligibility would be. Good luck

I realize this is an old thread, but it really interested me. I definitely think the Type A and Type B is an easier way of summarizing one's personality than, say the Myers-Briggs personality types, which have so much spill-over into other types that it's hard to pinpoint one's self. I am a type B person, who is considering nursing school. I have the very empathic, selfless type of desire to help others. I realize this is a great asset for a nurse. I am, however, concerned about the organizational and detail-oriented aspect of nursing. I have always been more of a big picture thinker and the sort of person who always just wanted everyone to feel good, regardless of the situation. I have been trying to decide if nursing would be a good fit for me due to some of these qualities. From what I've read, I feel like I could learn many of the type A skills necessary to become a good nurse, in spite of not being the kind of person for whom they come naturally. It's nice to know that there are nurses out there with a type B personality who are still able to be good nurses with a little extra effort.

Well, I'm not a nurse, but I do have a question or two for you. I have applied to an MSW program for the upcoming fall. I haven't heard if I got accepted yet, but I have read and heard a lot of bad things about going down this path. It takes at least 2 years after graduation to get a license as a social worker, and I have heard mixed answers about the pay. I know nursing would be more challenging and the school is more difficult, and I would also be the type of nurse who would need to be in a setting where I was able to spend more time with patients. I don't know if this would be an issue for you, but I know that in many nursing settings, the nurse has so much work to do, there is little time to really meet the patient's psycho-social needs. However, I do think in areas like psych, home health nursing, hospice and probably others, there would be more time for it. I think that in health care, nursing is probably the best career path, compared to social work or other therapy careers. You can't beat the job security and I think the pay is good for the cost of school. Have you considered using your MSW to work in other settings, like outpatient treatment centers, or are you just ready for a change?

Thanks Angie, I appreciate your help and answers. I'm not sure if I'm taking Chemistry this summer, but I'll let you know if I do.

Hey OliveMay, I know you have nothing better to do than answer my questions while you are waiting to start nursing school:) so I'll ask another. Is it not possible to take Hum. Anatomy in the summer? I was thinking three science courses in the fall would probably be too much to handle. Also, if I did hum anat./phys. combined, do they offer that one in the summer? I suppose I could take that and Chemistry in the summer, right? Justin M

When you are referring to the 2,000 in gov. subsidies, does that change once you get into the nursing program? I was planning on paying for the prereqs out of pocket but the actual nursing courses I will have to borrow money. Thanks again

OliveMay, You are a wealth of knowledge. I do have a couple more questions for you. You said Chemistry is a prereq for physio and micro. You took anatomy and physiology separately, right? Also, do you know if there are problems getting financial aid if you already have a bachelor's degree? Thanks a lot for your help