babs4u

What about me going for phlebotomy? I'm just trying to weigh my options and figure out what I want to do...I read a little on the web about phlebotomy being an extremely flexible (as in work hours) career. And with pretty good pay. So I'm thinking, maybe I should start out there, and if I want to, later start working on becoming an RN! I really don't know yet though, what it is I would be most comfortable doing. I just spoke to a man at CTI about their phlebotomy course, and he said the students practice on each other!!! WOW! Scared of that! But the course is 4 weeks and costs close to $1600. Does anyone of you know about this field and could tell me a little about it?

When you say this, do you mean that my MT training is worth it? Are you saying the reward after becoming an MT is worth it, or becoming a nurse is worth it? Sorry if I'm confusing this! lol

Does anyone here think it would be worth it to keep doing my MT training while also taking the pre-reqs for the RN program? There are quite a bit of them and it will take me awhile, plus the RN program is lottery based so there's no telling when I will get to it. So I was thinking maybe I should do both, but I still not sure if I will be wasting my time on MT or not.

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but I need some advice and/or direction! I am currently taking a medical transcription course through Career Step. I was initially very excited about it, but now after reading MANY posts of the field dying out, I am starting to think I should just continue on with becoming a nurse. See I did start taking some pre-reqs for the nursing program a few years back, but I decided not to go through with it because I wanted to be here for my 4 kids, (oldest is almost 16 and youngest is almost 9). So now, after reading all the negative posts about the MT field, I am thinking I should stop wasting my time and just focus on nursing. However, keep in mind, that I do not have to pay much for the MT training, cause of the school I am taking it through (FTCC), and also I just noticed that the CC here in my town, just raised the unit price an extra 10$. I don't know what to do! I wanted to work from home, but I wanted to make a good and stable income! And I also want a career that is in demand. I'm so confused. My husband works and brings home the money, and he always has. I have never held down a job in my life and I am 33. I have always been interested in the medical field, and when I was little, a nurse is what I always told people I would be. I have been having trouble with my husband (another story) and I have no way of taking care of my family if something was to happen with our marriage! If anyone has been in a similar situation, please , some advice would be much appreciated.

Well what about working in L&D? Do hospitals only like Rns over LVNs to work in that department?

Ok, I LOVE babies! I would like to work with babies, but I hear that only RNs can be around babies. Is this true? I was planning on going the LVN route. I just dont know if I want to be an RN. Im in Bakersfield, California in case that matters. But I KNOW that I would truelly injoy taking care of babies! Can I do this as an LVN? I also hear that I can become a CNA, and then get a job in a hospital, and once I get my LVN the hospital will keep me on. (I say this because I hear alot that hospitals wont hire new LVN's)???

AT the CC I was talking about, the RN program is lottery based. I wonder how long it would take to get into that one? I just spoke with someone at that private school, and she told me that their lvn program is 12 months long! That may be harder on me. I think most programs, like the CC here, their lvn program is 2 yrs, I believe. To cram the lvn program into 1 yr is crazy to me! and its 34,000 bucks! I think I may stick with the cc i guess. Well, Im sort of scared to go straight for RN. Like I said above I did start on the RN pre-reqs, but quickly dropped the classes because it was crazy! Lots and Lots of homewrok due in just one day, and the bio teacher acted as though we should already know some of what she was talking about, which I did not! I just felt really stupid in that class. So I dropped those classes and changed to LVN. But because there is such a long waitlist, and because I couldnt really make up my mind, (LVN vs RN) I decided that I will take the LVN pre-reqs, apply. and while waiting, start taking the RN pre-reqs, apply and see which one comes my way first. I guess I should go back to that plan huh. I wonder if it would even work out that way though. For the LVN program is 2 yr waitlist and the RN is lottery based. There is an adult school here, but they dont have an RN program, only CNA, MA, and LVN. But everyone is always telling me to go for RN first. And if I do, it would have to be at the CC where its lottery based. Decisions, decisions!

Ok, Im a bit confused and am hoping someone on here can offer some knowledge and/or advice. I have been slowly working on the pre-reqs at the CC here in Bakersfield. Now Im not totally done with them yet, but thats ok cause I cant even apply for the lvn program until next Feb (1 yr away) and then there is a 2 yr waiting list! Thats 3 yrs before I will be in an lvn program. Now, there is a private school here that offers the LVN program (SBBC) maybe some of you heard of it? It is expensive, but there are no pre-reqs needed and they offer the program part time and at nights (which the CC doesnt offer any of those options but is ALOT less expensive) SBBC has a financial solution fit for every situation, to make it easier to pay the tuition. But I dont know how much the monthly payments will be yet. (I am still in the process of taking the acceptance tests right now. passed the first one already. I am not really sure if the SBBC (private college ) has a waiting list yet, I forgot to ask. But even if they do, it will most likely still be alot faster than the CC here. I am just not sure of which one I should go with. I am pretty sure I just want to remain an lvn and not go for RN. But I would like to work on an L&D one day (doing anything there really) but I keep hearing from this board, that they dont hire LVNs for that floor. So... Im a bit confused. Also, at the CC I took a nurse student development class, and the instructor said that hospitals and such prefer to hire someone that did their nursing schooling at a CC rather than a private vocational school. Is this true? I just think its really stupid to wait 3 yrs to get in an lvn program as well as paying 20-30 grand for an lvn program too. So I dont know which one to go for! WHat are your opinions on this? I also dont understand why alot of you always say (well why not just go straight for RN) BEcasue I tryed. And it is waaay harder, just the pre-reqs are hard to complete. I dont think I want that much responsability, I already have a husband and 4 kids, I just want to be a nurse. The biology teacher at the CC, its a pre-req for the RN program was putting up a slide show of the different body systems, and she kept saying that you should all know what this is already. And that RN's more or less protect the patient from the doctor, were there to make sure the doctor doesnt kill the patient. And I was like HUH, are you kidding, I felt totally out of place, and the first week we were jumping head first into chemistry, which I never even took in high school. So, yea, the pre-reqs for the rn are hard. This is when I decided I dont think I want THAT much responsability and that I should focus on going for lVN first and IF later I decide that I do want to be an RN I will go from there. I mean there are LVN's that stay LVN, right? They dont ALL want to be RN's. I think I am rambling now, sorry bout that. Has anyone here been in the same position as me, deciding on which type of school to go to, and wether LVN or RN.

That is a good thought, thanks for the ideas and advice. There are so many different aspects and angles at nursing, its mind boggling sometimes. And I keep hearing that LVN's eventually start to work towards their rn. I am currently taking 3 of the general ed classes for the ADN at my local CC, so I guess maybe I should just stick to what I am already doing. It is lengthy, and will probably take me 4 to 5 years before I will be finished. Which is a long time! Im 31 for crying out loud! Oh well...My youngest is 7, and by then my kids will be older so maybe it will all work out better in the long run. I have looked at job openings here, and quite a few hospitals seem to be hiring rn's and there are quite a few LTC's that are hiring LVN's. Are there any RN's here that work in LTC facilities?

I am still on the fence about whether I should go for lvn or rn. I have 4 kids and I would like some flexability to be here for them, to take them to school and pick them up. I have already decided that I would like to work nights. I heard that LTC facilities offer more flexable hours shifts, meaning that I would have better luck being able to accomidate my children when needed than an rn would. I also hear that LVN's have less responsibility than rn's. I am already constantly on my toes most of the time, and running around like crazy, so I think if what I have heard is true, that becoming an LVN would be best for my lifestyle. Being a little more laid back than an rn career. How do some of you that are lvn's and work in a LTC facility like your jobs?

I didnt know you can do this! I will ask one of the counslers and see what they say about this. Thanks!

I know this may sound bad to some of you. When I took my assessment test before I was able to register for my pre-reqs, I got such a low score on the math portion, that I have to start at the Ac Dv level in math, the lowest level! I have to work my way up to Math BD which will take me 5 semesters to achieve, (normally 4, but I couldnt get into any math classes due to late registration. But I know I would enjoy nursing, and that I would be a good one. So I dont want to give up, just wanted to know if anyone here has these same issues, and if and how you conquered them. Thanks for listening.

Well I did another search for available classes, just for the heck of it. And I found another Social Science class that has available seats! It one of the general education classes for the rn program, the class is called Hist B17B History of the United States Since 1870. Its a distance education class ITV, I guess thats through the tv? Has anyone here done any courses this way?

I am on the waitlist for 4 classes, This morning I noticed I moved up a few spots. WL #9 for the Meds B60/medical terminology WL #9 for Nurs B100/ fullfills the STDV requirment WL #15 for the Online Anthropology WL #8 for the Hist B1 Online These are mainly general education classes, but its all I could get into until next semester. Based on my WL #, do you guys think I have a good chance getting in? Yesterday I was #10 for the Hist B1. The online classes start on the 24th and the other 2 start on the 27th.

Yeah, Im just gonna go ahead and take it...better to be safe than sorry! Thanks for all your help!

Actually I just got a reply from the advisor from the nursing department and he said that Nurs B100 fullfills the STDV requirment, so I guess this means I shouldnt drop the Nurs B100? But I could swear the student advisor I spoke with yesterday, told me that STDV wasnt required if I know where I want to go with my career! So... I dont know!

Thank you all SO much for the great advice!! I was a little worried at first, and still am. But I made myself take the assesment test, and I enrolled. The CC that Im going to, the lvn program has a 2 year waitlist, the RN program is lottery based. SO... I am doing what alot of you said, (and the poster above) I made a list of ALL the pre-reqs. for both programs, and I am starting to register for a few, I am a little late, since all the classes are full right now. But I managed to get on their waitlist. Hopefully I will be able to get into them, and when Nov., Dec. rolles around Im gonna get on the ball and register for more. When Im done with ALL the classes I need, I will apply for BOTH programs, and take the one the comes my way first and go from there I did VERY well on the Reading and english portion of the assesment (dont even need to take the required pre-reqs because of that) But I didnt do so well on the math (which I expected) But thats ok, Im prepared to work my way up. Maybe in the meantime, between taking my classes and waiting to be accepted, I will work on getting my CNA. Thank you all again for the VERY kind words. I really like it here! If I wouldnt have found this site, I would be lost...thank you for that. Barbara

Yes that does help! Thanks Mammato3! I might go ahead and drop that nurs B100 then, the rn program is lottery based, not based on gpa and how much you do, so I guess I will drop that one. Thanks again!

I sent the 2 online instructers my name and email, it was a form through the CC website, should I also send them a personal email asking for them to add me? I am also on a waitlist for 2 other classes, not online, the student service people told me that I do have to show up on the first day, but should I purchase the books I need for them now? One of those is Nurs B100, Maybe someone on here knows what that is. The student advisor said something about not nessesarily having to take this class (Ithink) On my schedule it says {credit/no credit} Do you think this class is needed?

I managed to get on a waitlist for 3 classes Im gonna need, What exactly does a waitlist do? And one of them is online, (Antropology) and instead of a specific time, it says "TBA" what does this mean?

Never mind abou the payment question, I figured that out by reading the paper they gave me, duh! I do still need help on the other question though...although now I have plenty of time, I just realized that all the classes I need are full, closed! I guess I shouldv figured out what to do earlier. Im really bummed out now, I have to wait till next spring term to register for my classes. Thats a long time! Guess I will try working on my CNA, if I can get in that is.

I am in the process of signing up for some pre-reqs now. Since the LVN program has a 2 year wait list and the RN program is based on lottery, I am just gonna go ahead and take the pre-reqs that either program will accept. My question is...the lvn program wants BIO B18, and the RN program wants BIO B16,B32,B33. If I just take the last 3, will the LVN program accept that, or will I also have to take B18 as well? Also, I am adding classes online through the Bakersfield College site. Will I have to pay the fees now, or will they bill me later?

Also, the adviser told me that for the lvn program, one of the pre-reqs is Bio B18, and the Bio pre-req for the rn program is B32 and B33, she told me to take the last 2. Now the lvn program should accept those 2 right? Or does it have to be the B18? Sorry if this question doesnt make sense. Im learning as I go. Thanks!

Well, I took my assesment test today at B.C. i got the score I figured I would get on the math, gonna need to work my way up. I did pretty good on the reading and english. The paper work says that there are none required, (extra classes ) that I would have to take for the reading, but for the English, it states that I scored at the Engl B1A, which is one of the pre-reqs for the LVN program. Does this mean I do not have to take that pre-req? The student adviser didnt mention that? I told her that I wanted to get into the RN program. Apparently there is a 2 year waitlist for the LVN program, and the RN program is so inpacted that they choose students on a lottery base. She advised me to start taking the lvn pre-reqs, apply, and while waiting the 2 years , to start taking the RN pre-reqs and general edu. classes. This to me, seems like more money out of my pocket and more time waisted. I dont know. Do you guys think this is a good plan? Or should I still go straight for the RN program and take my chances on the lottery thing.

Wow! Ok thanks for that info. I appreciate it.