Beebop25

Hey Mcgrace, I too am considering attending BVC next year. I am in a BN program right now but the part time delivery of the LPN program would suit my life right now so much better. I just wanted to ask a couple things myself as well. I am wanting to attend BVC because I could then work in a part time contracted job while I go to school but is it a guarentee that the courses will be in the evenings? (and how early or late do the clases start in the PM?) I know for the final professional practice I would not be able to work and would need to fully commit to that schedule but what about clinicals? Do you know of anybody being able to complete them during july-august? I know they are 4-8 weeks long and if i could do them in the summers that would be perfect but I am not sure if i can count on that. I have to decide soon if I am staying in the program I am in or transfering. Best of luck av80! Maybe see you around soon!

you are required to spend 1000-3000 of your salary? what happens if you dont? What if your mortgage and student loan payments and groceries take up your whole salary and you can not afford to spend any at all? I am just curious because i know i could never afford to do that.

Hi Isabunny did you get my private message?

I have! Its pretty even right now, lots of pros and some cons to both. I know the bridge program through AU is always an option later, and i looked through it right down to all credits and truthfully its not that much more work than doing your bachelor's right off the bat, regardless of other people saying it is. Adds up to about the same doing BN or LPN-BN bridge. But, yeah I really see so many pros with both. I do feel though at age 25 I do need to start enjoying my life a little bit more with my husband, make some decent money, travel a bit, and being in school full time for 4 moe years is not feeling overly realistic but,,it's the moving to the states that is the big factor too...

Hi everyone. I have been making posts over the past couple of years looking for advice, and here I am again with some more questions. Okay so I am in a BN program in Canada to become an RN. It is my second degree, (sort of my third) and I am pretty exhausted. I love the program, and I really think Nursing is the right thing for me! I am still planning to pursue my other career and do both part time, i worked VERY hard to earn my first degree, and am kind of coming to the conclusion that I may have to give it up to pursue a bachelors in Nursing. There is an LPN program part time where I live that would allow me to pursue both at once, and I have heard it is a very good program too. So here are my questions: 1. I know many LPNs say their employers won't let them practice to full scope, is this true? that would drive me crazy.... 2. Can Canadian LPNs get hired in the states? I have been desperate to move somewhere warm (Florida, Hawaii, ANYWHERE thats not 50 below 6 months a year) since I was a small child and this is very important to me 3. I keep reading these posts about phasing out LPNs in the states, please tell me if this is a real concern becuase I am not knowledgeable on the topic and just sincerely want to know 4. Is the scope of practice different in the U.S. than Canada? I know LPNs here do alot and there seems to be many jobs posted all of hte time for both LPN and RN in a wide variety of settings. People have been discouraging me to switch programs and I am actually getting a bit upset because I think many people (students) are just very uneducated about the role of an LPN I really appreciate any input! Like i said, I seriously need to find my warm sunny beach soon and I need to know if being a Canadian LPN graduate can get me there. I have two weeks to decide what im doing. help! thanks!

Hello RN in FL. I can't speak for anybody else out there, but I am actually still teaching part time while attending nursing school. I really like nursing and i have always wanted a job in healthcare. I am a specialized teacher and it is hard to get a fulltime job teaching one subject without having to do quite a bit of other stuff so for me it made sense to become a nurse and now i can balance both part time in the future. Call me crazy but it will work and I am pretty excited about it, and I will be doing everything that I really want to be. Going back to school fulltime and not having a full time job to pay my bills has definately not been an easy way out if that is what you mean, I want to help people and know I am making a difference every day, no matter how difficult my day may have been. I think some people on here thinking about switching are just very frusterated with their situations, not thinking nursing will be easier or an easy way out but that it just might meet some of the needs people have out of a career but we know it is not an easy job. So far I am really enjoying my program!

I am a mature student just started a BN program in Alberta. Having already been through a 5 year university program, I am finding that I need to be working more, and taking courses part time. There are no part time options available that will allow me to work in my previous field, and I am feeling that after so much schooling already, I really need to cut back to part time schooling. Part time options do not seem that available for BN/RN programs, but there is the part time option at Bow Valley College for LPN. It looks like some evening and weekend options and you have up to 4 years to complete. This would be so perfect for my lifestyle and working needs right now. There is only one entry time a year in August so I am considering applying, and just taking whatever I can that would transfer through correspondence or maybe evening courses nad going back to work full time. Can I have any advice from anybody about this program in particular, has anybody done this program part time at BVC? What are LPN programs like in canada in relation to Bachelor Degree programs? (difficulty level) and what are the main differences between being an LPN or an RN? My intentions were to get another Bachelors deegree because it is so transferable and I hope to move in a few years, I am just finding that full time school is probably not going to work out for me. Sorry that was so long :S any info. is greatly appreciated! I just started a BN program and know i need to make this decision quickly for work purposes/second term registration coming up.

sorry one moe question was it the full summer from may-august or just july/august?

Nice! so is that just for a certain year or is that any year that summer courses are available? I need to definately get my foot in the door for that! So is there a way to finish earlier than 4 years? I have another question too, it says that after you complete your first year courses you can work as a Nursing Assistant. Do we get a certificate for this? If somebody decided not to continue on with nursing would they still be certified as a nursing assistant?

Do you know if it is possible to request to have your clinicals at certain times? I am assuming not as if everyone did this it would be impossible but..

I have read everything in this forum. I too am hoping/planning to move to Hawaii one day, but the chances of me getting there may be even harder being a Canadian. I went to Hawaii for the first time in March this year and went again in July, I am totally in love and only have been to one island so far! My whole life I have wanted to move to a beach place and just can not imagine 7 months of winter forever! Good luck to everyone in their plans. Is there a nursing shortage on all of the islands?

Yes I am currently working part time as a substitute teacher and plan to throughout my degree. Do part time nurses not get benefits? is it different in the US than Canada?

Wow thats increadible! Would it be totally weird/random if I asked for her email addy? I would love to ask somebody how difficult/manageable it is to swing both? totally understand if thats weird though.. haha.

Also how to the clinicals work as far as hours? since Nursing is of course all hours of the day, night, weekends if there is a set schedule or if it changes every week (probably depends where you do your clinical too). I am sure I will learn all about this very soon I am just the kind of person who needs to have everything envisioned way ahead of time and know exactly what to expect :)

Yes it is my first year. I am used to the expectations of being in university and all the hard work, but this will be completely different. I took Music Ed. as a first degree, and i will be working part time throughout the year two days a week. That is really good to know about the GNED classes I will definately be looking into that for next summer. When you say cluster one do you just mean the first year classes? Which classes do you write most of your papers for?

Thanks for the responses. I think it is possible too and I would probably work about 50 hours a week most weeks but then there would be summers and stuff where I could just keep working part time to take a bit of a break. I am trying not to worry alot about it as things always seem to work out in the end. As nurses, how much work do you take home with you/extra research and what not?

I am a music educator so my education degree was specific to that, and that is my passion so I would look to do that part time nad nurse part time. With vacation time, isn't it just 6% of your hours so you would still technically get as much just half of the pay if you were half time?

Yeah this is my second degree I graduated from a 5 year program in May 2010 and am just at the stage in my life where I don't want to worry about summer jobs I would rather take courses and open up more time for working during the year. How far along are you in the program? How intense is it? (how nervous should i be lol)

I am starting my first year of Nursing tommorow, my second degree. My first degree is in Education, I taught for a year and always wanted to be a nurse. I don't have kids and felt I should go back while I am still really young to pursue something else I have always wanted to do, and my end goal is to work part time as a teacher (half days or every other day) and part time or casual as a nurse when I finish. I have spoken with alot of people about this, many who have been really positive and many who have said theres no way a person can juggle two part time professions and I have to choose. It got to the point where I just couldn't choose so I am going for it and it would break my heart to have to give either one up. As far as hours per week go, it wouldn't be any more than if I chose one to do full-time, just that your mind would be between two different professional jobs. Surely I can't be the only person out there who has done something like this, and I just wanted to put it out there to see if anybody else who is a Nurse works part time in another professional job, and what your opinions on this may be? I appreciate any feedback! thanks! :)

For anybody else who is enrolled in the Nursing program at Mount Royal University in Calgary Alberta, is there any way to fast track the nursing degree? Also, are there any ways to take courses in the summer semester (such as the general ones) to lighten things up during the school year?

Yeah i know this teaching while being in nursing scool willnot work out probaby after my first year. So far its looking like my course times could work out, and (i need to find out more still) clinical is in my second term of my first year already along with 4 other courses so it would probably just be one full day a week or something like that. I really hope it works out,

Do you get any say in the hours? I am hoping to teach part time in the mornings only, (currently a teacher), are you able to request weekends and evenings?

Hey everyone. I am starting nursing school in September, and I was wondering if you get to choose your own placements for clinicals? I know answers will most likely vary according to location but do you get any say at all in where you are placed? Thanks! (I live in Calgary Ab. Canada)

I think you can not say things like if it is too hard. You have done alot already, it will just be different. Have confidence in yourself you will do great! And I totally understand about grading grading grading and if you dont do it every day it builds up to the point of being unmanageable. The behavior is what really gets me, like REALLY gets me and there are no detentions or zeros for assignments that dont get handed in where i work... makes things almost imposible for us. I know nursing is very hard too but its just completely different and I will gladly work 12 hr shifts to get a few more days off without taking work home. I guess i pretty much already do work that and i still somehow always feel behind and like i am not doing enough. I think you just need to trust your gut instinct about decisions even if they are huge life decisions. Sometimes you just know what is not right for you, nad what you feel IS right and it sounds like you know. Good luck to you! and good luck with the rest of the teaching year, three more months! :)

Do you mean 2011? Yeah i am hoping they will take REALLY good marks from my first degree and not the not-so-good ones. I have my spot for the LPN at BVC though for August 29th. How old are you if you don't mind me asking? Have you done any post-secondary?