WDW4ever

I'm sure the school has a policy to cover students, but they also require each student to have a policy. As newRNstudent02 posted, I think it's a good idea anyway. And it is inexpensive, compared to the other things they require before registration for clinicals.

I am in the process of gathering the documents required for the first clinical. My school mentioned two insurance programs, through NSO and Marsh. Or it said you can look for others. Does it make a difference which organization? Are some better than others? Thanks! :)

I just want to wish you luck in figuring out what you want to do. I am 40 and am currently taking my first nursing course; we don't start clinicals until September. I am so nervous about the idea of possibly getting to clinicals and finding either it is not for me or I can't do it. This is a career change for me. I have children also. I figured they will be grown soon enough and I really want a career that has meaning for me. My previous career was something that was definitely a poor fit for me and I dreaded going to work. You will find the path that is right for you! :)

As it turns out, I decided to slow down and take the lab sciences individually, so I have not taken 130. I will be taking it in spring 2011 also. I will be taking chemistry and the keyboarding for nurses course this fall. Waiting to take micro for next summer, though AP II was brutal this summer! Good luck to you too! Maybe we'll be in the same Nure130 class in January :)

EDjunkie - I agree! I didi end up getting the large tote, and I do like using it, but it doesn't fit a lot. I think I am going to use it when I don't need to haul a lot of stuff, and I will look into getting a large tote at some point later on. Thanks for the response.

I'm interested in this info too. Thanks for responses. I am starting Trinitas soon and really need to work part-time. Would be interetsed in hospitals that will let you work as CNA with some nursing school experience. Thanks! :)

Hi! Thanks for the advice! It's funny - it comes at a good time. I was researching nursing programs to consider once I have my RN (which will take long enough!), and I realized they all require stats. I took stats in college, but that was too long ago to get the credit now So I was thinking I really should take stats next summer by itself. I definitely agree with you - wth family responsibilities and everything else, much better to take this by itself when I can focus. This summer I am taking AP II . . Thanks for responding to my post. Forgive me, but what school is CSE? - drawing a blank . . .

So many good suggestions - I will be taking my first nursing course in either fall or January, and I can't wait. I'm in an ADN / RN program. Thanks for posting everyone!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and sharing your thoughts! :)

Thanks JordiesMomRN :) The totes do seem like they have a large capacity to throw in a lot of stuff!

Mi Vida Loca, thank you, that is encouraging :) I love your Day One story - I can totally see this happening to me when I get there!

I know, in a way, this is a question that you can never really answer until you get there, but I have been giving this some thought lately. I am in my upper 30s - nursing is a career change for me from a totally unrelated field. I am married with 3 children. I am currently making my way through the pre-reqs, and am in an ADN / RN program. I will start the first nursing course (which is only a theory course) in the fall (hopefully), with the first clinical course in January 2011. But sometimes I think, what if I finally get there, and am not good at clinicals? How can you really know? Has anyone had this concern, and got to clinicals and felt much better (hopfully I will!). I just feel like I am so invested in this, both financially and emotionally (as I have always wanted to be a nurse), that I really want it to work. If you start out a bit rough at clinicals, does practice make perfect, or is it an innate thing: you either have it or you don't. Somewhat of a philisophical question, but definitely has real-life implications! Anyone care to please provide some encouragement and/or share their experience? Thanks :)

Anyone use a Vera Bradley bag for school / work? I am considering either the large backpack or one of the larger totes (Vera, Villager,etc.) For those who use these bags, do you find them to be big enough? Enough organization / compartments for what you need? I can't decide! My daughter loves these bags, and I use one for a diaper bag for my younger DS, but don't know how they would work for school / work. Thanks! :)

What specifically about your experience in practicing law makes you say so? I'm only asking, since you seem to be making a broad generalization. Every job has its stresses - different jobs have different kinds of stress, which different people handle differently. I have no doubt that nursing has its own stresses, and I admire all the experienced nurses out there with a positive attitude - I hope to be among those one day :)

I do want to be an RN! itsirkmr was just pointing out that you can use a legal background in nursing too, depending on what you go into down the line. At this point, I think being an RN IS a step up from being an atty! But I guess I'm jaded from years practicing law. It really depends on one's personality and how someone chooses to contribute to society - I want something more hands-on . . .

itsirkmr, very well said!! Best of luck to you - you really have the right attitude - I'm sure you will be very successful in your endeavors :)

Ladybug, sorry, I mixed up the message with someone else on the boards who is a lawyer Good luck with micro over the summer - I guess we will have our work cut out for us this summer! I agree with the thought of not working more than 8-10 hours a week once starting the nursing program - I doubt I could handle more than this, especially with taking care of the kids too! CaffineRx, I think many non-lawyers would agree with you. I guess you have to be a lawyer, or one very familiar with the lifestyle, to understand. Also, being in litigation is different than many other less-stressful areas of law. But thanks for the encouragement.

Hi Ladybug! Congratulations on your acceptance into the diploma program! I have started at the community college / hospital program I had mentioned in my OP. They took 18 of my college credits, and I took child psych over the winter session, so I only have my lab sciences to do. I am taking A & P I this semester and A & P II over the summer. In fall I will take chem. Debating whether or not to take the first nursing course, which is a theory course, along with chem or just wait for the spring to start the nursing courses. In January, I got laid off from my part-time atty job (not unexpected). I considered that a sign that I might as well get on my way with this journey! BTW, for financial reasons I decided on the ASn / RN also instead of going for the accelerated BSN. My plan is to work as an RN first, get experience, and hopefully an employer will pay for some of my further nursing education. What are your work plans when you start school? Will you be doing contract work as an atty? I have found A & P I to be almost a full time job, especially with my 3 kids! I am not working right now, but eventually will have to get a part-time job of some sort. But I really want that to be in the health field, not law. Best of luck to you! Please keep in touch.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement! It makes me feel better as I continue this journey. :) Yesterday we had to register for summer classes (already!). I am taking A&P II during summer session 2. It will be intense during a five week period, but that's the only summer course I am taking, and I'm doing it so that I won't have to combine it with other courses during a regular semester.

Unfortunately, the school does not allow you to keep the nursing theory without at least taking chem and A& P 1 as co-reqs (you could also have done them as pre-reqs, but this is my first semester of school). Thank you both for the responses :)

Hi! This term I had attempted A&P 1, chem for health sciences, and nursing theory (the first nursing course in our program). I am not working this semester, but I have 3 children, including a toddler. I have not taken any science courses since high school, and I am 39 I was really intimidated by A & P 1, and I felt I really need to focus on this, so I dropped the other 2. This will delay my graduating with the ADN / RN for 6 months to a year, depending on what I take next semester. My school advises taking nothing else with the nursing courses, even the nursing theory course. Could anyone provide any encouragement that I did the right thing? As a career changer, I hate to delay my goal, but felt it would help me in the long run if I can do really well with the science courses. I guess I'm feeling a bit sad that I did this but felt I might not be able to handle that courseload with good grades . . . Thanks for listening :)

Hi everyone: After thinking about it for years (I am 40!), I applied to a local community college that has a nursing program with a nearby hospital. I was accepted for the ADN / RN program (I have a BA with no science background). I was accepted, and registered for A & P I and Chemistry for health sciences. Surprisingly, I got the invitation letter to take the first nursing course that same semester (a theory course)! But after a few days of school, I was feeling completely overwhelmed! The school had advised taking the nursing theory class by itself, but does allow you to take A&P I and Chem as co-requisites rather than prereqs. Since I am older, I figured I needed to get started ASAP. Also, I got laid off, and figured I might as well take as much as I can while not working. I have three children, including a toddler. DH, seeing how overwhelmed I have been this week, said why don't you take it slower. What's another year in the scheme of things - I had waited this long. So yesterday, the last day of drop / add, I dropped chemistry and the nursing theory class so I could focus solely on A & P I and lab. I am disappointed that I will be delaying the nursing courses, but I suppose it is better to make things more manageable and get good grades. I know some people juggle much more, but with the kids also, I feel like I was splitting myself too much. I really do want to pursue nursing, but felt like I was setting myself up to fail. I guess I'm just feeling like I need some encouragement that I did the right thing? Has anyone else (particularly career changers or older students) started this slowly, or started with a bunch of courses and decided to slow things down? Thanks for listening!! :)

I am 39, and am starting an ADN / RN nursing program today! I am taking the first nursing course in the program, which is a theory course, along with Chemistry for Health Sciences and A & P1. I also have 3 kids, one of whom is a toddler, but I also have a very supportive husband. It will be rough, but I have always wanted to be a nurse. This is a career change for me - I am a lawyer, and have been miserable practicing law for 14 years!! Life is too short to not pursue your dreams, at any age!! :) Good luck to everyone - we should keep each other posted as we continue on this journey. . .

Hi Celi: It didn't take long for me to get the invitation letter for NURE130. I have my BA, and UCC accepted 18 credits towards the nursing program. I was already registered for NURE130's co-reqs (I had already had the english co-req transferred) when I received the letter. I applied in September, and got the letter in December. I am a Union County resident. If you are already a UCC student, they take your UCC GPA into account, but that wasn't an issue for me. BTW, I just took child psych over the winter session. It is a fun course! Good luck to you :)

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who has taken NURE131 at UCC / Trinitas could please tell me about it. I am taking NURE130 this spring, and hoping to take the remainder of my science classes over the summer. As to NURE131, I would be taking it in fall 2010. I am wondering how much time is involved: classtime, labs, hospital time, etc. I need to arrange childcare for my younger son (daycare vs. preschool), and want to figure out what kind of work I can do around my school schedule. I'd love any feedback from those who have taken this course! Thanks in advance :)