NurseNancyNP

If at all possible financially and with your family commitments, choose the BSN route. I was an older student when I changed careers and decided to pursue nursing. I choose this route and have been ever grateful that I did. I am now a Master's level NP. Despite the economic dowturn, salaries for NP's in my geographic area are ranging in the mid to upper $70K's, along with impressive bonuses and leave policies. The previous posters were correct in the statements that many hospitals, esp those associated with teaching medical or nursing students, prefer the BSN. In many there is also a differential paid hourly if you have one. Also, they were correct in stating that with the market the way that it is, choose a school that trains students at clinical sites where you may want to work. I got my first job out of school in the NICU after doing a clinical semester and a final preceptorship there. They were impressed with my skill enough to consider hiring me as a new grad even though that was not the norm. This can help when doing your job search after graduation. Also, the BSN is a must for any advanced nursing training. If you desire to become further your education after the RN, choosing the BSN now will make that a whole lot easier later. Whichever you choose, nursing is a great profession and with an RN license and a little experience, the world is your oyster! Hope this helps!

I understand your response, however, I still feel that as complicated and difficult a nursing job can be, if you have a serious problem with dealing with bodily functions, it may not be the place for you. For one, you will not make it through nursing school without dealing with it. And afterwards, you will need to deal with other more life-threatening issues, getting hung up on "poo" will limit your ability to proper care for your patients... It is not that others are "lashing out" it is that we have the experience to know that this type of attitude can cause serious problems later..

Any server can tell you that not all their customer show appreciation for good service by leaving the appropriate tip, however, there are times when some leave great tips too. Customer service is about providing the best service and level of care possible. We should do our jobs without our patients overhearing our complaints. And I agree, our salaries come from the reimbursements that we recieve from insurance companies, too much bad mouthing from their paying clients about our poor service.... The result is assured... If you think your pay is poor now... Look for what happens with poor satisfaction scores. As a consumer, I know I look to my friends and family members for recommendations for service providers, one too many bad reports, and I never use them again.

I work in an occupational setting. We schedule patients every 30 mins. However, I work without a LPN or RN to assist except for gu/gyn issues. We also see walk-ins and I dispense my own meds.

I hope I don't sound too off saying this, but I am not sure that nursing would be a good field for you. All nursing jobs come with the expectation that we may end up being witness to extremely private acts that even their family members and loved ones may not be privy to. In our society, defecation is one of those acts. When an extremely ill patient ends up with "poo" on them, being a nurse means realizing that under normal circumstances, this person would not let anyone see this and understanding that we are being paid very well to assist them in this circumstance. As a NP, I am quite a ways away from my days as a nursing student, and am responsible for the adminstration of my facility, however, I am never too far away to be above helping someone when this kind of thing happens, and I would never expect my nursing staff to do something that I am unwilling to do!

Once again, notice to whom you are referring. It would definitely not be appropriate to speak to co-worker like that unless you two are bosom buddies. It would not be appropriate to speak to a conscious, present-minded patient that way, unless they have given permission. I trully feel that it is unprofessional to use these terms in the clinical setting unless you are talking to a peds patient or one who is mentally incapacitated. And when you use it with a peer, it is just demeaning... And like I said earlier, I'm and my family for the last 10 generations are southerners, so I don't buy the "it's a southern thing" excuse.

See, the difference here is where you work. I'm a Family NP and when I am in a Peds setting and refer to a pedi patient as sweetheart, it is completely different than if I were to refer to my 65 yo patient in the CCU as sweetie. It is a lack of respect for them as adults.

I have to admit, I am from the South, born and raised, but I find it trully offensive when another person, who is not a close relative or friend, refers to me as "hon", "honey", "sweatheart", "sweetie" or any other form of endearment. I feel like it is an attempt to demean me as an adult woman. Many of the folks I work with and are friends with feel the same. This is doubly true when it comes from a subordinate or someone who is in a service position, ie server, waitstaff, bell person, etc...

Here in FL it is not required that you attend a class to become a CNA. You only need to be able to pass the test to become certified. The experience needed to pass the exam possibly may be gained through volunteering. Check out your local hospitals and nursing homes for these opportunities. The test here is relatively straight forward and involves being able to clean patients, take vital signs, and assist with transfers(moving patients from bed to chair or chair to bed, etc.) and daily activities. Good luck!:)

As an Nurse Practitioner and a RN, as well as a patient, I am able to see several angles in this issue. As a patient, it is extremely irritating to wait when you have an appointment scheduled. As an RN I have dealt with irrate patients who have been waiting. As a practitioner, I have been overbooked, I have had patients show up late and bring several people for one visit, and management that is focused on the financial aspects of seeing as many patients as humanly possible. Now a days many practices are run by management companies, not docs or practitioners. Try to remember that it is usually not those that you are directly dealing with that cause the hold up. When you check in ask if the practitioner is running on schedule before you have waited an hour in the waiting room. As a patient, this saves your time.

Check out UF's con.ufl.edu website. They have RN to BSN-MSN, an accelerated BSN, BSN to MSN and accelerated BSN to PhD programs. Each program that includes earning a Master's degree, allows for your choice of Neonatal NP. They do not require nursing experience for the programs. Contact the program for more info. Good Luck!:)

Hi, I'm from Ocala! :)

I live nearby in Ocala. The only NI in the area is in G'vlle, Shands. If you don't have to live in Dunnellon, living in Ocala would put you closer to Shands and still within a very short drive to Dunnellon.

Each school is different. Most are very competitive. I would think that all require that someone who is applying meet at least the minimum GPA, some require only a 2.0 to 2.5. Contact the school that you are interested in and check with their program advisor. Good luck!:)

Well that is certainly an option, but you are only making about 9K per year for all your hard work by traveling back and forth...