OKEnquirer

THANKS, PedsAtHeart! I'll check those sources out. Tomorrow, I will be shadowing a nurse at one of the correctional facilities near me. Am very excited.

Thanks, Stephie! Where is Shadow Mountain? What was it that made it "rough" for you? I really appreciate your taking the time to give me valuable information.

Thank you, Jessica! It looks as if that's a good place to start my search. I'm going to Tulsa on Thursday, and will cruise by Laureate, at the very least. Maybe I will stop in and introduce myself. P.S. Sorry it took so long to reply, but my telephone has been out due to the storms we've been having. No telephone, no internet (all I can get where I am is dial-up)

Thanks, BabyRN2Be! I see it's not always wise to believe good-looking but youthful college advisors from competing institutions. I would very much like some info about the Tulsa area, but am new to this site and don't know how to PM (didn't see a button on your reply). I see you're on-line, so thought I would just ask some questions here. You say there aren't any waiting lists for some of the programs. I have been reading many places that the programs are so competitive, and there are so many applicants, that many qualified people are being turned away from nursing schools. That doesn't seem to be the case in our area......probably not for the entire state of Oklahoma. Wages seem to be pretty low in Oklahoma generally, especially the rural areas, but there seem to be lots of jobs available. Is the super-negativity I'm reading (no jobs, no jobs for grads, no slots in nursing school, etc.) perhaps only affecting the urban and/or coastal areas where there are lots of other problems as well? Economic, housing crisis, etc. There seem to be jobs available, AND also plenty of jobs for LVNs, which some are implying might be becoming obsolete. I am in a pretty rural area -- out near Tahlequah. I have no feel at all for the need for nurses, opportunities, etc. I would be very grateful for any insight you can give me. The entire process of education, job hunting, promotions, etc., is totally different here than it is in Los Angeles.

Thanks, katkonk and Multi, for your replies! Since I posted, I have gathered more information. It seems I can get my ADN from Connors State College in Muskogee in the same time it would take to get the LVN, so I've decided to go that route. I visited the vocational school that grants the LPN in my area, and wasn't very impressed....there is a very small faculty, and my gut feeling is not a very rigorous program. There are only two places in my area that offer the BSN. One is OU (University of Oklahoma) in Tulsa. They have an accelerated program, but it requires more prerequisites than the Connors program and is a lot more expensive. The commute would also be a killer - I'm about 1-1/2 hours away. I was also informed that the program is VERY competitive. The other program is through Northeastern State University and, again, has more prerequisities and costs more money. Since these are the only two BSN programs in my area, most of the nurses in this area must have only the ADN. If that's true, the extra effort to get the BSN is probably not going to be worth it. They would also be options if I decided later on to do something that required the BSN. The reason for considering the CNA/HHA is because I am so unfamiliar with this field that it might be a good idea to work in it to make sure I can do it. I have done a thorough analysis of my options and the RN is far and away the best opportunity for me. I'm determined to do what it takes to succeed in the field, and am pretty sure I can overcome any obstacles. But what if I just freak out and can't handle it? On the other hand, I really do need the time between now and the Spring Semester of the Connors program to take the five pre-requisite courses. Do you think it would be just as effective if I shadowed a couple nurses to see if I can see myself doing what they do in the environment in which they do it? If so, which area would be the best to see? THANKS for your help. I'm pretty excited about going back to school and learning about a new field, but am playing devil's advocate here to see if there are any overwhelming roadblocks.

THANKS Juliaann! I checked out the website. Saint Francis has a reputation as a very good place to work, and it looks like they have tech positions available. I'll put them on my list of people to go visit (bug). I'm wondering if there is a local association of nurses in either/or psych or correctional nursing. If so, that would be a goldmine.

Hi, y'all! Signed up today because I was very impressed by this site! I'm a former Los Angeles criminal defense attorney (female), who retired to the Tulsa area (rural) in 2003. I'm bored with being retired. I'm a youngish 56, and am interested in pursuing a career in psychiatric nursing. Prison/corrections nursing really appeals to me, but so does the possibility of helping in a private or group home setting. Because of my years in criminal defense, I am very comfortable in corrections settings. The plan I've developed so far involves getting my CNA and HHA licenses, finding a psych-related position, then signing up for the 11-month LPN program offered by Indian Capital Vocational which begins next summer. I know so little about the psychiatric nursing/correctional nursing fields that I don't even know what's available or where to start asking questions. Could anyone in the area help me out? What prisons and psychiatric hospitals are in Northeastern Oklahoma? What about the private ones? What do they expect as far as training.....will an LPN be enough to get in the door? Any and all comments and suggestions would be much appreciated. :) P.S. I've already posted this in the Oklahoma regional section and Psych nursing section. P.P.S. I know it will probably sound crazy, but I kind of miss jail/prison. I tell people I used to have a job where I wound up in jail or prison every time I left the house........... Ah, and the aroma of jailhouse cooking......

Hi, y'all! Signed up today because I was very impressed by this site! I'm a former Los Angeles criminal defense attorney (female), who retired to the Tulsa area (rural) in 2003. I'm bored with being retired. I'm a youngish 56, and am interested in pursuing a career in psychiatric nursing. Prison/corrections nursing really appeals to me, but so does the possibility of helping in a private or group home setting. Because of my years in criminal defense, I am very comfortable in corrections settings. The plan I've developed so far involves getting my CNA and HHA licenses, finding a psych-related position, then signing up for the 11-month LPN program offered by Indian Capital Vocational which begins next summer. I know so little about the psychiatric nursing/correctional nursing fields that I don't even know what's available or where to start asking questions. Could anyone in the area help me out? What prisons and psychiatric hospitals are in Northeastern Oklahoma? What about the private ones? What do they expect as far as training.....will an LPN be enough to get in the door? Any and all comments and suggestions would be much appreciated. :) P.S. I've already posted this in the Oklahoma regional section, and the Correctional Nursing section. P.P.S. I know it will probably sound crazy, but I kind of miss jail/prison. I tell people I used to have a job where I wound up in jail or prison every time I left the house........... Ah, and the aroma of jailhouse cooking......

Hi, y'all! Signed up today because I was very impressed by this site! I'm a former Los Angeles criminal defense attorney (female), who retired to the Tulsa area (rural) in 2003. I'm bored with being retired. I'm a youngish 56, and am interested in pursuing a career in psychiatric nursing. Prison/corrections nursing really appeals to me, but so does the possibility of helping in a private or group home setting. Because of my years in criminal defense, I am very comfortable in corrections settings. The plan I've developed so far involves getting my CNA and HHA licenses, finding a psych-related position, then signing up for the 11-month LPN program offered by Indian Capital Vocational which begins next summer. I know so little about the psychiatric nursing field that I don't even know what's available or where to start asking questions. Could anyone in the area help me out? What prisons and psychiatric hospitals are in Northeastern Oklahoma? What about the private ones? What do they expect as far as training.....will an LPN be enough to get in the door? Any and all comments and suggestions would be much appreciated. :)