grasshopper7780

Hello all, I am considering the Alexandria, VA Red Cross CNA course. Has anyone taken this? How did you like it? Did you find a job easily? I am looking into CNA work while I do my nursing BSN prereqs. What is the average pay for a CNA in the DC (VA...

There IS a nursing shortage in various areas of the country. I live in a major city and the nursing shortage there is insane. The critical needs employment opps are ALL RN positions. Now, in the middle of MA, where my folks live, there is not a short...

Do it! I worked at a well known med school and the age range there for the incoming class was 20-58! Thats 58 to start med school of 4 years plus residency! Now a days, life is long and people can do anything at any time, its so inspiring. You should...

Lexapro, Prozac and Zoloft work well for anxiety when taken daily. Colanzapan/Klonopin are great for immediate results to calm you down with anxiety and those are taken as needed. Some people take half pills at first to see how the doses affect you b...

Wow - alot going on in this thread. Alot of info and speculation, fact and fiction. As other posters said, there is so much that goes into getting a job, no matter what job. I have a friend who did an ADN and just got a job after 6-8 months by moving...

Reading your post, I think you should absolutely go for it. You sound like you want to be a nurse for all the right reasons, to HELP people. I think that the issue you are talking about is being human. Some of the best medical professionals or heck, ...

Weezy - you are NOT alone. There are alot of people on this board who have come from completely unrelated backgrounds. I have found alot of comfort on these boards. Like you, I have never felt a "calling" to be a specific job, I have felt a calling o...

Thirdwatch - how many hours a week do you work? You make that much without the overtime? You probably dont get benefits correct? How do you like being a CNA?

Swampcat - where you living? The CNA classes are expensive in my area too (DC). I looked into the cost vs the job market and the pay and I just dont think I could survive off that while I take my prereqs. I decided to volunteer at the hospital to get...

You could look into accelerated second degree BSNs, that is what I am doing. They are more money but a BSN is becoming increasingly important. There is also alot of $ in scholarships, you just have to put in the effort to look for them and apply. Its...

My apologies, I didnt mean to distract from her question, I was asking the person who responded to her (JaneyW)

I am a prenursing student who will start volunteering in L&D at my local hospital in the nursing stations in the first week of Jan. Any advice for someone like me who is starting out and trying to get alot of exposure and info? Thanks!

I was looking at their ABSN program. Shiningstar05 - what did you like about it? how was the orientation?

Hey everyone, so after 5 years of working in health communications (from a cubicle, office, 9-5) and thinking about being a nurse, EMT, PA for years, I talked to a million nurses, went to open houses, talked to professors and have decided to go with ...

Thanks so much for the support. Yesterday was a rough day for me, reading this made me feel much better. I applaud you all for making the leap too!

I was planning to take AP1 and Chem next semester. I volunteer at the hospital and I work bartending 4 nights a week. I am a little nervous to take them both but if I take AP with a non lab science like nutrition or something then I will have to wait...

Kkalasa - I am also trying for Spring 2012 and was thinking micro and AP2 in the summer to apply in the Fall but worry it will be too much. Do you think it looks bad to being taking micro as you apply (taking it in Fall) or that I should just get AP1...

It is a seriously annoying process. I wish it was a standard set of classes for each school and that they didnt differ, but oh well such is life.

My advice, just study and try your hardest. You could worry about you wont get in with this grade or GPA or you could really buckle down and try your best. Focus on that and you will probably do much better.

soushee - did you try to take federal loans? I already have a degree and when I spoke with a counselor at the Dept of Ed she went over what I was eligible for and I am still eligible eventhough I have already have a degree.

Yeah, I am taking Chem 1 and A&P 1 together in the Spring and they both have labs. Its going to be alot of work but I think I can swing it. Its all about time management. Question, do you think it will hurt my chances of getting into an ABSN pro...

I am about o start my prereqs and I am quitting the day job to go back to bartending so I can make more money and save for my ABSN program. There is no way to work in those programs, they are just too intense. I will hopefully save some money and tak...

OC_An Khe - good point, the baby boomer retirement will be a big strain, not only on nurses retiring themselves but the also the need for nurses to care for the retired. That will affect education tremendously too.

Could you really go back to the office job that you didnt care for either? Maybe you should look for a diff job in a diff setting (home care, school nurse, etc). I know as someone who has been in the office job that she didnt care for for 6 years now...

From what I can tell, the shortage is overall in the US but it really depends on the area. For example, I know where my family lives, in Western, MA there is no shortage and its very hard to get a job there but here in Washington, DC there is a huge ...