ConsideringNursing79

I think you guys are right, I am going to go on through. Too much of a good opportunity to pass up. Working part time is a great idea also. As for the online program it is offered locally through the community college. You have to do first year in the class room but can do second year online and you do clinicals twice a week.

The program is a Hybrid offered through my school. I know someone who didn't pass boards doing it that way, but she admitted she really didn't apply herself well for online classes.

In may I will have my LPN. Money is an issue here at home so I was planning on working as LPN and doing an online RN program which would take 19 months instead of 12 fulltime. However I was just offered a grant that would pay all my tution and books per term. Its kind of put a glich in my plan since free money is hard to pass up. Should I stick to my original plan so that I can work full time, or would I be crazy to not continue with the extra grant money being offered to me?

I have done some CNA work in home health and can honestly say I loved it. However I was having personal issues at the time and ended up losing my job. Things are much better for me now and I have been in school for a year taking general education classes. I am thinking of starting the RN program this summer. I wonder if I would like being a RN more than a CNA. When I was doing CNA work I did alot of things that really helped the patients. I was able to add a personal touch to their lives. I wonder are you able to do this as an RN and what do you like better as an RN regarding patient care?

Why could you not work on the nursing unit and OT as needed? Is there some sort of a rule?

So Lpn's have more patient interaction than RN's? I figured the RN's would do the case planning and maybe lead some groups.

Has anyone thought about getting their LPN and then getting their ota? That way you could cover both fields?

Thank you very much for the replies, it has been helpful. I just hope I make the right decision on which career is right for me and this area.

Can a rehabilitative nurse do the same things as an ota? I am having trouble choosing between nursing or ota and it seems maybe a rehab nuse could perform the same duties?

According to the Iowa Workforce Development website, for my area in Southeast Iowa, RN and LPN are 2 of the top 10 jobs in demand for this area. However I do not see many advertisements in the paper for jobs. I was wondering do alot of new nurses get offered jobs from the places they do clinicals? Or do you just put your resume into a place and they offer jobs without advertising publically?

I am in this same boat. I think I would like a job as a cota but worried about opportunity in my area. Have been told there cota's here work for a contract company and have to take serveral part time jobs. Nursing is supposed to be in the top 10 jobs to have for my area. I think also if I went into nursing I could still do cota type work as a rehabilative nurse? Just really want to make the right choice for myself and my family. Want security, stability, and something rewarding. Also don't know if I can handle the kind of hours I hear nurses work and the way they seem to be overworked. But also don't want to put 2 years into the ota program to find out I cannot find steady employment....HELP!