knewme

Thank you all for your honest opinions. Caliotter- may I ask where you are located? California, I'm assuming? I've done research in my area and there are jobs (albeit not nearly as many as nursing). I've had several people in the field tell me I'd be great. I've decided to slow down the decision making process and take a few more prereqs that apply to both fields. I dropped the BSN program gracefully and was encouraged to apply again. Having been essentially a SAHM for the past 10 years I'd like to work full time again for a year or two to get a better idea how it will affect the family before I commit to an expensive program in either area. I love Allnurses and will keep haunting the boards to see if I get a stronger "calling". Thanks All!

I've been accepted, I'm registered, but I am considering walking away from a BSN program to pursue a MSW with the goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I know the BSN would be the logical and practical degree to pursue but the closer the start date the more my inner heart is quivering with dread. So what do I follow- my head or my :redbeathe? I'm almost 40 so its not like I can do one and then switch careers to do the other. I know I could specialize in Psych nursing or would enjoy hospice, but I'm pretty sure I'll hate my life for the three or so years on a Med/Surg floor working nights and evenings to get the experience I need.

WillowNMe- Hate to be nosy but am wondering if you did the Mpls campus ADN or the Post Bacc and how your employment search is going?

Yes, accountability is definitely part of it. And that is up to the hospitals, LTCs and agencies as well. Good management motivates good employees through adequate compensation, recognition, and promotion. Without these motivators most workers lose the will to do a good job. Most CNA's do not have performance reviews and when raises do come they are usually a blanket 2 or 3% for everyone no matter their performance amounting to a paltry 25 or 30 cents an hour. So how long is a good CNA going to keep busting butt for the same treatment as their "lazier" counterparts? If the powers that be were truly concerned about any of the issues raised on this thread things would change quickly.

Hospitals, health care agencies and LTCs are more to blame than training at the original sites. Anytime you hire people for a servile job that pays very low wages without benefits, PTO or anything approaching adequate vacation hours and do not invest anymore training hours or career growth opportunities you are asking for poor job performance. Invest in your people and you will get good results. If you have a good aid you either have a future nurse or a saint, no one else would do that job for the current compensation.

My first reaction was "Holy Skamoly TAKE THE JOB!" But I guess it would depend on where you want to be in five years, ten years. From what I understand 3 mos in its perfectly normal to still be feeling lost and stressed. Don't sweat about how the other nurses are treating you, its not fun but that "thick skin" you're developing will be an asset all your life. If Medspa is where you want to be for a LONG period of time than consider yourself lucky and go for it. But if you have a goal of case management, NP, nurse educator, etc. you are gonna need that hospital experience. You may find you are at the apex of struggle right now and things will get better as you acclimate. Take a breath really evaluate your goals and then take it one day at a time. Good luck!

So here's my one fear regarding pursuing nursing, I was a lousy waitress. Well OK, not all the time, just when it got REALLY busy. I'd get all stressed out and anxiety would take over. The whole shaky hands, heart pounding, forgetting things. I still have waitressing nightmares. Otherwise I have many attributes that would work well in the nursing field. Rock solid stomach-- I can eat a plate of spaghetti with someone vomiting right beside me. Eight hour bladder-- not healthy but proven. High sense of responsibility. Very compassionate and non judgmental. Excellent student 29 on ACTs. Physically strong farm girl. Team player. I've worked as a CNA in a LTC facility and thrived, actually enjoyed the work, and we were always busy. I've also managed a million dollar cosmetic counter. I like to be on my feet and busy its just when I have 10 or 15 people asking me for something at the same time I freak out a bit. I HATE to make mistakes. So any feedback is appreciated. Can nursing school/precept train me to handle busy stressful times or is this a weakness I should acknowledge would exclude me from a nursing career? I mean forgetting someone's lipstick or chardonnay is one thing forgetting their meds is a WHOLE different scenario. FYI The area of nursing I'd eventually like to get into would be hospice and home health which I think would cut down on the multiple demands coming from all directions. But I know I'll need some hospital experience first.

I can only answer as a patient and partner of a patient. My husband (fiance at the time) had an arterial venous malformation in the brain that ruptured. Needless to say we were both scared to death. The nurses were the best! Doctors were cold scary and largely absent. It was the nurses who comforted, advocated and assured us. And they allowed me to lay beside him occasionally as long as I was not disturbing any tubes. Believe me there was no sex involved but when healthy young people have a near death experience and are suddenly incapacitated, contact with a loved one is important. On my request the nurses even taught me how to give a bed bath so I could do some of his care. I felt better because I could DO something, and he felt better because he felt less exposed and more intimate. If those nurses had reprimanded me, he would have still had good care and a positive outcome but we certainly wouldn't have felt as supported. Fast forward numerous years to the only times I've been hospitalized during healthy deliveries of my three babies and I'm pretty sure I would have checked myself out two hours post delivery if my scared little people couldn't crawl in with mom. I really hope there is malpractice reform if liability trumps humanity.

Just wondering how the newly pinned are faring in the "recovering" economy. Are any employers still offering sign on bonuses or helping with tuition in exchange for work commitments?

Yes, it is a CNL. At this point I'm not looking at NP programs because this is so new for me. I'm not even completely sure what specialty I'll eventually pursue though I'm leaning to gerontology, home health, or hospice. My top priority is to be an RN... make that an EMPLOYED one. And yes, essentially the post bac is a second degree BSN, though the school is a little cagey with their verbiage stating that with this certificate and my prior BA its the equivalent of a BSN. When pressed they assured me that all the employers around here recognized the program (it is accredited and has a good reputation) and I would be eligible to enter any Master's programs later. Thanks so much for your opinion. As an older student I really need to be making good choices as time isn't in my favor anymore!

I'm trying to decide whether to attend an expensive post bac nursing certificate at a private college in which I have already been accepted admittance or forge ahead with prerequisites and apply to an entry level MSN program at an affordable college next year. I've tried weighing pros and cons and the scales seem to come up even. Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. Things to consider: The post bac program is evenings and weekends which I don't really need as I am a SAHM with no kids at home as of this fall. This would be a plus in regards to not having to scramble for care should they become ill or when breaks do not align, and I'd have plenty of quiet study time. However, it would seriously curtail time with my husband since I already work nights as a PCA (I get paid to sleep!) Finishing prerequisites is built into the program and I've heard that nursing programs are so competitive you should get in wherever you can. Since I'm already accepted this would take tremendous pressure off me regarding whether I'd be able to start nursing courses in January 2013 (start date for both programs). Also I wouldn't have to be as concerned about pulling a straight 4.0 in all my prereqs as with the post bac I just need to maintain a C to remain in the program. Not that I'm looking to slack. The Post Bac has summers off and would allow me to work part time as a CNA which would be advantageous as I've heard the only nurse grads hired right now were the ones who already had their foot in a door. The MSN program is full time day classes for seven straight semesters and working during it is highly discouraged. We'd have to pay for daycare during the summer with no additional income and its pretty tight right now anyway. Cost wise in total they are actually pretty close but the difference would be a master's vs a BSN equivalent. See why I'm going round and round with this??