Sturnage

I am a CMA/CNA, just finished all of my prereqs for Nursing and graduated with my AA, and have been accepted to the program. There are always two sides to a story, but in this case... The proof is in the pay check. I like to view the last 8 years of experience being a CMA as helping me determine if the health field was, indeed, for me. By no means was the pay enough to live comfortably, especially if you are single or a parent. And by NO MEANS was it comparable to ASN, BSN, PA, NP, etc pay. Some people ARE quite delusional. It goes without saying that I am not pursuing higher education, especially a career in nursing strickly because of the money, but CMA school was definitely all talk. And very expensive. I do not per se regret it, but instead would have gone LPN route. I learned a great deal of basic medical terminology (but no more than I learned later on in an Advanced Med Term course in an accredited college), you get the basic clinical skills but most of what I learned that was important was from years of experience in the field. My opinion is that if a MA (in training) has enough time to be "high and mighty", and to also represent herself completely inaccurately...then she is most likely a sub par MA. And isn't busy enough. I had a similar experience with an MA that had never even been through any program... just strictly on the job training. She had actually worked her self up the chain to a psuedo management position... but this was the office's downfall. She had zero management experience, and to be frank, she was a sub par MA to boot. She was just loyal. But loyal because, I feel, she viewed herself "too old" (40+) to go to nursing school. Maybe she was a bit intimidated. She, too, referred to herself as the doctor's "Lead Nurse", insisting on proving some sort of hierarchy.. all the while undermining the support that the other MAs offered to the clinic. Above all, legally LPN, RN... anything with a licensure is a protected title (as MrChicago pointed out). And morally, these nurses (and nursing students) work their hides off for their titles. She should be proud of who she is, not trying to represent what she's not.

Congrats, I know it can be frustrating that it isn't as simple as paying for nursing school, making the grades, and then passing the NCLEX (as if that is simple)... now the requirements are almost unrealistic for anyone with a full plate. But its great that you were accepted into a backup plan... what program were you accepted into? I plan to bridge as well. Karen Coleman, I deactivated my facebook so catch me through my personal email or on here. I believe I sent you an email with my info.

Thanks Karen, stage 3C melanoma is NO JOKE! (Slap on the sunscreen everybody) And here I thought the pursuit for my nursing degree was tricky.... He and I are in our late 20's and we have four children, ages 9 and under. Cancer, college, and children! Now thats 3C's! LOL Well, I have the "highest tabe possible" so sayeth the department when I got my waiver; however, my college gpa after 66 credit hours is 2.9. Not where I wanted it to be, but taking care of him while he had 33 rounds of radiation and a 40 lymph node neck and head dissection kinda played a roll in getting a couple of C's. Such is life. Let's see where it takes us... =)

Im almost embarassed to say that I never stopped to see where I stood with my gpa... How do they compute everything. I have my A.A. so I got a waiver for the tabe... and unfortunately I didn't know that my current CNA license ALONE wasn't enough, you actually need a letter on company letterhead. It was my intention to apply to SJRSC's RN program but my husband had to start chemotherapy so I had to pull out of my chemistry class (the last class I needed to apply)... so LPN was actually my plan B. Do you ladies know how I compute where I stand? Is it my college gpa, or is there some other way of computing? Yesterday I signed up to take chemistry in the fall, just in case I get a denial letter for the LPN program. Feels like I am always relying on my plan B lately, so at least I have that taken care of. LOL

I haven't, and its weighing on me.... ugh

I am playing the "6-8 week" waiting game to find out if I have been accepted into LPN for fall 2011, and I am just wondering if anyone has an idea of a projected date we will be getting something in the mail?!?! Prior threads from fall 2010 indicate as late as August... wow... and here I am stressin' about waiting until as late as July 27th to find out where my future is going. LOL Here's to not sweatin' the small (and BIG) stuff!