msquaredthefirst

As a vascular sonography student who's also not so great at math, I just want to say that the physics isn't too bad. That math isn't very advanced, it's all about remembering equations and being able to plug in numbers. Ultrasound physics is more about remembering concepts than anything. I learned a little about xray physics and it seems to be the same. I think physical problems are a given in any medical field. I've barely started my clinicals and I'm already having trouble with sore arms/hands.

25 is young! In my anatomy and physiology classes, I was actually one of the youngest at 23, so there are tons of people starting their healthcare careers later on. And yes it could take a long time, but just remember this: that time is going to pass anyways, so why not use it to work towards your goals?

I'm also a vegetarian and huge animal lover, and I've been called a cat lady and take absolutely no offense at it, but with the dissection I just learned to suck it up and do it. I think everyone else in my class had to as well. No one likes doing the cats. We're there so we can apply what we're learning to an actual body. I usually just observe, especially since my group doesn't seem to want me doing it anyways. Maybe someone in your group will be one of those people that jumps in and takes control of everything, and you can just watch.

I was also unsure about getting into nursing because of all the crazy things I've heard, and also because the programs are super competitive to get into since everyone and their mom wants to go into nursing. I find my anatomy and physiology classes extremely interesting, but like you I don't think I can handle the stresses of nursing. The good news is there are so many healthcare careers out there, so I plan on going into something else. It's great that you're taking a CNA course, because you can work for a while and decide if that's something you really want to do. And if you find that it's not for you, you can look into the programs people have suggested above.

I agree with this. Now, I don't believe you should take a pill to solve all your problems - I have been on enough medicines to know a lot of them don't help and could possibly cause further problems. I don't like taking medication and avoid it as much as possible. I find things like yoga and accupressure to be helpful when it comes to stress and nausea. However, from what I've seen, alternative medicines have no effect on major issues, and the people who push for them are even worse. I had a friend who freaked out at me for taking Pepto-Bismol for acid reflux and practically ordered me to go off anti-depressants when that wasn't even the point of the story I was telling at the time... and she's the one who once had a strain of flu so bad that she was coughing up blood, and then didn't have a menstrual cycle for many months. On the other hand, I have never had anything worse than a cold, and I've always been regular. I'm not saying you'll turn out like my friend, but people don't want to feel like someone is judging their medication method when they're already feeling sick. There are certainly many problems with Western medicine, but that doesn't mean it's all bad.

Is it a fundamental chem class? If so, I definitely think you can handle it. I took Chem 100 over the summer when I was only 15 and got an A.

I'm in the same situation. I have a bachelor's already, and I would feel really uncomfortable if I had to take out loans for a BSN (it's a personal as well as cultural thing). So for people in the know-how, is it much harder to get hired as an ADN? Say the hospital had an equal amount of BSN and ADN applicants, would they choose more BSNs? I really don't want to go into debt, but I also don't want to complete an ADN and not have any job opportunities.

Have you looked into National University? The campus is in Rancho Bernardo and they offer an accelerated BSN program. I think they accept new students three times a year. The community colleges have a long wait list, and it's probably best to get a BSN instead of an ADN.

I'm sure this has been covered already, but there are so many pages on this thread. What are the prereqs for the accelerated BSN program? I read the catalog's "preparation for the major" section but it seems like half those classes are already nursing classes.