mdgale

YEAH you!!! I too started with a GED and I now have my Master's Degree in Nursing :-) I would go all out and get your BSN. If you notice many ADN nurses are having a difficult time finding jobs. The market is tough and getting tougher by the day.

I live in the midwest and we are the last area in the country to make any changes. That being said, I would NOT recommend to anyone I know that they take CMA or LPN courses. I have worked the majority of my career with CNA/CMA/LPN's and highly valued their addition to the team yet, even in the nursing homes CMA's and LPN's are being quickly phased out!

Normally, I would NOT suggest taking a cut in pay however, as I read the posts I know that once you do graduate from nursing school you want to stand out amoungst your peers. One great way to do that is by having some healthcare experience under your belt, aka CNA experience.

lanisha69: Some local nursing homes offer free nurse aide courses. In exchange you agree to work for them. Try there first. Good luck.

Let's take money out of the equation. A Master's program will require you to draw upon past nursing experiences. Do you have any? Will you truly have a wealth of them by January?? Most Master's programs require a thesis or capstone project. This is your life's work, so to speak. Will you truly know your passion in nursing and be able to research a topic that you really care about? You know that you are passionate about being a nurse but I bet that you have not yet found your true passion in nursing. Areas that spark you rinterest, yes but passion, no. Wait, save your money, and your sanity.

Right, Wrong, or Indifferent.............it is what it is. tTe Hispanic healthcare market and for that matter any market is HUGE. Like any other cultural group, they purchase goods and services. Health insurance premiums benifit all of us who rely on the costs of healthcare for our paychecks.

I read these stories EVERYDAY on www.allnurses.com and it hurts my heart!!! :-(

You need a professional service that focuses solely on nurses.....interview skills, resume tweaking, placing your resume with the right people, etc. Unfortunately, I haven't come across one that works for the nurse NOT the employer.

The job market for nurses is becoming extremely competative. I remember when I became a nurse 10 years ago. Boy I literally had my pick of several units in the hospital!! Any speciality area I wanted! Not so anymore :-(

I wish there was someone out there who specialized in helping nurses with their careers. There are the "head hunters" out there who work for the employer to be, but I would be willing to pay someone to work exclusively for me! Someone who can rework my resume, give me interview tips, and place me in front of a would be employer.

I understand your frustration. Floor nursing certainly isn't for me either!! Time is money and at this point in my life, I'd be willing to pay someone to fix my resume and connect me to the right people just to get me where I want to be!

This job market is tough these days. I would almost pay a professional to rewrite my resume and help me find a job. It would be worth the cost just to be able to practice nursing.

Message me privately and I will be glad to help you with your assignment :-)

WOW....LVN cost over $30K....good grief...all my students loans for everything including my Master's degree were only $55K and that's considerably more marketable than an LVN license.......that cost for nursing school seems way to high for a job that maybe pays $22/hour.

I agree, wait. There are many fully accredidated and recognized online MSN programs out there. If I had jumped right into my MSN it would have been money spent on a piece of paper. Once I was a nurse for several years, I knew what I truly had a passion for in nursing. I was able to write my Master's capstone on a topic in nursing that I loved. I was able to enjoy my project and advance my career. Because I had a passion for my topic, it shone through and I advanced my career by leaps and bounds! :-)