daisygarten

After Thursday, I'll have taken both American Red Cross AND American Heart Association-- because I didn't realize there were options. Now I'll be a CPR expert.

I start my ADN this fall... I'll be 43 when I'm eligible to sit for my RN exam. I'm excited to bring all my life experience to the bedside in helping my patients to heal. We are an awesome asset to this field!!

I concur with your research, you will ultimately have to get a second Bachelor's Degree. If you are like me though, and want to get started on your new path sooner rather than later, you may find a program that lets that happen. For me its ADN, then BSN while I'm back to work. For you, it may be accelerated BSN if you can wait an extra year to enter the workforce.

iPads were the recommendation at my school, but there was mention of an comparable large platform android tablet, excluding kindle and nook. Having worked in construction where I literally watched hand-drawn plans become ancient history in the face of Computer Aided Drafting and in secondary education where platforms like Edmodo deliver assignments and quizzes directly to students through their hand held devices; it won't be long before pencil, paper, textbooks and highlighters will all but disappear. We just happen to be at the beginning of the movement. Who can guess what gadget will be required when my 3 year old goes off to college?? For those that relish the smell of textbook ink and a rainbow palette of highlighters, you still have a little time left

@HouTx Not a huge eReader gal, but I guess I'm going to be! Thanks for the advice on the keyboard, sounds like the perfect accessory. @classicdame I'm all for streamlining equipment too! The amazing thing to me about this "little" revelation, was that they sprung it on us at orientation. Several people had purchased, or received as gifts, brand new laptops. I felt bad for them. At least iPad have gone way down in cost recently.

How fast our world is changing... When I got my BA in the early 1990s, the internet was just a weird peripheral idea. Now ALL of our nursing school's textbooks will be delivered online through the Kno.com format. A lot of the orientation group groaned and grumbled at the added cost. I'd planned on buying a new laptop, so it sounds good to me. Its going to do amazing stuff-- multi-text searches for research topics; interactive notes and highlighting that can be shared with classmates; built-in flashcards, reactive illustrations, quizzes. It collects data on your study habits and makes recommendations. It collects all of your highlights and notes into a journal. All of your books can be accessed online without expiration. I'm pumped!!! My husband is going to be pumped that I won't be dragging another truckload of books into the house. I'm thrilled to be part of this pilot group in my ADN program. We will be set up to dovetail into the rapidly changing tech demands. I'm in the Hybrid program and will attend labs and clinicals three days per week and watch lectures online. I wasn't listening as well as I should; trying to take the whole iPad trip in. I took pictures of key slides and notes about what was said. So I guess I can study that over summer as I wait to Fall to hurry up and get here!!!

The experience and networking would be great. I understand your reluctance though, leaving the family on the weekends is not the best feeling.

Congrats and welcome! I'm also going the ADN route to start.

Congratulations!!! I'm right beside you-- orientation 4/30/ start date August 22... Can't wait!!!

Great News!!! Excellent.

Fantastic!!! Wonderful News!

@Everline I come from a long line of worriers!!! I feel your pain :) When I started teaching for the first time, I tossed and turned for weeks-- then I took Tylenol PM. That sounds awful, but it worked. You sound like a contentious person, I'm sure you will cover all the bases, exude and air of calm and control that will soothe your doggie and daughter....

@Lolita34 Have you told your school that you won't be back? That's my next concern. I wonder if I should wait until the end of the school year, after my nursing school orientation, or sooner. Don't want to burn bridges, but don't want to show my hand too early...

@Stacie29 Are you in nursing school still or have your started working as a nurse already? How long did you teach?

My nursing program coordinates placement of PCTs and nursing student volunteers and has a close affiliation with a choice hospital system. Have you inquired if yours has connected programming to refer you for placement or interview?

I just got my acceptance letter today! All of the prereq's behind me and a new career ahead of me. I'm currently a teacher and am a little nervous about stepping back into full time school from the safety of a full time paycheck! Should be interesting. Are you in the same boat? What worries you the most? What do you look forward to the most?

Congrats! I, too, applied for Fall 2013 admission to the nursing program. I hope they hurry!! Are you taking this semester off? I am--- it feels weird not to be taking classes.

Best of luck to you both! Let the games begin!! (I've just finished pre-reqs and submitted for admission for the Fall.)

Jumping in the "Experienced" boat! Just applied to the fall program and if all goes well, I will sit for the RN exam at age 43... when my preschooler starts kindergarten. This is my first professional foray into the medical field, I'm a middle school teacher at the moment.

I already have a (unrelated) Masters- so I did 3 courses this summer and have 1 this fall. Another obstacle is that all classes have to be less than 10yrs ago, so I'm taking 2 for the 2nd time.

Apply and see what happens. Also identify your worst grades and retake those classes. Improve your GPA, show the application teams that you are serious!

I'm taking Algebra-- Last One before Spring Nursing school application!

Everything I read online about being employed as a VA Nurse sounds glowing and supportive. Would you agree? Are their plenty of opportunities to keep your registration up to date? If you have worked in civilian hospitals/centers, how does it compare in pay, facilities and opportunity for advancement? As a former Army-Brat, the military environment is familiar and comfortable to me, so I am interested in pursuing employment within the system. If you are a servicemember nurse, will you stick with military facilities when you get out or try the other side of the coin? Thanks for your input!

#2 1/2 Go to a info session or meet up with a counselor, they will tell you what prerequisite classes you will need to apply and most likely the Nursing Admission test you'll need to take (for me, its the TEAS)

After going back and forth, I have decided to get my ADN then later bridge. I will have to attend 7 semesters, total, instead of 5; but the fact is; as a career switcher, I need the flexibility to available to my family through the hybrid ADN program. If I go for BSN, the time and travel commitment are not a good fit. My goal is to get a couple of years working twelves then start the RN to BSN. I will get there eventually! I advise you to go confidently forward :)