Jaiye

Wow. Thats alot for nursing homes. Here in Atlanta, you may make up to $10 or sometimes $11/hr (depending on experience and location) and would work 40 hour or 20 hours shifts. But most hospitals were the 7a-7p or 7p-7a type shifts.

I agree!

Yeah that sucks. But I'm very aware.

I am a CNA in Georgia and the patient to tech here is kind of crazy (nursing home and hospital). I trained a really well known hospital here and on my second day of training, they took me away from training and put me on the floor and at the end of the night I couldn't even feel my feet. But I'm wondering how it is in Florida. I plan on attending nursing school there, but haven't been accepted yet. I'm still working on getting my housing squared away. Being 32, makes it even harder. Luckily I don't have any kids. I have always wondered how students are able to maintain financially (even if they are paying minimal bills), how do they do it in a nursing program?

Hi, I am very interested in moving to Florida. I'm seriously considering (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Broward County) areas. I wanted to find out about the nursing programs down there.I need help finding a really good school. I know I'm not being very specific, but I am 32. I have no kids, will not have a job when I move there (however, I have alot of years of work experience and in the healthcare sector I was a CNA and Health Unit Coordinator) here in Georgia. Hopefully I can live on campus, find a job near by (depending on my class schedule). Ive been hearing lately that some of the schools only offer housing (for individuals over 25) who are working on a Masters. I will have some credits to transfer, but will need to take my prereqs at the college I attend. Trust me, I've done tons of research and I've called alot of places, but its nothing like communicating with people who have actually experienced Nursing programs in these areas. Again, I'm 32 and need something thats welcoming for my age (really cant deal with alot of immaturity) and a school where NCLEX passing scores are high. A safe environment and a place where I will be able to actually learn and the professors are approachable and very knowledgeable. The school can be public or private. Can anyone help?

@britishnomore, how is the program going for you now? Have you been able to work at all while in the program?

Hi, I just called the school today and spoke with someone name Inga or something like that in the Atlanta office. She told me that I would need to come out to the information session tomorrow to find out more about the program and the costs, requirements etc. for the Nursing program. I don't like when a school blows off telling the price up front because that already says "EXPENSIVE". I told her, well its best if I know these things now because if its too expensive I may not be able to attend. She told me the program is 18 months and the cost right now is $40,561 and the RN program fills up quickly. As I'm reading other comments about the program, I see that the RN program does fill up quickly and if you can't pass the scores, they automatically persuage you to do the LPN program. As I'm researching I still have alot of reservations and alot more research to do. I understand that you are paying for the speedy RN program and bypassing some of the other rigorous entrance exams. But what if I get mid way into the program and decide that the program isn't for me. I just don't want to have to go somewhere and start over and no be able to transfer my credits. And I do think that you will have to immediately go back to school to obtain a BSN because alot of places are requiring BSN degrees (hospitals). You may can work in some rehab centers like (Shepherd or Kindred) or work in some nursing homes or places like that while you're working on your BSN so that shouldn't be too bad. And as far as being a LPN, I noticed where I worked for a rehab center in Atlanta, that the LPNs would have to get their work double checked by RNs because they were "licensed" to perform certain duties. They made decent though. LPNS are becoming a thing of the past though. We only had one LPN on our entire floor. But while working at a nursing home, the LPN did alot of paperwork and administered medications, etc., but still worked side by side under the RN. But I just need to know what the atmosphere is like there? I would like to relocate to attend nursing school, but once you factor in the out of costs expenses and out of state fees, it may very well add up to $40K but then again, I'd have a Bachelors. Just wanted to know what the scheduling is like there? I hear students saying that nothing is consistent because you have to be at school Monday through Friday and be open and sometimes your clinicals could be on Saturdays. Everyone is not able to stop their life and not work to complete this program. Alot of the other programs are on a MWF or MW or T TH or some type of schedule that would allow you to be able to do other things. Just kind of confused and weighing my options. Trying to figure out if this college is really worth $41K.