craig06

I feel that the BSN route is the best course for nursing. If one chooses to be a floor nurse then there is really no reason to have a BSN. The two-year RNs seem to have parity with four-year RNs in regard to payscale. I am from Ohio and my area starts at 23-25 per hour (46K to 50K) plus shift differential and overtime. I have a friend that is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) and he started at 125K plus a signing bonus and moving expenses. Nursing can be lucrative if you work the overtime and work more than the seemingly standard 36 hour week (I still can't imagine only working 36 hours a week). I would be going from 70+ hour weeks to XXX hours. Still blows my mind but I digress. Most hospitals are non-profits and provide a 403(b) program for the employees with some offering matching up to x percent. Full medical packages are the norm (med, vision, and dental plus some offer STD and LTD) with a nominal co-pay. The two larger hospitals in my area offer daycare, sick leave, etc as well. If you are interested in advanced care then a BSN is a must unless your area offers a bridge program from a two-year program to a MSN. The CRNA program I am interested in requires a 3.0+ and takes 27 months to complete. After speaking to several people who are APNs the consensus seems to be that one should have five years experience before entering into the APN programs. Hope this bit of information helps. Craig

I asked my nursing instructor this very question. Her response was that as a male we will probably get hired into the ER or ICU out of college ( I am in an accelerated BSN program) and will probably get promoted more quickly. She also said that, unless we are in a union hospital, we will advance more quickly on the salary schedule. This is coming from a woman that has been a nurse for 32 years so I value her input more than most. Craig

Discrimination is a pretty strong word. If the department requires a particular color due to organization of departments that would be a little tough to prove. Judging by the emoticons you chose I did not miss any sarcasm. I am unsure of the age of people in here but i would say that perhaps those that are younger would be concerned with "feminine" colors. As confidence, experience, and age mellows you the last thing you worry about is what someone thinks of you in a particular color. My wife thinks pink looks good on me and she has bought me several shirts with a hint of pink. I have yet to have anyone say anything to me. Colors do not make you a good nurse or anything else. I still get an eye twitch thinking of the white uniforms I am required to wear by my College of Nursing. It is not a matter of the color but the fact it makes me look like Chef Boyarde and my wife says I look like Nurse Ratchet (One who flew..). If the work is important does anything else matter?

Hello everyone! I am brand new to this forum and this is my first post. I am a former teacher that finally grew up and decided what I want to do. I am in the accelerated program in the BSN program. It is a tough haul but it will be well worth it in the end. I too intend to become a CRNA but one thing at a time. In my state I must have one year experience to be eligible to apply to the program and it is a 27 month program. And by the way, why do I keep seeing "male nurse?" Why can't we just be nurses? Craig