pomm

I think you really have to want it. No job, I am sorry to say is guaranteed. I made over 80k this year in corporate America, thought I had job security, was promoted (my 3rd promotion in 9 years), got a decent bonus this year (and in past years), got my largest merit increase in the 9 years I had been there, busted my butt and came back from vacation and lost my job. It is all for the better though, the job was literally making me sick. If you are happy in your job and are not willing to take the risk involved in starting a new career than I would say stay where you are. If you know you want it, go for it.

Having worked in disability insurance I know that different states look at drug use or alcohol use for that matter differently. I have seen some doctors and nurses have their licenses suspended for 2 years, and immediately let go for being suspected of being under the influence. Some states let folks work right away, after mandatory treatment. Not to be judgemental but if you drink don't ever drive and for goodness sake do not use any kind of drug which is not prescribed, there is too much at stake. I have seen some folks still practicing and they definitely should not be.

We are almost in the same situation. I start my prereqs in January. I am in line to start volunteering for the VA and for a hospice, which I found out about both opportunities through a website. Not sure if we can give those here so if you would like that information feel free to message me. Also here in FL you are not required to pay a ton of money to become a CNA. I basically took a class which had a total of 12 lecture hours over 2 weeks to prepare me to pass a written and practical exam. There is also an online component. Once I pass that, I will take med tech and PCT II skills and be given 24 CEUs once I take those classes, which are also online. Yesterday I took a BLS class and got my certification as a health care provider, in 2 hours. Where our situation differs is that I lost my job in corporate America, a job that I knew I didn't see myself retiring from. I had decided, before being let go, to go back to school part-time, just me losing my job accelerated things a bit. So I will be going back full-time.

I thought I might be too old starting at 41, but everyone I talk to has said that there are people in nursing school in their 40s, 50s and 60s. They also said that these are some of the best students in class. I think that if we have already been there, done that in another career and know we want to be nurses, it is meant to be. Besides MDs are routinely working into their 60s and 70s, so why the heck not.

I'm just taking prereqs come January and the books new are almost 1k (A&P, Microbio, Intermediate Algebra and Nutrition). I haven't been in school since I graduated in the mid 90s. Back then $400 was high for one semester (was an English major and I routinely had to pay more than peers). Problem is one of the classes the book is not available anywhere else but the school bookstore. The others seem to be available cheaper, used or otherwise, but I have read reviews where people bought the books and then had to pay extra for access codes, etc. Anyone have experience here ... I'm just taking these classes at CC in FL. I don't mind paying the big money for A&P because I know it's used for A&P II, but the others, yikes!

In FL in order to be a nurse tech you need to pass the CNA exam first. Then you add the PCT II skills (EKG, catheter insertions, etc.) which you do not need to be licensed for. This is the direction I am going in here while I take my prereqs for nursing school.

I'm currently in a CNA test prep course and the word is that LTC appears to be harder work for less pay.

Will your school defer your tuition and fees while you await the money? If I remember correctly from the last time I was in school this happened. Mind you this was back in the 90s. I know where I will be going next month they offer this. If I remember correctly, I used to get a voucher every semester for the bookstore and this was taken out of the financial aid later. This time around I am getting the runaround with financial aid, but that is another subject, lol.