arigsbee

My kids are now in school, leaving me free to pursue nursing school during the day, in theory, but what do you do when your kids get sick or injured? I've heard most of the schools around here have a zero tolerance policy for missing a clinical or class. I have 3 kids, and between them, it seems something comes up a few times a month - sickness, getting hurt at school, snow days, etc. I am a single mom with no family in the area to help. I can line up some babysitters for school holidays and such, but the problem is that no one is willing to babysit a sick kid, b/c they have kids themselves and don't want to bring it home to their children. Single moms, how did you work around this issue? Tks so much... :):):)

Slickvic, could you give an idea of the salary range Kaiser in Georgia starts a new LPN at? tks!

By the way - are there any nurses here who have never worked in a hospital? What has your educational and career path been? TKS!!!

I am interested and looking forward to hospital clinicials (perhaps foolishly so, lol), because I will be supervised there, and the student. It's being 'in charge' and 100%accountable that I'm afraid of.... I like to think I'd develop to be competent, but being competent 99% of the time is sometimes not enough. This will be a second career for me, and I've always done very well in previous jobs, but have I ever made mistakes in them?....of course! However, the consequences were minor and it didn't harm me, job-wise. Anyone can make a foolish/stupid mistake at any time....even an excellent nurse....you could even just be 'unlucky', depending on issues with staffing, lack of administrative backing, etc.....but the ramifications for the patient and for keeping your job/license are so much more serious than in other professions...

I have finished pre-reqs and applied to nursing school, but the reading the posts have me terrified of hospital work. So many critical mistakes that are so easy to make, considering the workload and work environment. I am frightened of the potential to seriously hurt someone or lose my license (if I make it that far!). I know there are lots of jobs for nurses outside of the hospital, but are they attainable without first having bedside experience? I think I would be more effective in a doctor's office, outpatient clinic, insurance company, etc. Also, are there hospital based specialties that are 'safer' for a newbie to start out in, with less potential for fatal errors? Thanks for your help - this really has me worried......

Hanoka - I am calling my local workforce office tomorrow. The course you took sounds excellent - very comprehensive, and I know I'd feel more comfortable starting nursing school with practice like that under my belt. Another question: after your Nurse Aide/PCT course, are you now certified on the state registry for each individual specialty (CNA, PCT, Phlebotomist, EKG), or did the amount of coursework allow you to sit only for the CNA registration? :up:

Hanoka - I am calling my local workforce office tomorrow. The course you took sounds excellent - very comprehensive, and I know I'd feel more comfortable starting nursing school with practice like that under my belt. Another question: after your Nurse Aide/PCT course, are you now certified with the state registry for each individual specialty (CNA, PCT, Phlebotomist, EKG), or did the amount of coursework allow you to sit only for the CNA registration? :up:

I have applied for 3 hospital registrar jobs, but was turned down due to lack of industry experience. In a different economy, I believe I'd be a candidate, but with the unemployment rate as it is, I simply think they are able to find candidates who have previous hospital registrar or medical records experience, so no need to go with someone who doesn't. I like the senior companion idea - I will check into that. If you work through a company/agency, do they typically offer a healthcare insurance option, or any benefits? I will also look into Visiting Nurse and WORKFORCE 1 - thanks for the tip. If that would pan out in my area :yeah: Regarding animals - I :redbeathe them! Back in the day, I wanted to be a vet. I have looked at the job listings for vets and vet hospitals, but again, they are looking for someone with experience: certified vet tech with minimum 1 year experience, or receptionist/office staff with 1-3 year minimum veterinary office experience. I might have some luck with the vet position if I went knocking on doors, and while I'd enjoy the work, I really feel I need 'people experience' at this point...... Thanks for all the responses - it really helps. Keep em comin'!! :loveya::loveya:

My local community colleges, which are Gwinnett Tech and Lanier Tech in Georgia, charge $1500 for a phlebotomy class, and around $1200 for a CNA class. There are some other businesses locally that offer the training for around $800, but that's still more than I'm willing to spend, plus, some of them seem a little 'fly by night'....hard to tell if they are reputable. That is a good tip on the doctor's office, but the office experience that I have is more at an 'account management' level - less administrative. I've been watching the ads for doc & dentist front office, and they're all asking for 1-3 years medical office experience...... *sigh*

I am almost done with my pre-reqs - just have Microbio to go. I have a previous bachelor's degree, so all my Gen Ed courses are finished as well. Unfortunately, I missed the 'cut-off' nursing school application date by a few months (needed to have Micro completed by Jan 1, won't finish until March). The schools that I am looking at only admit a class annually in the fall. So, after March, I'll have a year and a half of waiting before I start nursing school. (Sure hope I get in for 2011!!!!!) In the meantime, I'd like to get some healthcare experience, and am willing to do anything, EXCEPT pay $1500 for training for a $10/hr job. Yep, there's the rub. I have applied at the local hospital for CNA, tech, admissions, unit secretary, etc., but have been eliminated from consideration because I have no healthcare experience. This is understandable, but I was really hoping to get an entry-level administrative position, as I do have plenty of office experience. In this economy, however, there are probably plenty of applicants with that specific job experience to put me out of the running. I have called around to nursing homes, enquiring about free training in exchange for work, but have had no luck so far. I'm interested in phlebotomy and CNA work, but all the classes I have checked into are over $1000, and money is really tight right now. I've also noticed that the CNA employment listings are requesting certification AND experience. I'd hate to bite the bullet and pay for the class, only to find out that no one will hire me b/c I don't have a year of experience. Your thoughts? This is keeping me awake at night, so I'd love to hear some fresh ideas!!! :)))

I have been looking into Sonography, but passing the boards seems to be becoming increasingly difficult. From my understanding, it used to be that you had to pass 1 specialty and 1 physics to become registered. In 2009, they changed this to combine what used to be 3 separate physics registry exams into 1 comprehensive physics exam that must be passed, or no registration. I have seen posts on forums from students who graduated their program a year ago, who are still trying to pass the physics portion after 3 failed attempts....... I'm not a 'natural' at Physics, but if I really work hard, I can get an A in a general physics course. However, I'll never be a Physics whiz, and the idea of spending time/money on a program and then sitting unemployed for a long stretch if I can't hack the boards is very intimidating......not to mention the fallout if I should never pass.......... I can't decide what to do.

I have tossed around the idea of rad tech instead of nursing, however, this is a second career for me, I have a previous undergrad degree...... to be honest, I wonder if down the line I will regret going back to school for a job that is essentially 'blue collar'........ your thoughts?

The analyst included in their 'eating out' fees all their 'out of home' food purchases - Starbucks, snacks and sodas picked up at the gas station, etc. It's not that hard to rack up huge expenses - I have a friend who has a family of 5 - they eat out for almost every meal. Even to eat at a 'reasonably priced' Mexican restaurant for supper, with drinks and 15% tip, for 5 people, is $60-$75 per night. They swing by drive through or someplace like Panera for every lunch, and sometimes often grab fast food breakfast on the way to school/work. They must be dropping $100-$150 per day all told.....

Eating out is the single quickest way to poverty/debt/never having money. It's like a person who is not 'rich' hiring servants....there just isn't that much money for the average person to support that lifestyle. I read an article about a family's budget overhaul. The at-home-mom felt they couldn't live on one income, so she had tried 2 or 3 side businesses, part-time jobs from home, but they were still struggling financially. An analyst took a look at their spending, and found they spent about $30K annually on fast food and out-to-eat dinners (for just 2 adults and 1 kid!) . She did this b/c she was too busy and tired from taking care of the kids + working her part-time gigs , which were netting her about $20K annually. So her part-time job ended up putting them $10K in the hole every year..... (more so after taxes) The great thing about saving via 'not spending', is that your 'earnings' are 100% income tax free - i.e., that $20 you save by not going through drive through adds up to about $35 of taxed income..... Might even be worth your while to cut back a few hours and do your own cooking + lots of other chores that people spend money to have someone else do...

A question for those of you who regret (to whatever extent) choosing a nursing career - are there other healthcare careers you've observed that you wish you had pursued instead? Tks!